There is a disconnect between what principals are being asked to manage and accomplish and the level of support they receive to meet expectations. At a time when rhetoric on the principalship is focused on collaboration, most principals find themselves working in an isolated position within hierarchical organizations. And while principals are…

This brief focuses on a vital aspect of efficacy known as "collective teacher efficacy" (CTE). CTE refers to the perceptions of teachers that the efforts of the faculty as a whole will have a positive effect on students. Principals and district leaders should turn their attention to improving CTE because it has an impressive list of positive…

There is not much research on the effectiveness of co-principals. A simple Google search reveals how many schools have implemented the idea. What little is written was written either in the early 1980's or within the last few years. Very little focuses specifically on high schools. The idea of co-principals has been used to devote more time to…

To address the social challenges facing schools, administrators must revitalize the work culture. Borrowing from successful business practices, the School Management Institute has implemented a 25-day Managing Productive Schools leadership training program in Florida, Minnesota, and Virginia. The program is based on the cultural conditions,…

Studies of the principalship have failed to keep pace with the changing contexts in which principals must act. Advocates an edited topical life-history approach to address this problem. Illustrates this claim, using a Western Australia study exploring why some principals are more successful than others at guiding school restructuring initiatives.…

Australia's National Schools Project tried to facilitate restructuring by abolishing, bending, or breaking the rules that prevented schools from improving student outcomes. Since 1992, the 50-school project has expanded to over 200 sites. An evaluation of three NSP schools identifies barriers (cultural resistance and structural complexity) and…

A Massachusetts regional high school that was formerly on probation has totally restructured its school day, culture, curriculum, and treatment of professionals. Flex time, offered in exchange for performing building supervision duties, allows teachers more flexibility and control in structuring their professional and personal lives. A more…

A staff development program for a New Jersey school district involved a day-long visit to a new corporate office complex to acquaint teachers with a modern electronic office and the need to prepare students for the modern workplace. (MLF)