Extending research findings that strong administrative leadership is the most important influence on a school system, this paper argues that improved leadership, aided by models of leadership style and behavior, can improve instructional effectiveness. Because a significant correlation has been found between teachers' behavior and student…

An extensive search of the literature on clinical supervision yielded 29 research studies and 3 works in progress. Studies using comparative measures conducted in K-12 school settings with inservice not preservice personnel were selected. These were grouped into four areas: attitudes toward supervision, effects of training, characteristics of…

To improve instruction, teachers need to be brought together to work on common instructional concerns in a professional environment. To create it, supervisors need to provide more opportunities for teachers to make choices, discuss their work, observe each other, and help beginning teachers ease into their responsibilities. (Author/DCS)

Recent statistics show that nationwide about 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession within their first six years of teaching. In an effort to encourage the persistence of new teachers and to enhance their productivity and competence in the classroom, many school districts have begun supportive programs for the beginning teacher, known as…

This paper discusses current and future research on alternative supervisory approaches matched to developmental levels of teachers. The two major questions for research were: (1) Is there an interaction between individual characteristics of teachers and supervisory approach with regard to preference and performance? and (2) Can supervisors acquire…

A review of the research indicates that the interface between the findings from research on teaching and staff development of teachers is an important but neglected one. An improvement in teaching skills calls for an interactive or collaborative mode of professional development which is based on classroom interests and the needs of teachers, with…

Research on what is known about the use of collaborative performance appraisal to enhance the professional growth of teachers was reviewed, and a survey was conducted of the views of 152 administrators and teacher supervisors about collaborative performance assessment. Alternatives for policy and practice suggested by the findings are discussed.…

This paper discusses the nature of teacher induction programs and of research on this topic in European, North American, and Australian countries. Research studies and induction program content and processes in the various countries are explored and compared. Among assertions and conclusions made from this study, which is meant to stimulate…

Major findings of the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study concerning student and teacher behavior and classroom climate are summarized, and their implications for teacher educators are addressed. Prospective teachers should understand concepts such as academic learning time, self-monitoring, and feedback. Teacher educators also could use these…

Presents results of a study developing an informal social skills teacher rating scale for use with early adolescents. Reports that the scale includes skill identification and situational analysis. Provides information on identifying and ranking responses and checking a content validity and reliability. Concludes that the matrix can generate…

This document reviews the attributes of instructional effectiveness and supervisory practices in special education and examines the extent to which these attributes and practices are used as criterion measures for supervising instruction. The document prescribes and recommends exemplary practices that supervisors in special education ought to…

This book offers the critical perspectives of 20 educators on some of the issues associated with facilitating instructional leadership, emphasizing the complex interplay between the character of schools as work settings, the orientations of principals and teachers toward their work, and the challenges of leading and improving schools at the end of…

This handbook is designed to provide a basis for discussion or training sessions on teacher-administrator relationships. The first section of the handbook examines communication problems and describes effective and ineffective communication techniques. Discussion questions and guidelines for communication improvement are listed for administrators…

Principals are expected to be instructional leaders but generally lack the time and training to assume such a role. Several theories and research studies suggest alternative views of the principal's role in providing instructional leadership. Ethnographic studies of principals show that principals spend little time on evaluation, instruction, and…

Several years of research support a differentiated system of supervision in which teachers can choose from among four different supervision styles. With the clinical style, intense observation and feedback is conducted by a trained supervisor. Cooperative professional development consists of small teams of peers working together for their mutual…