Fully updated to reflect current issues in the field of art education. Checklists embedded in charts allow users to indicate where their school or district stands in relation to the criteria--which has been expanded to include district wide, elementary, middle, high school, and superior standards. The criteria within the checklists reflect…

Women superintendents in one Midwestern state participated in this study of their personal demographics, professional qualifications and career paths, and demographics of districts and boards of education that hired them. Participants identified characteristics, skills, and barriers to women seeking superintendencies. Thirty-one of 36 women…

Improving children's preparation for school success has become a national priority. For decades, researchers have tried to identify the characteristics of early childhood education (ECE) classrooms that can make the greatest difference for participating children. To date, however, the research hasn't offered clear guidelines for how best to…

The role of the school administrator as an instructional leader has had a long history. However, today this role is more important than ever as high stakes testing has increased the level of accountability for all educators. Districts across the country be they urban, suburban, or rural are scraping for every dollar and at the same time many…

The Early Childhood Educator Survey and the Early Childhood Administrator Survey allow users to collect consistent data on the use of child assessments and learning standards in early childhood learning settings. Each survey includes modules on educator/administrator background information, assessment use, and learning standards implementation.…

In partnership with the Urban League of Greater Miami, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released "Teacher Quality Roadmap: Improving Policies and Practices in Miami," an in-depth study of the work rules Miami-Dade teachers. This look at the state of teacher policies in Miami-Dade County Public Schools explores the…

The role and responsibilities of the chair of an academic department in higher education is considered from the perspective of both actor and agent, within the context of the institution being served and the department being represented. The intent of this article is to further research on the role of department chair by analyzing it in the…

The stakes are high when one decides to leave a tenured teaching position or an assistant principalship to interview for a principal's position. However, the stakes are high for the future employer as well. The school district needs to know that the applicant is ready for a job that is very complex. As a new principal, the applicant will be…

Since its inception, New Leaders for New Schools has been driven by the fundamental belief that every child can succeed academically at high levels. New Leaders for New Schools also believes that an effective principal is a crucial lever for school improvement and transforming student achievement at scale. Thus, a focus on the selection, training,…

This article reports a study designed to identify the factors that both hiring bodies and applicants believe are most important when making decisions about principal selection, appointment and acceptance. Based on a quantitative study involving the four main groups of players in the principal selection process, we confirmed a four-factor…

Recent state legislation in Michigan mandates that all graduating seniors successfully pass algebra I and II. Numerous initiatives have been enacted to help mathematics teachers meet this challenge, yet school principals have had little preparation for the necessary curricular and instructional changes. To address this unmet need, university-based…

Over the years, the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) has searched for mechanisms to share information that is important and helpful to the CASE membership. During the past year, CASE initiated the use of "Survey Monkey" as a mechanism to obtain information and opinions from the membership. This article shares some of the input…

In light of recent data showing that educational attainment rates in the United States have stagnated, the Obama administration and others have called for renewed efforts to bolster higher education outcomes. Strengthening the role of community colleges is undoubtedly an important component of any plan to dramatically increase the number of…

For more than a decade, the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning has supported the Teaching and California's Future (TCF) initiative to provide California policymakers with objective and timely data on the state's teacher workforce. Each year, the Center publishes a report on the status of teaching profession. This year's report focuses…

This article reports the results of an inquiry into the dynamics of principal selection in rural school districts in two mid-American states with high numbers of rural schools. The study focuses on two questions: (1) are rural school districts experiencing a shortage of qualified applicants for vacant principal's positions; and (2) what…