In this article, the author discusses two major conclusions about initial preparation programs in the United States. On the upside, a good deal of energy and hard work is being poured into attempts to revitalize preparation programs. On the downside, people are not seeing much in the way of real improvement; that is, most of the change is on the…

In 1996, a consortium of state and professional associations, the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium, published a comprehensive set of Standards for School Leaders. This paper provides early indications of standards implementation throughout the nation. Intrastate distribution of ISLLC Standards was achieved in 34 of the 54 states and…

Rebuts Fenwick W. English's negative critique of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium. None of the strategies (imaginative reading, academic sophistry, and jejune deconstructivism) suggested for analyzing the standards can be taken seriously. English misreads "continuous improvement" and makes several unfounded claims about what the…

Explores dynamics of parental involvement in one low-income, urban school struggling to improve student learning and to draw parents into all aspects of their children's education. Embracing a "family metaphor" helped participants overcome implementation barriers (overwhelming teacher expertise, culturally-based role expectations, and differences…