This case study examines the leadership practices of an effective versus an ineffective elementary school principal. The background of this case involves two fourth grade teachers, each teaching one of a set of identical twins. Discrepancies in teaching and grading practices result in one twin failing. The decision-making choices of the principal…

The purpose of this study was to determine what the most highly effective leaders do during difficult times to be successful. The backdrop of the study was the 2009 $300 million cuts to the Indiana K-12 education budget, a uniform crisis that affected all 293 public school districts at the same time. The subjects in this study were those…

This study aims to explore how collaborative teacher interaction is contingent upon teachers' immediate classroom and school-organizational contexts as well as broader societal and policy environments. Notwithstanding the widely acknowledged connection between teacher collegiality in schools and its beneficial effects, little systematic effort has…

This article profiles Dr. Norman Francis and describes how his longevity, strategic planning and vision as president of Xavier University bring academic and financial success. Higher education leaders say his 43 years at the Catholic HBCU in New Orleans is an increasingly rare example of the benefits possible from a lengthy presidency. It takes…

This case describes the educational experiences of a foster care student named Chad. His foster parents and teacher notice educational deficits and express concern about gaps in the student's cumulative educational record. The principal and special education director must guide all constituents to adhere to special education mandates and at the…

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to identify the successful leadership practices of head teachers for school improvement at secondary level in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: The study was descriptive (survey type) in nature. It was conducted on a sample of 351 secondary school head teachers, 702 elementary and secondary school…

This paper discusses the contrasting views of what constitutes the "best interests" of students and the implications of such perceptions for leadership practices in secondary schools in Kenya. The paper is based on a study conducted to establish the students', teachers' and principals' perceptions of democratic school leadership--in line…

Purpose: This study seeks to examine gender differences amongst science, mathematics and technology (SMT) teachers with regards to nine school environment variables as well as the association of these variables with teachers' professional background and school characteristics. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was used to collect data…

Scholars of educational change agree that leaders need to develop a vision, build capacity and ensure ownership of change by staff. We argue that understanding the actual work that leaders must do in order to convert these categories into action, requires a social practice approach. Taking the notion of sense-making as a social practice, drawn…

A study of instructional planning periods was undertaken in late 2013 pursuant to West Virginia State Code §18A-4-14 which states: "The state board shall conduct a study on planning periods. The study shall include, but not be limited to, the appropriate length for planning periods at the various grade levels and for the different types of…

The study was carried out to establish the competencies of graduate teachers who graduated from teacher education programs between the year 2005 and 2010. Multi-stage sampling was used in selecting 432 respondents comprising educational administrators and graduate teachers working in the three levels of education across two states of Southern…

This study examined the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal mandate of the Transformation Intervention Model (TIM) outlined by the School Improvement Grant, which was designed to turn around persistently lowest achieving schools. The study was conducted in four high schools in a large Southern California urban district that selected the…

The focus of this qualitative research study using the Delphi method is to provide a framework for leaders to develop their own social networks. By exploring concerns in four areas, leaders may be able to better plan, implement, and manage social networking systems in organizations. The areas addressed are: (a) social networking using…

Administrators at 4-year, public institutions of higher education commonly negotiate a balance between the oft-competing goals of access and excellence. This is heightened within minority-majority campuses, such as Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), serving substantial numbers of first-generation degree seekers and low-income students.…

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in conjunction with the Grand Rapids Michigan Public Schools (GRPS) collaborated to implement a Wallace Foundation Grant Program designed to develop urban school leaders. The theoretical constructs of the program were evident in the research on leadership and change. This research formed a basis for the…