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…

Paper screening in the pre-selection process of hiring teachers has been an established line of research starting with Young and Allison (1982). Administrators were asked to rate hypothetical candidates based on the information provided by the researcher. The dependent variable in several of these studies (e.g. Young & Fox, 2002; Young & Schmidt,…

This conceptual paper reviews research findings about the world of stress of principals and superintendents, focusing on the high levels of stress that the educational leaders report. The literature on occupational stress is also explored for its insights on the medical and psychological results of workplace stress and the relationship to stress…

The author's purpose for this article is to examine the use of the Response to Intervention (RtI) framework to meet the needs of a continuum of learners, from those who most struggle to those in need of advanced educational opportunities. Through classroom observations, teacher interviews, and dialogue with the site-based Problem-Solving Team,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and principal perceptions of the role of the principal in fostering teachers' professional growth. A Likert-type questionnaire was used to explore the ways 476 teachers and 135 principals see themselves as being supported in their professional growth. New and veteran teachers and principals…

A disconnect exists between principal leadership expectations and the actual practice of supervision and evaluation of principals. Increased principal responsibilities and rigorous standards require that a new approach to principal evaluation be considered. The authors provide a framework for a multi-dimensional approach to principal supervision…

This article examines reasons why teachers who were identified by their school principal as leaders or having leadership potential, chose not to become school principals. While the literature reports a shortage of qualified applicants for school administrative positions, the deterrents that teacher leaders most often identify include…

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…

Alternative routes to the licensure of school principals are controversial. These researchers found that superintendents, as gatekeepers in the employment of principals, consider a complex set of conditions surrounding the candidate, the superintendent, and the school district in their decisions to hire principals who gained credentials through…

Collaborative learning teams have emerged as an effective tool for teachers to steadily and continuously improve their instruction. Evidence also suggests that a learning teams model can affect school leadership as well. We explored the impact of learning teams on leadership roles of principals and teachers in secondary schools and found that…

This study on leadership for second order change and improved student achievement represents interview and observational research with 62 leaders at the district and school levels in 10 states. Seven consistent leader action themes emerged across all participants regardless of demographics of the school, demographics of the leader, or position…

Little is known about the change style preferences of superintendents, and how they differ from school principals and from business leaders and whether a superintendent's change-style preference affects student achievement. The purpose of this study was to explore the change-style preferences of South Carolina superintendents, compare them with…

Given the negative implications of unmanaged teacher attrition for student learning and the potential of leadership actions to affect this dynamic, this article highlights the practices of one principal in the Chicago Public School (CPS) system who used teacher attrition to her school's advantage. Her actions reveal leadership practices that can…

The study discussed in this article focuses on the problem of school principal mistreatment of teachers from the perspectives of teachers themselves. To date, only one other study of this problem has been published; therefore, the authors used exploratory-descriptive research protocols designed specifically to solicit participation of teachers who…

Interest in the preparation of principals and vice principals continues to be in the forefront of discussion about reformation of America's public schools. The current discussion is particularly important because of evolving and definitive insights derived from recent research on effective leadership practices, as well as criticisms of and…