Drawing on literature concerning department chairs' role as either administrators (line personnel) or teachers (staff personnel), this essay concludes that both roles are important and that well-developed human relations skills and managerial skills are equally necessary. (MJL)

Recommended strategies for improving the education of economically disadvantaged students include dispelling teacher misconception, hiring teachers from disadvantaged backgrounds, using noncredentialed staff from the community, emphasizing mastery learning and holistic teaching, and revising the curriculum to incorporate heterogeneously grouped…

The serious lack of language proficiency among many educational administrators and supervisors should be countered by their becoming aware of their linguistic habits and by taking such steps as developing writing workshops for administrators and staff. (MJL)

Maintaining the necessity for schools to develop public relations and fund raising programs, this essay offers a true-false quiz to familiarize school administrators with some of the issues involved. (MJL)

The use of competency-based transcripts is favored over differentiated diplomas to designate differences in student performance. Issues discussed surrounding the use of differentiated diplomas for high school graduation include the actual importance of functional literacy level for job success, the failure of prospective employers to verify…

Following a review of the development of the middle school concept, this essay cites six ideal characteristics of the middle school and questions whether many middle schools have attempted to embody them. The need for change for continued development of middle schools is emphasized. (MJL)

Contending that traditional grading practices victimize the mainstreamed handicapped student, this essay analyzes the uses of grades and recommends a flexible grading system based on the use of grades to assist mainstreamed students to achieve a sense of competence. (MJL)

Among suggestions for success in the changing post of the assistant principalship is to bring to the job a dedication to learning, a belief in the purpose of education, and a friendly disposition. Assistant principals can counter job stress through collegiality, self-fulfillment in their job, self-analysis, and self-assessment. (MJL)

After a comparison of the organizational characteristics of environmental interference, goal conflicts, reward potentials, and goal selection in public school systems and in private industry, caution is urged in the application of the management-by-objectives model of industrial management to educational administration. (MJL)

Noting that listening skills can and must be learned by the successful principal, this article defines the skills and levels of productive listening, lists strategies frequently used that create barriers to effective listening, and outlines processes of active and directed listening. (MJL)

Silent meditation in the schools has been rejected in recent court decisions, including "May vs. Cooperman," which held unconstitutional a New Jersey statute providing for a one-minute period of silence to be used at the discretion of the student. School administrators may be held liable for participating in such practices. (MJL)

An Arizona high school's security program includes using teachers as security personnel for campus events, cooperating with juvenile probation officers, and assigning local police to daily patrol and night events. (MJL)

Noting that careful selection of assemblies can result in meaningful programs functioning as supplements to classroom learning and bridges to the community, this article describes one principal's assembly planning considerations and procedures. (MJL)

Linking the content of mythology to the art of story-telling, the three-week residency of a myth teller at a Long Island middle school provided students with opportunities to better understand and appreciate the myths, discuss and interpret them, and synthesize their experiences through writing activities. Results were overwhelmingly positive.…

A San Jose high school's campaign to develop student pride in the school and its appearance includes publicity measures, painting garbage cans in school colors, and cafeteria supervision. Results in diminishing acts of vandalism have been encouraging. (MJL)