Principals capable of turning a troubled school around share certain characteristics that make them successful. Vision and dedication are just two of these traits. (SI)

Describes a study which examined the factors that affected the career paths of directors of large Canadian libraries. The discussion covers the influences of experiences in libraries, chance, and personal concerns on career decisions. The achievements of the directors are described and two directorship styles are identified. (7 references)…

Sweden's Karolinska Institute has developed a course in leadership that emphasizes these leader qualities: enthusiasm and support for the program's aims and operations; goal-setting for the department; insight into people's motivation; and an ability to deal with conflict. (MSE)

Describes a study designed to identify relationships between selected characteristics of postsecondary occupational program administrators (i.e., locus of control, age, and years of experience) and their use of strategic planning behaviors. Indicates that most administrators lack adequate knowledge and understanding of strategic planning. (MAB)

Describes Delphi study which identified the skills and characteristics needed by community college presidents of the future. Top ranked competencies were delegation, personnel selection, and decision making as leadership skills; motivation, use of power, and entrepreneurship as group-related skills; and judgment, commitment, and integrity as…

An ongoing cooperative research project in North Carolina provides some revealing data on principals who have successfully introduced school-based management. The project tracks 26 principals committed to teacher empowerment. The most supportive principals were strongly committed to school improvement, unafraid of risks or open communication lines…

Forty young leaders in higher education are profiled, including college and university administrators, faculty, policy analysts, consultants, and an evangelical leader. All were surveyed concerning leadership and the future of higher education, the role of mentors in their careers, and ways in which they are learning to lead. Several patterns are…

Interviews with 1008 business owners and managers in 30 small Iowa communities found that the majority were committed to their community and provided support to youth programs, local schools, or community development activities. Business social responsibility was related to operator age, education, success, and perceptions of community collective…

Although "Jordanesque" checklists cannot describe the full dimension of effective school leadership, the literature has generated some commonly accepted principles categorized according to personal attributes, leader behaviors, and organizational outcomes. Sensitive to others' needs, effective principals are generally warm, caring…

Rochester (New York) Public Schools Superintendent Clifford Janey enlisted St. John Fisher College's cooperation in training top teachers to evade a looming principal shortage. Students are supported financially while learning through case studies, on weekends, and in courses evolving from effective practitioners' work experience. (MLH)

Discusses ways for child care center directors to establish and maintain their credibility with parents and staff. Outlines teacher and director expectations of each other. (JPB)

A study of law school deans in 1997-98, using data from the Association of American Law Schools annual directory, provides descriptive profiles of the deans and their qualifications, experience, and publication history, and examines the profiles of new appointees, focusing on the positions assumed by new deans. (MSE)

Traditionally, faculty members who expected to become presidents ascended through the typical labor chain to that position. However, questions are prevalent about whether these individuals gain the managerial experience needed to succeed in a presidency. Unlike the private business management model that has been successful in developing leaders in…

The purpose of this study was to validate the instrument, Administrator Dispositions Index (ADI), that measures the dispositions of effective school leaders. The ADI could be used to assess administrator candidate dispositions and to integrate dispositions of effective school leaders into the curricula of administrator preparation programs.…

"Conversations With Principals: Issues, Values, and Politics," is a unique compilation of interviews with principals at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels. This book allows the readers the unusual opportunity to experience the inner voice of principals as they discuss the many decisions they make and the multitude of people they must…