Interviews with 10 high school administrators who were leaders of innovation identified three new roles for principals relevant to administrator education: principal as leader of leaders, as advocate, and as catalyst for change. Administrator education programs should focus on leadership of change, continuous improvement, development of learning…

Interviews with 149 Ohio educators asked about the characteristics of successful school administrators and compared results to a similar 1987 study. Being supportive, fair, friendly, considerate, and organized appear to be timeless in importance, while being a strong disciplinarian and visible in the school may be characteristics more reflective…

Discusses characteristics of the camp leader that can help a camp participate effectively in the issues and challenges of the future: openness to change and continual learning, high level of emotional intelligence, appreciation for diversity, and awareness of the value of wholeness and balance. (SV)

Presents an approach for governing boards to take in choosing a new college president. Focuses on the administrative and leadership competencies a president needs to perform the job well. Describes specific characteristics and abilities. A step-by-step competency-based method for selecting a president is outlined, and a format for assessing a…

This article examines external support for school leaders, and focuses on the relationship between head teachers and other professionals who play the role of their 'critical friends'. Most existing research in this area concentrates upon the activity of the critical friend without reference to the role partner, thereby losing the dynamic in the…

Amid reports of superintendent shortages and concerns about equal opportunity, what place do women superintendents occupy in today's school districts? Are they sought after or are they struggling to break into a traditionally male-dominated profession? What qualities, if any, do they bring to the office that may make them more desirable as…

The purpose of this paper is to share findings from two studies. One study investigates how Minnesota school administrators are addressing cultural diversity and English Language Learners. Data was collected through an electronic survey sent to superintendents and principals. 326 surveys from a possible 998 were completed for a return rate of…

Well-educated, charismatic leaders who can improve systems to enrich the lives of others are needed today more than ever. In this updated edition, John Hoyle identifies vision, motivation, flexibility, and openness to invention and opportunity as key characteristics of effective leaders, and challenges school administrators to think outside the…

Urban school superintendents hold one of the most important and challenging jobs in America's education system. The Council of the Great City Schools (GCS) represents the majority of large urban school districts in the country. Though there are approximately 17 thousand school districts in the country, the Council's 65 districts serve…

The National Association of Secondary School Principals periodically studies practices and characteristics of secondary schools to help inform educators and shape policy. Such studies of middle-level education were conducted in 1966 and 1981. As middle-level education moved into the 1990s, many new questions about education and leadership needed…

Over the past two decades women have demanded greater access to positions in educational administration. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the experiences of women teachers seeking administrative positions in New Brunswick, Canada. Specifically, the paper explored the women's views about leadership and the ways in which they…

This paper presents findings of a study that verified the relationship between the professional isolation of school principals and their performance at work. A survey of all principals in a suburban area of Quebec (n=166) elicited a 70 percent response rate. The principals completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale and Self-Appraisal Instrument for…

A crucial component of leadership is the element of choice. Regardless of how much a person studies leadership, it is essential that he or she makes a conscious choice to accept the leadership role. This book defines leadership, gives examples of research in the field and explains how this knowledge can be used, describes leadership-development…

As part of a study of the advancement and support of women in administrative positions at institutions of higher education in North Carolina, administrators at the state's community colleges were surveyed in 1996 to determine their characteristics, satisfaction with their careers, and experiences with respect to obstacles and mentors. Surveys were…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship of principals' change facilitator styles to school effectiveness in different socioeconomic contexts are presented in this paper. Data were collected through a survey of 472 public elementary school teachers in 53 schools in 19 Louisiana school districts. Schools were categorized according to SES…