This case addresses a typical context faced by a new urban principal. Under the former principal, the school had several years of average academic success. Consequently, the superintendent appointed the new principal to significantly improve the success of the highly diverse elementary school. Although the new principal has been well trained and…

Researchers have suggested that transformational leadership is an important aspect of effective schools; however, whether the effects vary across related studies and the robustness of the overall effect size remain unclear. A meta-analysis technique was used to synthesize the results of 28 independent studies and to investigate the overall…

There has been much debate on the topic of "leadership," "management," and "administration"--particularly regarding the roles of leadership and management--with leadership being thought of positively, and management being thought of negatively. This introductory chapter presents an overview of these topics with a…

This article seeks to examine "Ways of Knowing Through the Realms of Meaning" (2007) by Dr. William Allan Kritsonis as a framework that transformational educational leaders can use to guide members of the Site Based Decision Making Team through development of the Campus Improvement Plan. The Campus Improvement Plan serves as a blueprint for…

Six years ago, South Heights Elementary School was the lowest-performing school in Kentucky's Henderson County School District. Teachers blamed poverty lack of parent involvement, poor discipline, and high staff turnover for the situation. Few expected to meet the state goals. Yet by 2004, South Heights was the fifth-highest-performing school in…

For those involved one way or another in the delivery of educational services, there is little doubt that teacher leadership (albeit underrated) does exist in our schools and that it significantly impacts on school effectiveness. It has even been suggested that this activity contributes to improved organizational memory by using the power of…

Over the past four decades, the concept of leadership has become increasingly more complex and elaborate. Considerable debate has emerged over the most suitable model for educational leadership. Dominating the literature are two conceptual models: instructional leadership and transformational leadership. This paper will review the conceptual and…

With the increase in the number of organizational leadership development programs, there is a pressing need for evaluation to answer important questions, improve practice, and inform decisions. The Handbook is a comprehensive resource filled with examples, tools, and the most innovative models and approaches designed to evaluate leadership…

The purpose of this study was to assess self-perceived leadership styles practiced by adult educators and graduate-level adult education students adopting transformational leadership theory embodied in the Full Range of Leadership Model. Results show significant differences between practitioners and graduate students in mean scores for the…

New Zealand universities have undergone significant structural change accompanied by declining public funding and increasing demands for accountability in recent years. In 2000, one of the country's largest universities redirected resources and funding in a "repositioning" exercise that resulted in redundancies and other consequences…

This article explores self management in professional work in the context of a shift from traditional professionalism to forms of governance where functions and responsibilities previously attributable to the professional communities are "insourced" to the individual worker. Drawing on data from an interview study among recently educated…

Research has shown the importance of students' perceptions of a learning environment and the existence of discrepancies between students' and teachers' perceptions. Participatory design could be a helpful strategy to reduce such discrepancies and eventually improve the design of learning environments, as it has proven to be effective to optimize…

Leadership depends on the situation. Few social scientists would dispute the validity of this statement. But the statement can be interpreted in many different ways, depending, at least in part, on what one means by leadership. This article begins with a definition of leadership and a brief description of 3 historically important theories of…

Contemporary leadership skills include leading in the global economy, initiating and adapting to change, respecting diversity, and empowering employees--attributes of the transformational leadership model. Studies indicate that female leadership traits are reflective of transformational leadership. Career and technical education should expand…

Leading organizational change is like climbing a mountain. Transformational leaders must prepare to lead change, understand the process and nature of change, and provide the essential gear so that those involved can be successful. The author draws on the literature and personal experiences as a hiker and change leader to provide a guide for…