In this commentary, the Dean of the Kansas State University College of Education states that the job of a school leader is more complex and more demanding than ever before. As institutions of higher education contemplate the question "Who is the Building Leader?," defining the roles and responsibilities of the school building leader is…

Using grid and group theory (Douglas 1982, 2011), the study described in this article examined the intersections of technology and school finance in four schools located in districts differing in size, wealth, and commitment to technology integration. In grid and group theory, grid refers to the degree to which policies and role prescriptions…

The 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform" (National Commission of Excellence in Education) "initiated the longest sustained period of attention to public education in the nation's history and ignited a new wave of interest in teacher preparation" (NRC, Committee on the Study of Teacher…

Increasing high school graduation rates is a systemic issue, not just a school level issue. The district office therefore has a key role to play in narrowing the graduation gap and ensuring that more students earn their high school diplomas well-equipped for college or career. This article focuses first on what school districts have typically done…

Building and sustaining a school and district culture that has a technology "growth mindset" and the implementation of processes that support a technology-specific culture in which, "the role of the leader is to ensure that the organization develops relationships that help produce desirable results," would ensure that teachers and principals…

All students have the right to a quality education. At the same time, future principals will likely face the challenge of educating the most diverse student body since the turn of the 20th century. In this commentary, the author provides principals, new and experienced, with the means to navigate successfully the challenges of meeting the…

It is imperative for special education administrators, and all administrators, to adapt to the changing demographic and educational environments. The field of special education has changed dramatically in the last three decades, and administrators can and should be leaders of the continued evolution of special education. One useful organizing…

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 provided a clear mandate to school administrators to provide additional training for professional and paraprofessional staff. With its requirement that school districts must ensure that all staff are "highly qualified" for the roles assigned to them, it leaves no room for excuses or…

For many ethnically diverse students with learning disabilities, participation in postsecondary education is necessary. However, to achieve this goal, a comprehensive transition planning is essential. As a consequence, postsecondary personnel must collaborate with others to ensure nondiscriminatory but sensible treatment of ethnically diverse…

The author discusses the four constituent groups that compose a university community: (1) students, (2) faculty, (3) administrators, and (4) those who pay for things that tuition does not cover. Emphasis is placed on the latter two groups and the power they possess. (CH)