The problem. To consider reorganization of two or more Iowa school districts in light of declining enrollment, dwindling financial resources, the end of the state budget guarantee program and pressure to provide the most rigorous and relevant education possible to Iowa's students. Specifically, the problem is to determine what two or more school…

The purpose of this study was to explore community college president and chancellor perceptions of the phenomenon of spirituality and the role of spirituality in their leadership style. A hermeneutic phenomenological research design guided this study. A total of 14 community college presidents and chancellors were purposely selected and…

This discussion of the selection of future business leaders focuses on the Theory W leadership system, and presents a four-step approach to leadership development: (1) selection, (2) one-to-one advising, (3) multi-skilled approach, and (4) evaluation. Various historical perceptions of leadership are described as well as problems with leadership…

Assesses the usefulness of meta-analysis as a research tool in educational administration. Explains what meta-analysis is, reviews the literature addressing the status of research in educational administration, discusses a survey of recent doctoral dissertations on leadership, and describes an attempted meta-analytic inquiry into research on…

Identifies the obstacles faced by principals in terms of teachers, students, principal role, principal characteristics, board-level administration, and the community. Also examines the relation between obstacles and levels of principal effectiveness. (RDN)

New energy and resources are emerging for policy discussions about the aspects, types and styles of leadership that lead to effective school practices. Some of these emerging issues include standards for defining high-quality leaders, distributed leadership approaches and school leaders' influence in the creation of a school culture conducive to…

School and district leadership has been the focus of intense scrutiny in recent years as researchers try to define not only the qualities of effective leadership but the impact of leadership on the operation of schools, and even on student achievement. A recently published literature review entitled "How Leadership Influences Student Learning" …

Change itself often threatens efficiency. This is ironic, given that organizational changes are frequently made because of a need for increased efficiency. Academic departments within a wide variety of institutions are wrestling with this irony on a daily basis. Expanding systems and staffing, and adoption of new computer systems, all intended to…

Finds significant differences in only 4 categories of behaviors and competencies among the 26 assessed: high-performance leaders received higher scores on obtaining outside support and tolerating uncertainty, whereas average leaders scored higher in exhibiting personal and/or professional qualities and confronting inadequate performance. Explores…

Reviews leadership research in terms of definition, traits, situations, and culture. Presents techniques for developing leadership effectiveness. (SK)

Leadership theories formed the basis of a course assignment with four objectives: understanding complex factors affecting leadership dynamics, developing abilities to assess organizational factors influencing leadership, practicing model and theory building, and viewing leadership from a multicultural perspective. The assignment was to develop a…

If a president hopes to make a long-term difference at a college or university, he or she must discard the safety net of conventional wisdom, says the president of the University of Southern California. He urges colleagues to risk being a contrarian leader--one who sees situations from a unique point of view and develops new solutions. (EV)

In this article, the author points out that it is no secret that school leaders fail not because they lack brains, determination, knowledge and technical skills, but because of what is characterized as "style" or "people skills." Daniel Goleman, author of several books on the subject, cites his own research and the work of others in arguing that…

A study was conducted in 2002 to evaluate the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in 21 secondary schools in one region of New Zealand. As part of the study, the role of the ICT coordinator was investigated. All the ICT coordinators were surveyed and 14 of them were interviewed in-depth. It is found that they were all…

Rapid change is making confusion a defining feature of management in the 21st century. Paradoxically, in this article, the authors argue, leaders who accept their confusion can turn a perceived weakness into a resource for learning and effective action. Sections include: (1) The Lost Leader Syndrome; (2) The Tale of the Tape; (3) The "Oh, No!"…