Findings of a study that investigated teachers' perceptions of the most desirable characteristics of principal behavior are presented in this paper. An instrument used to measure employees' perceptions of business manager characteristics (Kouzes and Posner 1987) was adapted to the educational setting and completed by 1,225 teachers in 4 states.…

Common views of the assistant principal (AP) as the "Marine Corps sergeant type" with nowhere better to be are outdated. Career APs have diverse roles in school administration, often including, but not limited to, discipline. Many career APs find rewards in working with children and put high value on having a balanced personal life. Two…

Findings from a study that described the responsibilities and characteristics of Kentucky school district instructional supervisors are presented in this paper. Instructional supervisors are those district personnel who are responsible for the professional development of teachers. Questionnaires mailed to 184 Kentucky instructional supervisors…

Findings from a study that explored differences in the definition and operationalization of leadership between mainstream and disadvantaged groups are presented in this paper. The "fuzzy concept operationalization method" was used to define leadership traits in two groups of leaders participating in two different leadership training workshops: 12…

A descriptive-correlational study was conducted to explore and describe interpersonal conflict management styles, identify psychological type preferences, and examine the relationships between conflict management styles and psychological type preferences as well as selected demographic characteristics of the Cooperative Extension Service's North…

This paper aims to identify critical constraints as perceived by U.S. and California women superintendents and to determine how these women overcame them. The Survey of Influences on Female Superintendents' Careers (SIFSC) was used in two studies to collect quantitative and qualitative data on women superintendents in the United States and in…

Ways in which women practice power in the central office and the perceptions of those practices are explored in this study. The paper raises the questions: "How can a woman be perceived as successful in a central-office administrative position?""How is success defined by those with whom she works?" and "What do her colleagues accept as successful…

This report presents results of a national survey of college president assessment policies and practices and describes a "typical" presidential assessment process constructed from the most frequent survey responses. Respondents included 1,348 presidents and 535 board chairs. The typical assessment process lasted about a month; information was…

This report presents results of a national survey of college and university governing board assessment policies and practices, and describes a "typical" board assessment process constructed from the most frequent survey responses. The survey included 1,348 presidents and 571 board chairs. The typical assessment includes the following: the board…

This study examined who deans of education were, where they worked, how they defined roles and responsibilities, what unique challenges faced female deans, how deans characterized their leadership style, what stressors impacted their ability to be effective, and how they maintained balance between scholarship and leadership and between…

This discussion of changes in administrative roles and responsibilities within institutions of higher education suggests that these roles may change substantially in the first decade of the 21st century as the constituencies of American colleges and universities change. Analysis of a variety of trends in organizational structure suggests that…

This paper explores whether potential school leaders can be identified and encouraged earlier in their lives. The story of Judy, a teacher who became the leader of an innovative technology project, provides clues to her development as a professional and her creation of the vision that inspired the project. The numerous markers in Judy's life that…

There continues to be a great need for highly qualified and committed women to enter leadership positions in education. However, most research that is the basis for coursework in typical educational administration preparation programs has involved primarily male role incumbents in male-dominated organizations. Consequently, the characteristics…

Administrators draw on prior experiences when negotiating, implementing new curricula, and resolving conflicts. This study attempted to determine whether building level administrators included graduate study, union leadership roles, coaching experiences, and school committee leadership as part of their career development prior to assuming…

Findings from a study to determine the status of computer use by secondary principals in Kentucky are presented in this paper. Data were derived from responses of 154 principals to a statewide survey. Findings indicate that a majority of the principals were uninformed and poorly trained to use computers in the management of their schools. The…