The role of the school principal has changed much in the recent intervening years. He/she was formerly thought of as a manager and management of the local school. Today the principal is seen as the leader of curriculum improvement. School principals must believe in pupils being able to achieve optimally in school and in life. Principals must…

Today's school principal has a plethora of duties and responsibilities. Among many others, he/she is expected to supervise and monitor teacher progress in the classroom. Too frequently in the past, principals performed largely management duties in schools, but now each principal must also assist in teaching and learning situations. How might the…

Where should public school leaders be trained to become principals, supervisors, and superintendents? Traditionally, schools of education in universities have been responsible for training school administrators. This notion has been challenged by those advocating alternative choices for administrators in schools. Thus, the business and military…

Suggestions are given for evaluation of school principals by teachers. In developing an evaluation instrument to appraise principal performance, one need not start from scratch. The Organizational Climate and Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) of Halpin and Crofts (1963) is a useful tool for pinpointing areas of strength and weakness. Four subtests…

Principals are increasingly being held accountable for student achievement in the public schools, but there are many questions about how to assess principals' achievement. There are many problems with using the results of standardized testing to assess the achievement of principals. Feedback from teachers appears to be a good way to assess the…

This paper describes the need for principals to stay abreast of trends in the curriculum. The principal is the leader of the school and should possess leadership abilities, in addition to understanding thoroughly the curriculum. The principal must set and accept relevant role expectations in determining objectives of instruction. He or she must…

States that principals need to be leaders in guiding teachers to provide the best objectives, learning activities, and appraisal procedures to guide optimal pupil progress. Contends that each pupil is unique in learning style and needs a variety of experiences, and that the school curriculum needs frequent evaluation so that changes and…

Whatever has happened to using teacher observation as an approach to assess student achievement? Presently, the emphasis is upon state mandated testing to ascertain student progress. Much is written in educational journals about having students achieve No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal and state standards, signed into law in 2002. Much drill is…

Assessment procedures for school principals need to be valid, reliable, and utilitarian. They should emphasize the humane elements of the school setting, and they should reflect a concern for a safe school environment. Breaking these requirements into component parts allows the development of five-point Likert scales teachers may use to assess…

Considers how the principal has a leading responsibility in improving the school curriculum. Discusses how the principal has a vital role in assisting teachers to help each pupil become the best reader possible. Presents several ways that principals can help teachers improve reading instruction. (SC)

Teachers and principals need to understand and be able to talk intelligently about statistics. They need to be able to clarify concepts and generalizations used in tests that measure student progress. Among the terms educators need to be able to explain are "mean,""average,""median,""validity,""reliability,""pilot studies," and "item analysis."…

The principal is the educational leader of the school and he or she needs to guide teachers in using quality learning opportunities for pupils to achieve objectives. The reading curriculum cuts across all curriculum areas and needs updating continuously to assist pupils to achieve as well as possible. In supervising reading instruction, there are…

The role of the principal in evaluating student achievement is discussed in this paper. The principal is in a leadership position and has the duty of improving the ways in which students are evaluated. Educators often are blamed for poor academic achievement for which they really cannot be held responsible, but there certainly are areas in which…

The role of the school principal in a community of learners is discussed. A "community of learners" refers to a group of individuals with common interests who share ideals and learn from each other. The principal must work with teachers, providing support and receiving support in helping students achieve optimal results. A community of learners…

This paper discusses how a quality program of science instruction can be developed and achieved. It emphasizes the principal's vital role in improving the science curriculum, claiming that principals should work with teachers to develop a high-quality set of objectives, learning opportunities, and evaluation techniques to modify the curriculum.…