A nominated group of effective local special education administrators (N=124) and a random sample of administrators (N=124) responded to a survey regarding factors critical to administrative success. The effective sample valued the importance of each factor with respect to its impact on personal and organizational success more than the random…

To be effective, principals should develop political skills. Techniques include taking the offensive, anticipating problems, developing school guidelines, and building a support network. (CJH)

The 100 college and university leaders named as most effective in a survey of higher education specialists are listed by institution type. (MSE)

Problems faced by Black administrators in three community substance abuse agencies in Iowa were examined to determine the following: (1) the unique problems they faced; (2) their problems in relation to the expectations of their employers, co-workers, and clients; and (3) whether they believed there were problems specifically related to their…

Reports on a study conducted in Iowa to determine how faculty and administrators from community colleges, four-year liberal arts colleges, and universities perceive the usefulness of 12 academic and experiential preparation variables for college administrators. (DMM)

Institutions must develop an attitude that will let them deal effectively with mistakes and anticipate future circumstances as present problems. The price of creativity will be greater tolerance for uncertainty and risk. (MSE)

Explores the relationship between educational policy and educational research, noting the minimal contribution of research to policy formation. Explains the contribution in terms of the characteristics of policy makers, differences between the research and policy communities, and the nature of research and research findings. Includes…

Based on interviews with excellent community college teachers and administrators, examines competencies exhibited by effective teachers (i.e., student-centered orientation, value for the learning process, need to influence behavior, and self-belief) and effective administrators (i.e., accepting resonsibility for effective learning climate,…

A review of recent research on personal characteristics of effective principals and on common leadership prerequisites concludes that effective instructional leadership depends on the interrelation between personal style and organizational context. Essential leadership functions identified by these studies include communicating school purpose,…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the governance issues in school districts with 500 or less students; Methodology: An online survey was constructed using items from the National School Board Survey. The survey was sent to the Texas school board presidents of districts with 500 or less students. The survey had five conceptual…

The aim of this paper is to identify how school principals see their roles in the context of change dynamics brought about by school reform. The data come from a study funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The general research objective is to highlight "models of action" that school principals have…

Thirty-five teachers (20 females and 15 males) from a total of 60 were chosen via random sample to answer a closed-end questionnaire. The role-statements were obtained from the official Israeli document listing the 19 roles of the headteacher. The questionnaire examined the following questions in relation to the gender of the teachers: (1) To what…

Vision is an important dimension in the leadership characteristics of school administrators. This dimension can be expressed in a 2-phased process: the development of both personal and organizational visions. How this vision is developed, however, in school administrators is difficult to answer. This study looks at the development of personal…

This monograph on the issues of leadership, power, and influence summarizes information gleaned from working with and interviewing administrators at Canadian colleges and universities. The study notes, first, that decision-making environments in Canadian postsecondary organizations are multidimensional, characterized by interdependence, diversity,…

This paper reports on a study that analyzed 91 written reflections in the professional-development portfolios of 13 doctoral students in educational leadership. The purpose of the research was to determine dichotomous expressions of thoughts between eight males (56 reflections) and five females (35 reflections). The study took place in a regional…