The superintendency is often described as an unpleasant, even impossible, job. This book examines the changing conditions that affect the superintendency, presents strategies for easing the burden, and offers guidance from practitioners. The first part defines the superintendency and places it within its contemporary context. In the six chapters…

School governance has recently come under scrutiny as one of the many areas of public education being examined in the educational reform movement. School boards are being criticized by state governments, educational experts, and the public. Crisis situations have developed in many educational systems nationwide, particularly in urban areas. In…

This booklet addresses issues concerning the various responsibilities of trustees on governing boards of public colleges and universities. Introductory information notes the increasing complexity and significance of the trusteeship role, and its unique context in public institutions. The booklet distinguishes between board and individual trustee…

Findings of a study of independent school heads' needs for and attitudes toward professional development are presented in this paper, with a focus on contextual problems and perceptions of management and leadership. A survey mailed to all 988 member schools of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in 1989 elicited 500 responses.…

This position statement, coauthored by a joint committee composed of members of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and the National School Boards Association (ASBA), outlines a new cooperative relationship for superintendents and school boards. In light of the challenges that today's superintendents and school boards face, it…

This paper reports on the restructuring efforts and activities undertaken in Virginia Beach from 1991 to 1994. The district has begun a massive effort to downsize, reorganize, and restructure the organization to focus on shared decision making and student performance. A special effort has been made to build coalitions among employees, with the…

The way that the participation of trustees in the processes of voluntary accreditation can help them in overseeing institutional autonomy and integrity is discussed, based on the work of a subcommittee of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. In addition, recommendations for board participation in institutional and…

This paper examines the relationships among school climate, leadership styles, and group interaction as perceived by teachers, selected parents, and selected students in a medium-sized Mississippi Delta school district. Parent dissatisfaction with the behavior of a junior high school principal provoked this study. The total sample consisted of 86…

Working from the basic assumption that the primary motivation for those involved in school governance is self-interest, this paper develops and discusses 15 hypotheses that form the essential elements of an economic theory of school governance. The paper opens with a review of previous theories of governance and their origins in social science…

School board members can be most effective if they are fully aware of their responsibilities, their political situations, and practical methods for maximizing the impact of their actions. This handbook reviews these elements of success in eight chapters. The first chapter advises the board member on how to determine his or her role in relation to…

In early 1983, a survey was conducted among the presidents and board chairpersons of the 14 public community colleges in Pennsylvania, asking respondents to rate the level of importance of 20 presidential roles based on their institution's needs during the 1982-83 academic year. During a joint annual meeting of Pennsylvania community college…

This report presents a description of the jobs of principals in a national sample of schools, summarizing the main results of a job analysis accomplished by using a structured task analysis inventory. It summarizes what principals in schools of different kinds report to be the most important aspects of their jobs. Results imply that principals are…

A nationwide sample of 50 women school superintendents was queried by telephone about job-related problems, responsibilities, time allocations, strengths and weaknesses, and future career plans. The women were also asked to describe situations and pressures they perceived as unique to women in their occupation. The women superintendents were…

A sociologist gives a personal account of the way in which he helped devise an experimental course for some of the 3,500 lay people, teachers and students who have recently, through structural reform, become responsible for the government of a city's schools by service on representative governing boards. (AJ)

A four-step program for appraising the performance of college presidents in the Los Angeles Community College District is outlined. The steps include: (1) an agreement between the president and the chancellor regarding the content of the president's job and the relative importance of major duties; (2) a definition of the president's goals for each…