A recent study investigated administrator development at a regional assessment center when no specific structured developmental program was provided by the center or by the sponsoring organization. Former participants in an assessment center are likely to pursue professional development activities even though formal postassessment programs are…

The presented-problem situation offers few opportunities for an educator to exercise professional judgment. Administrators must be both problem finders and problem solvers. Effective education reforms occur when real problems are identified and refined, when alternative solutions are proposed and studied, and when solutions are site specific. (13…

To determine the organizational and environmental variables that superintendents perceive as critical to an administrative restructuring process, an action research approach was used to gather data through semistructured interviews with selected Western Pennsylvania school superintendents. The most valuable skill for superintendents in effecting…

Based on interviews with almost the entire population of shared superintendents in Iowa, this article discusses the pros and cons of shared superintendencies. Problems arose concerning logistics, decreased administrator visibility, loss of personal control, keeping district policies separate, and favoritism charges. Participants experienced high…

Reports findings of a study to determine the equity of the current Indiana fiscal distribution for pupil transportation expenditures and develop a more equitable funding model, if possible. If new state appropriation monies are added, a percentage equalizing method should be instituted that would assist school corporations in greatest need. (seven…

Traditionally, administrator candidates have come from the classroom with considerable teaching experience and little knowledge about the larger organizational context. As empowered teachers in restructured schools, today's candidates bring a different set of experiences to training programs. Such programs should be need, criteria, and…

In 1988, Indiana adopted a system of performance-based accreditation for its public schools. This article summarizes a study to describe the program's planning and implementation processes, evaluate program effects, and determine whether relationships exist among successful school improvement and planning and three elements identified in the…

Summarizes a study attempting to explain how an East Texas junior high principal influenced cultural values. The case study provides a time- and context-bound glimpse into the school's evolutionary acculturation process. Findings suggest no definitive ways to manage school culture but show the importance of using symbolic resources (newspapers,…

Describes a process to promote preservice administrator reflectivity through portfolio development activities. Educational administration students enrolled in the Danforth program at University of Central Florida discuss six basic portfolio components (professional commitment, collaboration, effective communication, professional ethics, subject…

Illinois currently permits districts to finance repairs and construction related to children's health, life, or safety through a modest "backdoor" referendum rate tied to property values. These repairs are ameliorative but not preventative. This article recommends a strategic capital preservation plan that sets aside funds for use in…

In 1983, a landmark event occurred in public education in the US: the National Commission on Excellence in Education published its now famous report, A Nation at Risk. The report was generally regarded as the catalyst for decades of public and political pressure for large-scale school improvement or reform. Here, Beach and Lindahl identify a…

Oplatka demonstrates the process of self-renewal that was experienced by Israeli mid-career teachers subsequent to the arrival of a new woman principal and discusses contextual and biographical determinants of the process. He says that most teachers felt stagnated and even frustrated during the middle of their career cycle. He also stresses that…

Scott and Bagaka's examine the connection between teachers' participation in professional collaboration activities and in professional development and their perception of the effectiveness of the district reform efforts. They also determine the extent to which teachers' assessment of the effectiveness of school reform efforts can lead to school…

An essential administrative responsibility accorded to state and district-level education leaders is the task of planning for staffing needs, including the recruitment of competent leaders to fill principal vacancies. Here, Winter et al develop empirical measures to allow state departments of education and school districts to assess their…

The perception that superintendency is a difficult role to assume is reflective of the general feeling that the job of school superintendent is filled with external pressures often played out in the arena of public criticism. Considering that understanding the role of motivators and inhibitors in superintendency is important, this article examines…