Research suggests effective professional learning communities (PLCs) enhance teacher collaboration and student achievement. Within-school variation in PLC processes, however, is underexplored. This study highlights differences in teacher behavior and teams' perceptions of principal leadership in well-functioning teams versus less well-functioning…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify (1) teacher-leaders' descriptions of their roles and activities, (2) perceptions of characteristics, knowledge, and skills of successful teacher leaders, (3) barriers to and support needed for teacher leadership, (4) the extent to which teacher leaders helped teachers understand and respond to…

The purpose of this article is to describe lessons learned from studying the leadership in eight award-winning secondary schools and districts that were recognized for successfully leveraging technology as part of their efforts for school improvement. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and document analysis in schools and…

Uses two theoretical frameworks to examine principal effectiveness: a taxonomy of necessary people-management skills and the professional socialization process. Surveys 450 principals and 208 superintendents in California who had been appointed to their present position in 1989 or later. Results show strong agreement regarding critical skills for…

Uses a large random sample of California principals to determine the relationship of certain personal and organizational variables and principals' perceived use of four organizational leadership approaches. Explores the relationship between using these approaches and student outcomes. The political leadership approach strongly predicted schools'…

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…

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…

Discusses a study that examined how a stratified random sample of California school administrators characterized their use of behavior strategies. Uses a four-approach framework and nine specific managerial functions to extract a total of 36 possible sets of behavior strategies. Principals perceived the human-resource approach as most extensively…

Compared 124 California principals' perceptions with 99 superintendents' perceptions on 22 reasons for principal terminations and on 9 organizational outcomes related to ineffective leadership. Superintendents attribute principals' failure to internal personal insufficiencies; principals most often named external factors--political interference…