Paraprofessionals are critical to special education service delivery in inclusive classrooms where they are used to support teachers in reading instruction. This qualitative case study examines the use of paraprofessionals in reading instruction in an adolescent reading program. The study focuses on their roles, training, and the feedback…

Emerging research suggests that teachers' perceptions of fairness with respect to interactions with school administrators, decision-making processes, and decision outcomes can contribute greatly to understanding effective schools. This study of Virginia public high schools used correlational analysis to measure the strength of the…

The findings of this study expand current knowledge regarding principals' perceptions of school counselors. School principals play a key role in school counselors hiring or dismissal, and their perceptions of school counselors' roles and functions may influence their decisions. Reflecting on their views may also assist school principals in…

Given the demands and constraints under which they work, it is critical for principals to determine their own readiness for change before undertaking the complex process of changing schools. Leaders can discover their change readiness by becoming reflective practitioners who know themselves and engage in professional learning. This informed…

Over recent decades, education has had to respond to major mandates and policy changes at the local and national levels. These parameters have often left schools adrift among the tumultuous waves of change and reform. Using the perfect storm as an analogy, this article examines how secondary principals can mediate organizational change by serving…

External stakeholders and public constituents often have predetermined notions of what administrators do. This quantitative study was designed to help provide concrete evidence of how their time is actually spent. This researcher-developed survey was electronically sent to 332 secondary school principals in the state of Iowa. Although some…

The current emphasis on school reform makes many demands on principals. The case study in this article describes the experiences of one urban junior high school principal who was part of a five-year federal grant that targets schools with at-risk youth. Themes that emerged from this qualitative study include school culture, educator and student…

This study explores principals' roles in a large, urban, standards-based induction program. Principals from eight high schools, four middle schools, and 42 elementary schools were surveyed. Five case study schools were investigated using interviews of principals, novice teachers, and focus groups for mentors and site induction coordinators.…

Addresses issues regarding inhibitors to effective professional development that emerged during analysis of qualitative data gathered during stratified random sample of Ohio principals. Although principals appeared to recognize their pivotal role in the professional development process, majority reported financial restrictions and time constraints…

Examines relationship between school climate and teacher attitudes toward upward communication with the principal in 41 Ohio secondary schools. Finds positive association between open-climate schools and teachers' willingness to communicate with principals. (Contains 31 references.) (PKP)

Study of graduation rates of at-risk students admitted to a master's degree program at a doctoral-degree-granting university found that the best predictor of degree completion was the product of the undergraduate GPA multiplied by the GRE Verbal score. (Contains 41 references.)

When state funding systems are declared unconstitutional, equity/adequacy issues are considered while ignoring unintended consequences. This article describes how school finance litigation has unintentionally influenced governance, fiscal and academic accountability, and secondary educators' practice. Two consequences are more state oversight and…

Control charts are practical tools to monitor various school indicators (attendance rates, standardized test scores, grades, and graduation rates) by displaying data on the same scale over time. This article shows how principals can calculate the upper natural-process limit, lower natural-process limit, and upper control limit for attendance. (15…

Summarizes results of a nationwide survey to determine secondary principals' attitudes toward selected aspects of block scheduling. All 69 participants (from 10 states) expressed full support for block scheduling. Many principals expressed concerns about student maturity, sequential course offerings, and time spent on homework. Schedule…

Literature offering solutions to reduce student absenteeism can be divided into four categories: stringent state/community laws and regulations (parental sanctions, zero credit for missed work, suspensions, and police interventions); in-school programs to increase school effectiveness; use of computer technology to lasso truants and inform…