Concerns about effective use of school instructional time have been evident for many years. The more stringent demands of the newer accountability mechanisms have obligated educators to renew efforts to optimize the teaching and learning process. This study addressed the nature and extent of classroom instructional time erosion by external…

Results from the Tasmanian Successful School Principal Project (SSPP) survey concur with the four major leadership tensions and dilemmas identified in a background literature review. These tensions and dilemmas relate to internal/external control, ethic of care/responsibility, and an emphasis on professional/personal as well as…

The objectives of this paper are twofold. First, a research model, namely, Model for the Study of Bullying and Other School Violence, is proposed, outlined, and delineated, arguing that this model is theoretically grounded and empirically validated by reviewing the related literature. In this model, five major components are proposed that are…

The rhetoric abounds concerning the types of effective, high trust, interactions that should exist for a school governing body. In practise, however, such interactions are often difficult to define, establish, maintain, and sustain. The study reported on in this paper attempted to identify interactions linked to perceptions of high trust via a…

The mission statements of 34 four-year and of 68 two-year colleges in the State of Texas were examined for themes to determine the extent to which their themes were similar or dissimilar in nature. Although previous researchers have attempted to analyze and demonstrate that these mission statements often have reoccurring themes, only limited…

In spite of mission statements which articulate respect and value for all students, at individual, institutional, and systemic levels, educators make choices on an ongoing basis which reinforce existing hegemonic structures. These include larger societal forces; curriculum and the structures of schools; and attitudes, dispositions, and…

This study investigated the attitudes of principals toward the legitimacy of pre-service teacher preparation programs conducted wholly or almost wholly online. Random cluster sampling was utilized to select participants in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. A total of 326 principals completed questionnaires. Principals expressed apprehension about…

The Alberta SuperNet, a very high speed, broadband network, was built to bring high-speed connectivity to every school, library, and municipal office in Alberta. This CDN $294 million investment was made based on the perceived need for high-speed connectivity to stimulate economic and community development and to enhance government services,…

In this article, the authors considered the use of the software Knowledge Forum to complete a curriculum-based project with students enrolled in asynchronous, Web-based Advanced Placement courses in Canada and the United States. Knowledge Forum is an online database that promotes written interaction in a social constructivist environment. The…

There is an eclectic and often inconsistent approach to delivering teacher induction programs across North America. Successful induction programs facilitate a transition between beginning teacher learning from their preservice education to the inherent responsibilities of being a classroom teacher and are intended to improve the quality of…

One of the most pressing issues facing American universities is the number of students who fail to graduate. Nearly one out of five four-year institutions graduate fewer than one-third of its first-time, full-time degree-seeking first-year students within six years. Although there are various explanations for attrition, students often leave for…

The Swedish schools have been under pressure for change for several decades. How leaders behave can be of vital importance in times of change. The principal is responsible for both the educational program and for the school budget. Two hundred Swedish principals (male and female) responded to questionnaires concerning their leadership style,…

With the increased state and national focus on student achievement, school leaders are pursuing a variety of strategies to better serve their students. Many effective principals are embracing distributive leadership, relying on their best teachers to also provide instructional leadership. Yet, many effective teachers have not had training (and…

The voluminous literature on teacher professional development presents varied components of what constitutes meaningful professional development experiences for elementary teachers. The research reported here first identifies these components through an analysis of the literature, and then describes a research project in which those components…

We surveyed 374 parents and 82 teachers in the Juarez, Mexico schools regarding their views of what makes an effective elementary school. The survey was a Spanish translation of an instrument used by Johnson (1998). Although both parents and teachers supported most of the factors associated with effective schools, they emphasized different aspects…