Talented leaders are essential to building and sustaining successful organizations. This is especially true for schools, where principal leadership plays a major role in fostering student success. Research shows that principals are a significant school-level factor affecting student achievement, second only to classroom teachers. Like other types…

Many public school districts are seeking to expand or launch voluntary summer learning programs, especially for children from low-income families. These children experience setbacks over the summer compared to their more affluent peers. Most studies have found that students from low-income families learn less during the summer than do students…

"Imparting Wisdom: HBCU Lessons for K-12 Education" details historically black colleges and universities' (HBCUs) longstanding efforts to provide quality educational experiences for their students and how their success may be translated in K-12 schools. This brief uplifts research-based HBCU best practices, practical recommendations and…

Talented leaders are essential to building and sustaining successful organizations. This is especially true for schools, where principal leadership plays a major role in fostering student success. Research shows that principals are a significant school-level factor affecting student achievement, second only to classroom teachers. Like other types…

School restructuring is a process of reform that attempts to reconcile idealistic aspirations of educators with the realities of large public schools. While most educators have high expectations for their students, the impersonal structure of public schools is an obstacle to achieving these goals. In order to be effective, teachers must know the…

In Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, KY, a number of unique strategies are being used to attract and retain qualified principals. Based on a survey of principal-certified personnel, the district conducted a more aggressive external recruitment effort, and also started providing housing subsidies, salary incentives, and assigning some…

The difference between the performance of an outstanding teacher and that of an average teacher over a couple of decades can be immensely significant to a school district. Outlines a 10-step labor-intensive hiring procedure for hiring top teachers. (MLF)

Discusses issues involved in preparing teachers for an ethnically diverse pupil population. Recommendations for improving the preparation of an ethnically diverse teaching force are made for public school educators, university personnel, state legislators and educational agency personnel, educational organizations, and community and business…

To increase the representation of people of color in teaching, the potential candidate pool must expand beyond those who are likely to attend college. Paraprofessional school personnel, who typically are from minority groups, constitute a ready source for increasing the supply of diverse teachers. Five strategies that contribute to the success of…

To increase ethnic diversity among teachers, minority high school seniors in a Wisconsin school district can apply for a $12,000 stipend ($3,000 a year for four years) provided they plan to attend a Wisconsin state school and enroll in a teacher preparation program. (MLF)

Labor shortages, cost increases, and turnover have prompted Fairfax County Schools, Virginia, food service managers to offer training programs and recruitment bonuses, to use more convenience foods, and to price out every service. (MLF)

School attorneys interpret state and federal laws, head off expensive lawsuits, and defend their districts aggressively in court. Offers advice on how to find and keep a good attorney. Contains a sample advertisement for the position. (MLF)

Recognizing that there are numerous organizational models and strategies that can be used by Montessori school administrators, this handbook provides a guide for shaping the Montessori school's unique administrative practice. The handbook's seven parts address organizational and financial foundations, a developmental perspective of the prepared…

An interim principal can buy a school district time to land a permanent successor. Also lists where to find an interim principal; the interim's steadying influence; Bob Wallace's wild ride as an interim principal in post-retirement; and Roger Prosise's rationale for turning to an interim appointment. (MLF)

The most important asset of any enterprise is the talent and enthusiasm of its workforce. In operating a successful business, there is no greater challenge than to attract and retain the best-qualified, hardest-working employees. And perhaps the most important factors in keeping the best people are providing workers with the tools to succeed at…