This report presents a survey tool, developed by REL Central at Marzano Research, designed to gather information from teachers about their perceptions of and responses to evaluator feedback. District or state administrators can use this survey to systematically collect teacher perceptions on five key aspects of evaluation feedback: (1) feedback…

Gunther, McGowan and Donegan draw on their own experiences and those of others in the field, to explain the importance of communication in school leadership. In focusing on the communication process--why it's critical for schools, and how it can be executed well--they make the case that communication must be a primary emphasis for leaders, not an…

This study of the superintendent focus group interviews from the "Voices 3" project adds to the research base with regard to the range and nature of the types of power experienced or used by superintendents. Using the French & Raven/Andrews & Baird model of seven types of power, the authors analyzed superintendents'…

Experts suggest that moral and ethical lapses are undermining public trust in schools and their leaders--institutions and individuals long held to a higher standard of behavior than their peers in corporate and political arenas. Incidents of financial kickbacks, nepotism and conflicts of interest may grab the news media's attention. Yet…

In recent years, tenure has increasingly come under fire as an anachronism, not only for appearing to be out of touch with modern society but also as protection for the allegedly incompetent. Administrators and governing boards find themselves spending inordinate time defending it. So, in March 2005, the University of Colorado took the…

In this article, the author argues that American higher education is allowing itself to be held hostage by the rankings industry, which can lead institutions to consider actions harmful to the public interest and encourage the public's infatuation with celebrity at the expense of substance. Instead of sitting quietly by during the upcoming ratings…

Demands for public accountability have built to a crescendo over the past several decades, driving home the fact that governing boards have premier responsibility as guardians of a college or university's performance. But to what extent do higher education's many stakeholders hold common perspectives on the definition and purpose of…

With increased media scrutiny has come the need for better public relations in higher education. Some rules and practices for crisis communications are presented, including: make sure the staff speaks one language, review what can and cannot be said, help reporters out, treat reporters fairly, be accessible, etc. (MLW)

Boards often hire someone new to the presidency both to benefit from fresh thinking and to avoid tapping someone who has done the same thing in the same way at multiple institutions. And yet, the decision to take a chance on a rookie chief executive creates one of the riskiest situations in higher education. One reason it is fraught with risk is…

Ways in which public relations professionals deal with negative publicity are discussed, including: keeping cool, take charge of the story, designate credible sources, hide nothing, react carefully to errors, watch for reporting trends, take advantage of the attention, and communicate with constituents. The best measures are seen as preventive.…

A study investigated how the attribution of a problem solution to an individual or group affects the consumer's perception of the solution's quality. Based on the tendency to support group decision-making (Hydra phenomenon) it was predicted that decisions attributed to groups would be perceived as higher in quality than those made by individuals,…

Data collected from 944 teachers in 46 elementary schools revealed that principal authenticity was significantly correlated with teachers' trust in principals, colleagues, and organizations. In addition, all these dimensions of trust were moderately and significantly correlated with each other. (MLF)

The rewards and sanctions accompanying performance-based pay and promotion programs will not be valued or given credibility as long as teacher evaluations are not approached professionally. The effect of treating teachers as bureaucrats or professionals, the limits of bureaucratic evaluation, and the demands of professional evaluation are…

This article describes three interacting phases of the New Lexington City Schools' staff development program, which began in 1979. The first phase, overcoming psychological resistance to the program, had three components: convincing staff, designing a plan ensuring staff control of events, and developing a climate to foster openness, trust, and…

In this paper,we report the importance five women community college, college, and university presidents place on certain leadership tenets. Interestingly, the advice they offer for other women who aspire to leadership often ties to the perceived importance of certain tenets. We report these data and speculate about implications for future women…