Principal leadership is second only to teacher quality in influencing student achievement. A national effort exists to retool teacher supervision by linking student outcomes to teacher evaluation. There is growing interest in raising the level of professional practice by building local, practical, honest and collegial professional learning…

Citizens now expect access to information, particularly from public institutions like local school districts. They demand input and accountability. Cultural and technological changes, such as the Internet, make it possible for districts to comply. Yet transparency--the easily seen and understood actions of a school district and the thinking behind…

Utilizing teachers to observe and evaluate other teachers provides an opportunity for peers to exchange ideas and learn the components of competent teaching. A peer assessment program requires delineation of indicators to be evaluated, a procedure for lateral and vertical communication, and a procedure for selecting observers. (MLF)

This article reports the findings of a snapshot study of the superintendency conducted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). The findings revealed that superintendents were evaluated highly by their boards, but the number of leaders who received the highest ratings have declined during the past six years. The report, which…

It is the superintendent's responsibility to design, develop, and implement an administrator performance appraisal system that is educationally sound, clear, and precise, but uncomplicated; effective in identifying productive performance; and legal, fair, and procedurally reliable. Examples and eight references are provided. (MLF)

Three leading experts on teacher evaluation agree that multiple data sources improve evaluation accuracy. A testing program for preservice and inservice teachers is cited. Semiannual testing (norm-referenced and criterion-referenced) of students is also cited as a way to evaluate teachers' effectiveness. (MLF)

A self-nomination process is the key to a merit program in a Nebraska school system. An incentive award is distributed equally among teacher candidates who meet defined criteria in the areas of (1) student achievement, (2) candidate cooperation, (3) improving the profession, and (4) commitment to professional growth. (MLF)

Each administrator, including the superintendent, at a Michigan school district is required to produce a job targets document that consists of (1) mission statement, (2) job description, (3) key result areas, (4) effectiveness standards, and (5) standards of performance. (MLF)

The author of this article, an education attorney, begins by describing a case where, a school superintendent of personnel for a rural school district in Michigan had just received a performance evaluation with high marks and a new three-year contract. Two months later the school board called him into a closed session and presented him with…

The causes for executive dismissal are discussed, including the special problems involved in the development of effective administration in the educational field. The importance of ethics and honesty in professional organizations is emphasized. (MD)

In her 27 years as an administrator in Merrimack, New Hampshire, Marge Chiafery can legitimately claim to have seen the best of times and the worst. The high moments were the earlier years when Merrimack's job-sharing initiative, teacher evaluation system and middle school project promoting parent-child communication were emulated statewide. The…

Educational supervision must be tied to improving staff skills in several critical areas--planning, diagnosis, monitoring, evaluating, and modifying programs to meet individual students' needs. To address supervisors' training deficiencies in these areas, this article recommends a workable training model and outlines desirable supervisor…

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Assessment Center Project expects to have 53 comprehensive centers in operation by June 1986. Behavior modeling is the training strategy for professional development, and research has confirmed that the process can help predict who will be a successful administrator. (MLF)

Describes the efforts of two educational institutions to reward teaching excellence using positive feedback rather than merit pay incentives. An Arizona district, drawing on Herzberg's motivation theories, offers highly individualized rewards ranging from computers to conference money, while an Illinois community college bestows engraved plaques…

To recognize high performance administrators, a South Carolina school district has added a performance incentive to the basic salary plan for administrators. Criteria for comparing job targets that are selected by the administrators are based on scope, complexity, and anticipated impact. (MLF)