Mandated literacy assessment is now a ubiquitous practice in many western educational systems. While educational researchers, principals, teachers and education unions continue to offer vociferous resistance in some nations, in others it is now commonplace in the educational landscape and built into the rhythms of the school year. This paper is…

If one speaks, writes, or otherwise communicates with an audience that does not hear, read, or understand, it is as if he/she did not communicate at all. Worse, members of the audience might take away a message that one never intended. Knowing and using the tools of communication effectively will help school business administrators keep themselves…

There is an adage common among deans and provosts: The board is concerned with the care and feeding of the president; the faculty is concerned with the care and feeding of the faculty. The implication--and why it brings a knowing smile to any chief academic officer's face--is that no one seems concerned with the care and feeding of the CAO. Small…

School accountability reports reveal that wide achievement gaps exist among different subgroups of students in PK-12 schools. Research findings reveal that general and special education teachers improve their classroom practices when working in professional learning communities (PLCs). In addition, research shows that special education teachers…

Principals have a strong role to play in forming school cultures that encourage change. Changing a school's culture requires shared or distributed leadership and instructional leadership. A multiyear study found that three elements are necessary for a school culture that stimulates teachers to improve their instruction: 1) Teachers and…

An interim president has to perform a particularly difficult balancing act. He or she shoulders the burdens from--or legacy of--the previous president and must also provide a foundation of stability for the new president. Throughout the process, effective communication--both internally and externally--is critical to ensuring a smooth transition.…

The Virginia Board of Education's "Student Conduct Policy Guidelines" were first developed in 1994 in response to action by the 1993 General Assembly requiring the Virginia Board of Education to establish such guidelines. In 2004, the "Guidelines" underwent a major revision in response to requirements of § 22.1-279.6. of the…

Jacques Derrida wrote about democratic leadership in educational institutions throughout his later work, but in this article the author notes the importance of Derrida's essays published as "Eyes of the University" (2004). Derrida begins by returning to questions raised by Immanuel Kant two centuries earlier with regard to the founding of the…

Student discipline is one of the least pleasant tasks that secondary school administrators must perform. As challenging as behavioral issues with general education students can be, situations involving the discipline of students with special needs often bring more stress, confusion, and frustration (Ward, Montague, & Linton, 2003). This may stem…

In the private sector, it is clear that the chair is in charge of the board and the CEO in charge of the company. But in the author's view the chair's principal role is to act as an adviser or counsellor to the CEO and senior colleagues--hence the wisdom of having a chair who is involved in other organisations and the preference for people of a…

This study empirically investigates the relationship between satisfaction with educational service augmenters and consumer loyalty within the context of the international student market. An enhanced state of consumer satisfaction, also labeled as delight, is captured by focusing on service augmenters that fall outside the domain of the core…

The IDEA Feedback for Administrators system provides feedback to academic administrators about their performance of relevant administrative responsibilities and their leadership style and interpersonal characteristics. The system is based on a model of reflective practice, which is consistent with The IDEA Center's longstanding approach to…

Although much has been written about preparing community college leaders, little is known about how presidents believe they might have better prepared for the role. Using presidential narratives from a national study, this article describes how presidents perceive gaps in prior preparation and offers recommendations to support the professional…

Schools play a critical role in addressing the physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors related to health and well-being that can affect learning. Schools that adopt a coordinated approach to planning and problem-solving to meet students' needs are more likely to position them for success in school and throughout their lifetimes.…

Almost always, teachers need help in one of two general categories. The first category relates to the ability to provide students with "meaningful work." Teachers who are in need of improvement in this area may struggle to design and implement effective, best-practice strategies that engage students. Teachers also often need help in another…