The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the length of superintendent tenure, longevity, and continuity relative to student achievement as evidenced by the 2008-2009 Grade 3 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) in Language Arts. The researcher focused on New Jersey school districts in the…

This mixed methods study examined the relationship between school districts' principal evaluation practices and their impact on student achievement in mathematics and reading. School achievement data were collected from a sample of 41 campuses representing 27 Texas school districts. Data were also solicited from a convenience sample of campus…

The authors' purpose for this article is to describe a K-12 public school district's journey to internalize and actualize its mission, strategic planning and vision as one coherent engagement using Lean principles and tools. Lean jointly comprises an organizational philosophy and management toolkit prominent in private, government, and nonprofit…

The primary research question addressed in this paper is: What ISLLC 2008 Standards "functions" are considered to be the most important by a national sample of school superintendents when applied to the process of principal evaluation? A Friedman Test for related samples on the Standards "functions" determined that the five most important…

Under pressure from the U. S. Department of Education (USDOE) and select private foundations, state officials have rushed to establish and enforce sets of standards for the K-12 public schools sector. This writer analyzed selected samples from several state sets and found them to be technical specifications without the needed prerequisite learning…

Education in the United States has reached yet another critical milestone on the way toward standardization. On June 1, 2009, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced that 46 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories agreed to join an…

As the understanding of burnout continues to be refined, studies that examine school principals and burnout will be helpful to those who provide support to school leaders and are concerned about principal attrition and pending shortages. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between burnout and gender, age, and years experience…

Crises create heroes. But just as superheroes are always fighting crime, educators spend too much time putting out fires, and frequently do not get to the root of the problem that might have prevented the situation in the first place. The authors advocate for educational organization around four goals: (1) clear expectations for students; (2) the…

Research on the enduring contribution of leadership to student achievement can be integrated as part of a system planning model. This article offers a formative sample in the convergence of two dissimilar forces: (1) the stability of school culture, whose rock-solid nature resembles a tectonic plate; and (2) the flowing energy of administrators…

The surge of high-stakes testing and accountability has been felt in Texas and all across the country. Every state is demanding to some degree or another that administrators and teachers increase their workload, alter their teaching, rearrange the curriculum, adjust professional development, and implement improvement programs in order to raise…

School leaders' values and dispositions impact the quality of education in their schools. Effective schools and appropriate leadership dispositions must be assessed and standardized models must be developed to give direction for future growth. The accrediting agencies and the college of education at a mid-sized state university in a southern state…

The national push for educational accountability has focused attention on the need for effective teachers and high-quality instruction. The problem is that even among certified teachers, the meaning "high-quality instruction" often varies significantly from one teacher to the next, and one school to the next. Obviously, a lack of alignment between…

Over the past five years the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has used the results of the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) to rate public school performance on the School Accountability Report (SAR). The public often considers the school ratings as indicative of the school's quality. There appears to be a lack of quantitative…

As student data analysis reports become more sophisticated, these reports reveal greater details on low performance skills. Availability of models and programs depicting detailed instructions or guidance for utilizing data to impact classroom instruction, in an effort to increase student achievement, has been lacking. This study examines the…

The superintendent/board relationship continues to be a subject of particular interest for those who study school leadership and those who serve in the superintendency. One issue that will likely be addressed during any superintendent employment discussion is the inclusion of pay for performance incentives. The widespread use of executive bonuses…