In an effort to support the contention that the levels of student achievement and discipline depend more on administrative style and school ethos than on inner city location and/or social class, race, or IQ of students, an investigation was conducted of a single midwestern urban high school. The procedure consisted of observation and interviews of…

To claim that ethics and morality lie at the foundation of effective administrative praxis is neither new nor revolutionary--numerous studies have demonstrated that moral issues are embedded in the weave and texture of schooling and influence administrative choices. This paper explores the challenges, tensions and dilemmas new administrators…

Topeka West High School has approximately 1,500 students divided into four houses of 375 students. An effort is made to randomly distribute the incoming sophomores equally among the four houses. Each house has an assistant principal, a counselor, and a staff of 8 to 10 teachers representing the instructional areas of English, social studies, and…

Because life is unpredictable and plans often go awry, improvisation can be an important skill for educational leaders. This article explains the importance of improvisation; describes what drives it; and provide five questions to ask for assessing how leader improvisation, or lack of it, can affect a school district. (WFA)

Suggests changes necessary to get more women into vice principalships and principalships. Data on percentages of women graduating from principal's qualification courses in Ontario indicate that the pool of potential female principals far exceeds the number hired. Suggests ways school boards can achieve equality in employment and ways aspirants can…

Looking at medical care administration, 14 assistant principals noted that the hospital administrator managed the business of health care, while the chief of staff provided leadership to the doctors and nurses. The assistant principals then posited: Can the organization model found in many hospitals offer any insight into ways that school…

Whether the dropout rate is a good measure of a quality education is debatable. One could probably make a case that a high dropout rate is just as credible an indicator of a quality education program as a low dropout rate. As with any high-stakes measure of performance, those being evaluated scramble, sometimes frantically, for strategies that…

At a 1990 symposium on principals, speakers from Tennessee and other states shared their perspectives on school leadership. The symposium proceedings contains the following presentations: (1) "Under Fire: The School, the Principal and the Preparation Program" (Barbara Nye and Mary Jane Connelly); (2) "The Roles of Principals:…

The four Special Emphasis Elementary Schools in the Corpus Christi Independent School District have markedly increased students' achievement, particularly in reading and language arts. This study was conducted to determine the perceived impact of the Special Emphasis (SE) components and to aid in the implementation of future SE schools. The…

School administrators and supervisors who were evaluated using the Cleveland, Ohio City School District's Administrator/Supervisory Review Process were surveyed concerning their opinions of the review process. The questionnaire, which was returned by 203 principals, assistant principals, and other supervisory staff out of a total of 376…

This report contains data collected from 275 school districts in Pennsylvania for the 1978-79 school year. The data reflect policies and practices affecting salaries and staff utilization for professional employees. The report is divided into three major sections. The first presents comparative data for each of 41 variables on a statewide, size,…

This paper documents a study that investigated the perceptions of assistant principals regarding their preparation for principalship. The primary contribution of the study is to provide answers to questions concerning the issues of principal shortages since assistant principalship serves as the training ground for principalship. Data for the study…

High school deputy headteachers (DHs) in an authority, employing four per school, were surveyed on the value of job descriptions in differentiating responsibilities among deputies, and the extent of role conflict. The DHs' changing role after comprehensive reorganization is examined in relation to Burham's view of dual-leadership. (Author/SJL)

Examines the career attitudes and experiences of women deputy headpersons in an English local educational authority (LEA). Through interviews with 38 women administrators, the study explores their conception of career and finds no match with that of "career ambitious" teachers, but rather a diversity of career tracks and perceptions. (AF)