Novice public middle school principals currently face the challenge of navigating internal micropolitical structures while negotiating educational change during a period of decline. This year-long qualitative study detailed the lived experiences of two suburban novice middle school principals as they found themselves leading within a…

This conceptual article presents a review of the research concerning the stress level of principals over the past three decades, with emphasis on the occupational stress that principals encounter because of heightened accountability and expectations for student achievement. Mindfulness meditation, as a stress management intervention, provides the…

Traditionally schools in the past were mostly homogenous, but with demographic shifts, schools are becoming more ethnically diverse, disadvantaged, and multilingual. In contrast, the teaching population still reflects that outdated homogenous template: "predominantly white and female," middle-class, and unilingual. This exploratory study examined…

This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods of content analysis to examine principal evaluation instruments, and state and professional standards for principals in school districts located in a Mid-Atlantic state in the United States. The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the degrees of emphasis that are placed on…

This study investigated practicing and aspiring school administrators' perceived level of proficiency related to the Technology Standards for School Administrators adopted by the International Society for Technology in Education. Based on the mentor-mentee relationship, the study found there were no significant differences between mentors and…

Researchers randomly selected Pennsylvania public middle level schools to identify significant relationships between principals' instructional leadership behaviors and student achievement, with school socioeconomic status (SES) as a secondary variable of interest. For each participant school, four teachers and the principal were asked to complete…

This article reports how secondary principals perceive the status of the accountability movement and their professional job responsibilities in the context of accountability. The data were collected from a nationally representative sample of secondary principals during the Schools and Staffing Survey 1999-2000. Respondents reported that there were…

This study examined the conditions and concerns of principals in Virginia to see what their experiences and perceptions are of the growing shortage in the principalship. Findings suggest that principals do not feel that they have sufficient authority and resources to get the job done and that they are working long hours to fill the gap. More than…

This study describes the bullying behaviors reported by 136 grade 9 students in two high schools in the same Southern city. Nearly 75% of students reported observing some type of bullying at their school. Bullied students were most apt to tell their mother or a friend about their experience, but rarely told a teacher or an administrator. Findings…

The University of North Carolina's rigorous Principals' Executive Program (PEP), modeled after Harvard University's leadership training program for business executives, serves about 40 principals annually. The program stresses nitty-gritty management skills and knowledge of self and others. PEP also provides conferences and symposia for alumni.…

This article describes the results of a project funded by New York state to determine which competencies a beginning principal should have. Essential personnel and management competencies are listed. (Editor)

Article provided concepts to be implemented in a continuous, individualized pre-service and inservice program for leaders of secondary schools. Concepts formed an outline which can be utilized to prepare learning objectives which can be measured. (Author/RK)

This writer questions some of the basic conventions of foreign language teaching in this country. As an alternative approach, he suggests an exploratory concept for grades 5-8. (Editor)

Education in Norway's far northlands is wonderfully diverse, even though local schools are governed by a national ministry of education. This article should shatter the myth that central control means bland homogenization. (Editor)

The rhetoric on improving education goes on, but it must stop, says this writer. Concrete action must take the place of ineffectual talk. The Richmond, Va., public schools are cited here as an example of progress that can occur when strong administration joins forces with good classroom teaching. (Editor)