The Supervisor's Interactive Model of Organizational Relationships (SIMOR) integrates two models addressed in the leadership literature and then highlights the importance of relationships. The Supervisor's Interactive Model of Organizational Relationships combines the modified Hersey and Blanchard model of situational leadership, the…

Many educational models emphasize that best instructional practices are effective when working collaboratively with stakeholders. Professional learning communities focus on learning, collaborative endeavors, and shared accountability. The purpose of this article is to introduce an effectual framework for developing school counselor instructional…

Secondary school administrators are increasingly finding themselves in the position of implementing Response to Intervention (RTI). This system of providing progressively intensive levels of intervention for the purposes of preventing academic failure and identifying children with learning disability may be useful at the secondary level. However,…

A firm grounding in change theory can provide educational leaders with an opportunity to orchestrate meaningful organizational improvements. This article provides an opportunity for practicing leaders to review four major theories of organizational change--continuous improvement, two approaches to organizational learning, and appreciative inquiry.…

Some school leaders have viewed programs such as Advanced Placement (AP) as an attractive option to resolve the ongoing achievement gap problem. However, the ongoing debate in the field about maintaining the ostensible purity of the AP program versus diluting it with program expansion has hindered the full utilization of AP classes to close the…

Decisions regarding school improvement are based on observations of adults. A more accurate picture of institutional assets and limitations emerges when observations of students are also considered. This presentation shows how student polling can help principals enhance conditions of learning and safety. Implications of Cyberbully Poll results at…

The use of value-added modeling (VAM) in school accountability is expanding. However, trying to decide how to embrace VAM can be rather nettlesome. Some experts claim it is "too unreliable," causes "more harm than good," and has "a big margin for error," while other experts assert VAM is "imperfect, but useful" and provides "valuable feedback."…

Over the past 10 years, since No Child Left Behind started pressuring school districts to focus on student test scores, many states have begun to consider student performance when evaluating teachers. This article will provide preventive measures of fairness and substantive due process to avoid potential teacher objections and gain teacher…

The increased number of students with learning disabilities in general education secondary school classrooms presents complex challenges for today's educators. This article describes how the Universal Design for Learning theoretical framework can be used with assistive technology to enhance educational opportunities for secondary students with…

In this technological age, the definition of private, public, and protected speech and expression for today's school employees is largely misunderstood and unclear. This article addresses the current legal standards as well as some recent case law involving teacher speech and expression and its major implications for addressing teacher online…

The Early Warning System is a tool developed by the National High School Center to collect data on indicators including attendance, grade point average, course failures, and credits earned. These indicators have been found to be highly predictive of a student's likelihood of dropping out of high school in large, urban areas. The Early Warning…

The American education agenda suggests a clear commitment to the development of programs and practices to increase equitable participation in higher education. During a time when equity-based policy initiatives are under attack in the United States, governmental TRIO Programs remain one proven pathway for ensuring college preparedness and access…

Schools are focusing considerable efforts on reaching students who are identified as at risk of becoming future dropouts due to poverty, behavior, and/or academics. This article details the important role that middle school counselors can play in meeting the needs of the at-risk population because of the specialized training they receive in…

The Millennials, born from 1980 to 2000, have begun entering the profession, and many will not stay longer than 5 years. They have a unique set of talents, skills, and work ethic, unlike those from previous generations. They are extremely eager to be successful. If strong supportive programs of mentoring, induction, career ladders, and ongoing…

This article addresses important legal issues surrounding voluntary school integration plans and explores policy and practice implications of the "Seattle" and "Louisville" cases. School policy guidance for how school districts should create or change their voluntary integration policies is discussed. Further discussion reveals what some school…