Summarizes a study to identify stress experienced by 10 Australian elementary principals in their schools, record duration of stress periods experienced, and ascertain what particular administrative behaviors were associated with stress. The greatest stressors were certain teacher and student behaviors, executive staff performance, policy and…

Examines recommendations of "expert" Southern California principals for modifying administrator-preparation programs based on interactions existing among changing social demographics, effects on schools, and effects on administrators. University-based training programs should play a critical role in equipping aspiring administrators with…

Reviews four philosophical leadership perspectives: structural-functionalism, constructivism, critical theory, and feminism. Explores the leadership phenomenon through the eyes of six women principals. Although the behaviors of all six fall within a structural-functionalist perspective, each is attempting to construct inclusive, positive, and…

Explores district leaders' roles in implementing a year-round schooling reform. Examines experiences of four Florida districts, stressing social, political, and fiscal contexts. Leaders promote innovation by acting humanely and openly, and by eschewing unfulfillable promises. Creating widespread support, being flexible, and crafting a climate for…

Researchers asked 60 randomly selected principals from 34 California school districts to identify differences between combination (multigraded), single-grade, and nongraded classes; to explain their rationale for assigning teachers to combination classes; and to rate teachers' abilities. Principals considered combination classes more challenging…

Summarizes a study using a series of meta-analyses to integrate the factors identified within and outside of the NASSP assessment center process into a consistent theoretical framework for improving principal preparation, assessment, selection, and performance. Proposes a model for future assessment center programs based on this analysis.…

Exposition as the dominant instructional method can be replaced by including alternative methodologies, such as demonstration, discovery, or integrated curriculum methods and strategies. Changing the direct instruction model's role from an instructional methodology to a planning tool allows the principal to introduce additional instructional…

Although politicians and educational leaders are pressured to devise quick-fix educational reforms, significant change takes time, and reform efforts may not be fully measurable for 10 years or more. Case study of a California school district given 10 uninterrupted years to develop and implement an outcome-based instructional model suggests that…

Educational leaders must be prepared to avoid discrimination against the increasing number of employed individuals infected with HIV/AIDS. This article provides a relevant literature review on protection for disabled employees. Statutory and case law is explored, including the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990. A case study in higher education…

The Foxfire Teacher Outreach Network has expanded teacher thinking and practice. Similarly, the principal must possess complementary attitudes and actions for a school to become a setting where change can occur, staff and students can flourish, and risk-taking is valued. This article explores the challenges facing administrators who create…

Details a demographic study of all school board members in West Virginia, focusing on their personal characteristics, motivations, and communication preferences. Given the ever-expanding body of educational research, a knowledge of school board members and the best ways to reach them is invaluable. The data, procedures, and implications of this…

Describes the search for a relevant knowledge base for the field of educational leadership and identifies some traditional and emergent sources. Presents a newly developed program in educational leadership to illustrate how elements of the knowledge base have been incorporated into an innovative, holistic approach to preparing school…

Summarizes a study examining 322 Nebraska student teachers' perceptions concerning administration as a career, their aspirations to become administrators, and the encouragement received to become administrators. Most respondents considered administration to be a managerial, rather than a leadership, role and aspired to become administrators at…

For 30 years, the "theory movement" in educational administration pursued a logical positivistic paradigm and a goal of developing a "science" of administration. Since Kuhn (1962), that model has been challenged but not widely recognized until Weick's 1977 study on loosely coupled systems. This article suggests possible…

Presents the results of a study of 24 superintendents who served in 1 rural school district for 12 years or more. The superintendents interviewed shared demographic information, insights into their school boards, and professional opinions concerning the reasons for their longevity. Most-cited reasons were a stable school board, open communication,…