Although educational leaders may be optimistic about initiating change, lasting reforms are rare. The group polarization literature, although dated, provides an important explanation for a very current problem. The theory holds that when there are differences of opinion to begin with, a counter-conformity effect works among members of groups.…

As part of a study of teacher effectiveness and job satisfaction, a research team interviewed 85 elementary and secondary classroom teachers in 5 school districts in the San Francisco (California) Bay Area to gather teachers' perspectives on administrative leadership. Teachers portrayed effective principals as creating environments around the…

This paper examines the extent to which legitimacy affects program continuation, and focuses on the process by which programs attempt to maintain legitimate status through conformity with the larger environment. Legitimacy is defined as cultural support from a program's larger environment, such as the school district or community. An innovative…