Superintendents provide resources so that their district teams, principals, and teachers receive quality and frequent professional learning opportunities. As a result, it is crucial that the money invested in professional learning yields a return on their and their constituents' investments through improved academic achievement, teacher and…

Despite empirical evidence correlating the role of the principal with student achievement, researchers have seldom scrutinized principal selection methods over the past 60 years. This mixed methods study investigated the processes by which school principals are selected. A national sample of top-level school district administrators was used to…

This study examined the perceptions of principals concerning principal evaluation and supervisory feedback. Principals were asked two open-ended questions. Respondents included 82 principals in the Rocky Mountain region. The emerging themes were "Superintendent Performance," "Principal Evaluation Components," "Specific…

This article is a commentary on Australia's involvement in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. It provides a rationale for Australia's participation in the PISA programme, the influences of PISA involvement on education policies and practices, and considerations and implications for school leaders and education…

How can institutions of higher education, local education agencies, and departments of education partner to build capacity for 21st-Century school leadership? The model (IMPACT V) we describe utilizes a systems-wide partnership approach to cultivate shared leadership within influenced middle and high schools statewide to leverage technology as a…

Despite the lack of evidence supporting the direct effects of shared leadership on student achievement, there is evidence that shared leadership may have very positive effects on school culture variables that, in turn, affect student achievement. These indirect effects are sufficient to make shared decision making a worthwhile school reform…

This study on leadership for second order change and improved student achievement represents interview and observational research with 62 leaders at the district and school levels in 10 states. Seven consistent leader action themes emerged across all participants regardless of demographics of the school, demographics of the leader, or position…

This article presents a mixed-methods study that examined leadership program graduates' self-assessments as they specifically related to the knowledge, performance, and disposition indicators of the Interstate School Leader Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standard 5 (1996). This ISLLC standard is generally referred to as the "ethics standard" by…

Crises create heroes. But just as superheroes are always fighting crime, educators spend too much time putting out fires, and frequently do not get to the root of the problem that might have prevented the situation in the first place. The authors advocate for educational organization around four goals: (1) clear expectations for students; (2) the…

The purpose of this study was to analyze changes made to the design of a principal preparation internship. The study is based in part upon findings of a previous study on internship practices in Illinois administrator preparation programs (Tripses, Philhower, Halverson, Noe, & Morford, 2005) which found discrepancies in the design of…

The superintendent/board relationship continues to be a subject of particular interest for those who study school leadership and those who serve in the superintendency. One issue that will likely be addressed during any superintendent employment discussion is the inclusion of pay for performance incentives. The widespread use of executive bonuses…

Over the decades, those in education have waged a noble struggle in an attempt to achieve the respect and dignity worthy of their profession. Their social value, their worthiness, and the critical nature of their success, it can be argued, are every bit as significant as that of practicing medicine. Research consistently demonstrates the positive…