Although school restructuring often calls for modifying the roles and responsibilities of teachers, students, and administrators, most restructuring efforts involve educators, not students. A team of university researchers trained high school sophomores as documenters of the school restructuring process. These documenters helped develop the…

In April 1996, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed into law the School Improvement and Technology Program, providing $150 million over five years to help districts update and upgrade technology and train faculty to use it. The Iowa Communication Network was developed to strengthen small districts while protecting their long-standing community…

An upstate New York school district approached technology integration by setting up pilot programs using computer clusters in the classrooms of interested teachers. The first wave of teachers evaluated and incorporated third-party software into their regular teaching. A second wave of technology involved multimedia applications. A third wave will…

If secondary schools are to fulfill their purpose and goals, administrator preparation programs should be structured to include more hands-on activities, such as simulations, inbasket exercises, videotaped scenarios, and casebook examples. Additionally, these programs must address key questions regarding classroom practice, culture, and climate.…

Using computers only for word processing, drill-and-practice, and computer literacy wastes expensive technology. After allocating funds for computers, the Shawnee Mission (Kansas) School District established a study team to investigate district computer use and develop an integrated system. Success depended on planning, commitment, training,…

Recognizing the potential of combining interdisciplinary methods with block program scheduling to serve underachieving high schoolers, the East Manhattan Outreach Center's staff initiated such a program in 1993. Students were block-programmed, using four classes of 28 pupils each enrolled in six courses. The program stressed small-group activities…

The Family and Medical Leave Act (1993) allows employees time off to care for themselves and others. The FMLA and its enforcement guidelines attempt to balance teachers' need for flexibility in handling family issues and students' need for instructional quality and continuity. Schools need written policies and legal counsel. Special rules and…

Principals must understand their responsibilities for special education programs mandated under Public Law 94-142. Principals should become familiar with the student referral process and prereferral intervention programs. Because principals frequently conduct evaluation meetings and chair individualized education program meetings, they must know…

To implement shared governance, 24 Georgia schools joined with the University of Georgia's Program for School Improvement (PSI) to form the League of Professional Schools. This article explains how staff at participating schools overcame the complexities of the new system by communicating openly and breaking issues down into small parts. (MLH)

Minority Administrators Program (MAP) was designed by University of South Carolina Department of Educational Leadership and Policies, in collaboration with several school districts and state department of education, to help talented minority educators develop to their fullest potential. Through recruitment, selection, professional development, and…

Principals should delegate leadership authority to professional school counselors to ensure high-quality guidance programs. Principal leadership tasks include organizing for program delivery, advocating for school guidance programs and staff members, defining school counselors' jobs within the guidance program, encouraging continuous professional…

Experiential drama consists of short skits that address various value areas. Issues drawn from student experiences are used in the dramatizations, which portray the actual experiences and incidents. Students develop the scenarios and present them to classes, social agencies, churches, and businesses. Educational benefits abound. (MLH)

Most principals believe their job includes identifying and developing future school leaders. Expectations for principals as teachers of adults are increasing. The 4MAT instructional model provides a user-friendly, research-based structure for principals to design powerful retreats and workshops aimed at increasing leadership behavior among all…

Principals are pivotal in expanding opportunities for more inclusive programming while ensuring that students with disabilities receive carefully planned, individualized services. By allocating the necessary resources, providing inservice training, scheduling time for collaborative planning and preparation, and designing systematic program…

Study of high school, family, and community partnerships is based on reports from 11,000 high school parents and 1,000 high school principals. Findings revealed that regardless of students' background and prior achievement, various parenting, volunteering, and home-learning activities positively influenced student grades, course credits completed,…