This guide is the fourth in a series of eleven generated in 1978 as the result of workshops that focused on peer training, a different approach to teaching. The workshops provided the opportunity for members of eleven identified role groups to work together with peers to examine the relationship between their specific role group and community…

This bulletin focuses on the role that community plays in creating a positive school environment. Drawing from research and practice, it offers insights and suggestions for helping children form social bonds, instilling in them core values, and serving as a safe haven for those students whose home lives lack a sense of safety. The bulletin begins…

Effective leadership by school principals requires the ability to plan, organize, motivate, control, anticipate, orient, coordinate, implement, staff, make decisions, and program, all effectively. These abilities can be exercised in different ways, however, and several different directions, purposes, and attitudes can be emphasized by the leader.…

Ways in which teachers and principals respond to changing leadership roles and some practical steps that principals can take to support leadership are discussed in this article review. It focuses on five papers that explore educators' roles, offering advice on how to respond to changing expectations. "When is New: A Plan of Action" (A. W. Hart)…

A number of spelling strategies are available to help students who do not have a good visual memory. Phonics is a valuable tool in the early grades. Many students benefit from studying word families. Mnemonic devices and tactile methods are also useful. Spelling gains importance when students write, although both the purpose for writing and the…

The definition of the role of school principal is currently undergoing transformation in light of modern school issues and a shortage of qualified candidates. In "A Century's Quest to Understand School Leadership," Kenneth Leithwood and Daniel Duke conclude that recent thinking has focused on six forms of leadership: instructional,…

Arguing that instructional leadership changes are inevitable during the 1990s, this Bulletin explores instructional leaders' roles and functions, along with some leadership styles, strategies, and skills, and proposes an administrator training program. Chapter 1 introduces six "organizers" for examining instructional leadership: setting,…

This review of research on instructional improvement and teacher evaluation considers the complex issues affecting the K-8 principal's ability to enhance educational quality through effective supervision of the instructional process. According to several studies, teachers found formal evaluations far less valuable than direct assistance and…

Effective schools research has verified that schools are rarely effective unless the principal is a proficient instructional leader. This article summarizes five recent studies examining the practices and qualities comprising good instructional leadership. A Seattle study by Richard L. Andrews disclosed a statistical correlation between student…

Homework policies and guidelines are the topics outlined in this article. Homework policies should address the amount of homework and amount of school time available to do the homework. Guidelines for grading homework are also discussed. It is recommended that teachers should prepare a written description of homework practices for the principal.…

To what extent can school principals provide effective educational leadership? Research shows that, contrary to textbook images, principals react to their circumstances instead of controlling them and that they spend most of their time on administrative, not instructional, matters. Further entrenching principals in their administrative role is the…

The eight chapters of this theme issue address two broad themes related to the study of school leadership in four countries. The first is the changing role of the principal/headteacher as a result of legislated change and societal expectations. The second is the implications of these changes for the roles of principals and headteachers. (SLD)

Principals today are expected to maximize their schools' performances with limited resources while also adopting educational innovations. This synopsis reviews five recent publications that offer some important insights about the nature of principals' leadership strategies: (1) "Leadership Styles and Strategies" (Larry Lashway); (2) "Facilitative…

This publication reviews five information sources about new designs and recommendations for principal preparation programs. In "The Landscape of Leadership Preparation: Reframing the Education of School Administrators," Joseph Murphy examines the nature of current problems in administrator preparation. He argues that before they can draw sound…

Schools are expected not only to conserve society's values and standards, but to be dynamic organizations with built-in mechanisms for incorporating rapid, far-reaching change. Although change is unlikely unless at least one highly motivated individual assumes the role of initial change agent, lasting change requires more than the efforts of a…