The purpose of a recent study was to determine what learning environments best address the needs of 21st-century students at the secondary level. This study concluded that the presence of a positive 21st-century learning environment is related to student satisfaction and student-teacher relationships. While the majority of the literature on…

The purpose for this study was to ascertain the perceptions principals of public secondary schools in Minnesota have in relation to the evaluation of their job performance. Responding principals reported that past evaluations have been fair and consistent but have questioned their value with regard to professional growth. When asked if student…

The transformation of a high school to a learning community is a slow and challenging process. This study tracked the efforts of teacher and administrative leaders from six high schools who worked to develop professional learning communities. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of interviews with school leaders revealed that the early days of…

A curriculum implementation monitoring system should be relatively inexpensive, unburdensome for faculty, and improvement oriented; produce information to guide staff development; and refrain from covertly evaluating teachers. A self-assessment checklist should report teachers' perceptions about degree of implementation, difficulty level, and…

Y2K problems include software programming issues involving chronology and microchips embedded in every conceivable piece of electronic equipment. Procrastination is not in schools' best interest. Administrators should initiate five conversion stages: awareness, assessment, renovation, validation, and implementation. A sample equipment checklist…

In the "emergence approach" to interviewing, the interviewer tries to understand how candidates solve problems, relate to others, are motivated, and apply their aptitudes and skills. This paper offers specific suggestions on what to do and what not to do in the interviewing process. (Author/LD)

Describes (with sample questions) interviewing techniques, format, and follow-up for selecting qualified teachers. (LD)

After noting classroom techniques that made a difference in student learning, the authors focus on reducing the distractions of a school environment and providing principals a classroom observation instrument. They suggest a student observation form to be used by principals, analyzing six student behavior categories. (JW)

Provides a form for administrators to evaluate school librarians' performance, including such criteria as general library administration skills, librarians' familiary with school curriculum and program goals, and their attention to students' needs. (JW)

Using a minute-by-minute observational chart, classroom activities and student involvement may be recorded. Such a record is valuable for noting students' and teachers' time on task. (JW)

Argues that administrators should continually assess the attitudes of teachers and parents and presents a questionnaire specifically designed for this purpose. (Author/WD)

The Systems Supervisory Model is presented to help principals improve their supervisory skills and instructional staff. (MD)

A teaching style classification system that can aid in the evaluation of teachers is outlined. It allows the evaluator the use of systematic and orderly evaluation practices. (MD)

The author explains a school-specific lesson observation format that meets the specific needs of teachers and evaluators. The lesson observation components of teacher evaluation become a positive experience for both teachers and evaluators using this system. (MD)

The Flanders Interaction Analysis instrument is an alternative evaluation method. The author presents modifications adapting it for use in evaluating special education teachers. (MD)