Although "Jordanesque" checklists cannot describe the full dimension of effective school leadership, the literature has generated some commonly accepted principles categorized according to personal attributes, leader behaviors, and organizational outcomes. Sensitive to others' needs, effective principals are generally warm, caring individuals who…

Nationwide, widespread application shortages exist for high school principals. A 1998 Association of California School Administrators study of 11 representative districts found that positions went unfilled due to stress, salary, and shortage of qualified candidates. Dealing first with contextual concerns, then with personnel and institutional…

Most new California teachers are beginners; many are not properly trained or credentialed for their positions. Principals must remember their own first-year experiences; build assignments appropriately; provide new teachers with curriculum guidance and support, systematic orientation, and ongoing professional growth; build a collegial environment;…

A powerful vision can help a school focus its values and reach beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary. No matter how well-formulated a vision can fail if inappropriate or when poorly communicated or implemented. A Northeastern Regional Lab document entitled "The Walk" can prompt school community members' reflective thinking in the…

Passage of Proposition 227 (ending bilingual education in California public schools) in June 1998 holds many lessons, including the need to address criticisms early. In electoral battles, administrators should lead with parents, not educators, academics, or advocates. Proposition 227's fate was sealed a year earlier, when bilingual advocates…

Although educational teams can help reduce teachers' feelings of isolation and enhance instruction, ineffective leadership often dooms their efforts. This article describes four team leadership approaches: "strong-man,""transactor,""visionary hero," and "SuperLeadership." The last is superior, since it focuses on facilitating others' efforts to…

The Torrance (California) Unified School District is proving that learning flourishes when the community collaborates to create a conflict-resolution program. This article profiles North High School's efforts to develop and select peer mediators, integrate conflict-resolution principles into the curriculum, address roots of conflict in the…

Increasing numbers of parents do not accept a school's discipline policy and are refusing to permit their children to comply with disciplinary sanctions. According to the California Education Code, educators have the right to expect parents to accept disciplinary decisions made in compliance with required procedures. Parental defiance might worsen…

Oakland, California's Developmental Studies Center has identified "sense of community" in school as a pivotal condition for children's ethical, social, moral, and academic development. Practices such as class meetings, collaborative learning, and buddies will not build community unless designed to meet that goal. Academic learning is equally…

Picture books, showing young characters' struggles to control their anger and cope under stress, are cornerstones of the East Side San Jose Schools' Leadership through Ethical Action and Development (LEAD) program. Sponsored by the Markkula Center, LEAD enrolls 11 university student leaders who share their knowledge of ethical behavior with…

Appalled at a half-dozen fifth-graders' exclusionary and unsportsmanlike behavior on a new basketball court, a resourceful principal intervened next recess to pick teams and set rules. Everyone was allowed to play. Arguing, teasing, and intimidation resulted in benching. Eventually, about 40 children of both sexes and all sizes were playing in two…

Children attending schools that instill character develop a sense of mutual respect, caring, and responsibility and become true citizens. This article profiles 10 schools that best exemplify the Character Education Partnership's 11 principles. Although the principals and teachers of all 10 schools note improved behavior and self-discipline,…

By successfully creating links with the larger community, one San Diego high school principal discovered the keys to building a true learning community. Community building requires a shared, research-based vision; specific educational goals; a meaningfully aligned curriculum; constituent involvement; careful monitoring; ongoing professional…

In thriving school communities, members form a culture of reciprocal relationships that meet both school and community needs. The Los Alamitos (California) Unified School District opened a parent-paid preschool and an extended-day-care facility at each elementary-school site. Reciprocal relationships can be created via volunteer projects and…

Although the new principal of an innercity California school vowed to improve student achievement, the students could not learn amidst demoralized teachers in chaotic classrooms. Community-building had to come first. The principal met with parents and asked them to write behavior rules for the school. Various discipline, partnership, and literacy…