Des Moines (Iowa) Public Schools is one of six urban districts participating in an effort to redesign the role of principal supervisors. The Wallace Foundation's Principal Supervisor Initiative provides four years of support for these districts to transform the role, which has traditionally focused on operations and compliance, into one that…

The role of the local, state, and national supervisor is explored in these six articles. Specifically, they discuss changes in the supervisor's role, a team approach to national leadership, responsibilities of state supervisors, the role of the state supervisor, qualifications needed by a supervisor, and the local agriculture education supervisor.…

The role of the supervisor in improving the reading curriculum is more demanding than formerly, even as the teaching profession needs to make do with what there is in the public schools, be it class size, equipment, materials of instruction, or a hostile learning environment. The supervisor needs to look at two dimensions: personal lives of…

The author examines the role of specialist supervisors in special education and suggests the need for reconsideration which would give special education supervisors authority over programs for more severely handicapped students, while allowing mildly handicapped students to be within general education's dominion. (CL)

Outlines a five-step formula to help supervisors deal with employee problems: (1) recognize that a problem exists, (2) document the employee's performance, (3) apply the company's discipline process, (4) refer to an appropriate agency, and (5) help the employee readjust to the work environment when the problem no longer exists. (JOW)

This article addresses instructional improvement role responsibilities by suggesting, with appropriate rationale, that supervisors and principals work together in effecting instructional improvement. (Author)

Managers can foster employee career development by recognizing "coachable moments": when employees demonstrate new interests, seek feedback, experience poor job fit, or are thinking about change. Managers can verbalize support and mobilize employees by suggesting concrete steps. (SK)

The task of the supervisor is to help the reading teacher learn and use tactics and strategies for improved questioning of students. (Author)

Efficient supervisors have three kinds of skills: human, managerial, and technical. Each is defined and examples are provided. While human relations and management are important, technical skills, more than any other, make the role of the instructional supervisor unique. (TE)

Self-directed work teams need coaches, not managers. The process of turning middle managers into coaches involves sensitivity, negotiation, and training in adjusting to the new role. (SK)

Explains the importance of developing empowered employees, outlines stages of supervisory growth from administrator to coach, defines sources of the supervisory power base, explores differences between traditional and empowered thinking in job design, and describes how to build an organizational learning culture. (SK)

The vocational agriculture supervisor should assist consumers in making better choices, provide career information for young adults, point out job change and retraining opportunities, and impart accurate facts to be used for decision making. Certain personal characteristics are necessary for success in fulfilling the expected role of the…

During the l980s, state leadership will be challenged and tested as it has never been before. Successful leaders will work to inspire team concepts among teachers, teacher trainers, students, legislators, parents, the agricultural industry, and the general public. (LRA)

Presents an edited version of the script of an oral presentation by three symposium participants (Noreen Garman, Carl Glickman, and Madeline Hunter) that highlights their conflicting conceptions of clinical supervision. Provides a commentary that puts the responses in philosophic perspective. (IW)

Suggests useful implications for supervisors offered by motivational theories, including the importance of serving as a source of reinforcement for teachers and the necessity of helping the teacher make appropriate instructional choices and gather evidence on the effectiveness of those choices. (Author/JM)