In this article, the author describes how Superintendent Jimmy Cunningham recognized the moment he parted ways with his urban colleagues on just how school funding should be meted out in Arkansas. The Arkansas Supreme Court had declared the state's school funding system unconstitutional so the Arkansas Association of School Administrators had…

This policy brief explores kindergarten readiness observation and its benefits to local and state level stakeholders; highlights efforts by California counties and other states to measure school readiness; and makes recommendations for moving toward statewide use of kindergarten readiness observation tools. Key points include: (1) Early efforts to…

Findings of a study that identified critical skills for the novice principal are presented in this paper. Two theoretical frameworks are used to view the issue of principal effectiveness--a taxonomy of necessary skills and socialization. Surveys of 1,125 novice principals and 435 superintendents in California produced 450 and 208 responses,…

This paper investigates the elementary school principal's role in helping to sustain implementation of a complex math and science program designed to foster the development of higher order thinking skills, particularly for language minority students. The study predicted a positive relationship between coordination and program continuation; if the…

The purpose of this document is to call attention to the principalship, to preservice and inservice needs, and to possible solutions to complex problems. A number of groups were organized to address the recommendations made in a report to the legislature reviewing the adequacy of preservice training, evaluation, and continuing professional…

This paper describes and analyzes all of the activities of the Berkeley, California school superintendent on September 20, 1973, a fairly typical workday. Included is a chronological log of each event and personal encounter during the day. All incoming and outgoing correspondence and phone calls for the day are also listed. Altogether the…

This report of the Temple City, California, differentiated staffing project contains several articles describing progress made in the first three years of operation. The major article traces the history and development of the project, outlines the financial plan and schedule through 1972, and describes several characteristics of the model: (1)…

The present method of governance of California's public higher education, including the Coordinating Council for Higher Education, has worked well for coordination of the three segments of public higher education--the University of California, the California State University and Colleges, and the 96 California Community Colleges. A combination of…

This article reports a study undertaken with two major purposes: to develop a profile of the ideal dean of education and to discover the impact of the Ryan Act upon the relative power of the dean of education within the higher education setting. (Author)

Using a Decision Analysis Chart, the board and the superintendent determine which decisions are the superintendent's, which are the board's, and which are shared and to what degree. A similar determination of responsibilities is made between the central administration and the principals and within the schools. (IRT)

Presented are brief descriptions and comments by administrators of some California arts programs on producing a quality arts program inexpensively. Topics discussed are: initiating a Comprehensive Arts program, the use of CETA artists-in-residence, curriculum development, and the coordination of a high school fine arts program. (Author/SJL)

Describes a program in California that funded school restructuring efforts. Highlights include creating a learning community; the role of principals; authentic accountability; quality indicators, including examples of hard logic and fuzzy logic; The Protocol, a total quality management (TQM) feedback tool; and how collaboration and TQM helped…

Outcomes of a mentoring-based preservice training program for educational administrators, the Danforth Foundation Program for the Preparation of School Principals, are described in this paper. Components of the program included field-based experiential learning, educational collaboration, and mentoring with experienced administrators. Phase 1…

The author makes an informative and provacative synopsis of the educational finance dilemma in light of the Serrano and Rodriguez court decisions. Published by: Consortium for Educational Leadership, 5801 South Kenwood Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637. (Author/DN)

Following "Tinker vs. Des Moines Community School District," the United States Supreme Court decision that assured First Amendment rights to secondary school students and teachers, California began experimenting with statutory guarantees of free expression for students at the high school and community college levels. Decisions issued by…