In an effort to encourage dialogue and reflection on matters of common concern and interest, the journal staff invite responses on selected articles from other educators, who engage the text critically and offer some reflections about its utility and validity. This article offers responses from Michael Fierro and Diana Hankins on the article…

In this article, the authors advance 10 postulates describing what they believe to be true about collaboration in special education: (1) Collaboration in teacher education is possible; (2) Collaborative programs can be initiated from many departure points; (3) Collaboration requires real time for communication; (4) Supportive leadership is…

This paper discusses barriers encountered by leaders when they attempt to implement change and redirect the collective focus in groups. It describes co-creative relationships that occur when leaders and followers work together in a reciprocally responsible relationship based on a common purpose. The process of covenanting toward a common purpose,…

Argues that the participatory leadership model is especially effective at the middle school level because the team concept is vital to the middle school construct. Asserts that principals who use such a model can truly become instructional leaders. (FL)

This paper argues that many site-based management practices do not represent true empowerment and are not founded on a consensual framework of values, goals, and priorities developed by educational stakeholders. In addition, they often lack clearly stated operating principles. The paper distinguishes between site-based management (SBM) and…

Written by a practicing superintendent for practitioners, this book provides guidelines for becoming a vision-based, reflective leader. Part 1 (chapters 1 through 6) conveys general principles of educational leadership based on personal experience. Part 2 (chapters 7 through 11) provides examples of effective, exemplary programs from Pittsburgh…

This paper asserts that the demographic changes of the 21st century promise a different arena for the practice of democratic leadership in United States social and educational institutions. The challenge for democratic leadership is to establish a positive and lasting relationship among all peoples who make up their local cooperative. The paper…

This paper identifies barriers to grade level curriculum planning by teachers at Gwin Oaks Elementary School, Lawrenceville, Georgia, and discusses steps in implementing a program in which classroom teachers in groups worked to solve educational problems. Obstacles limiting teacher involvement in decision-making were (1) too little time for…

This monograph explores the notion of viewing leadership as a single, interconnecting system at work in the internal and external school environment, rather than as a collection of individual roles. The document explores what the new leadership paradigm--a decentralized, collaborative model--means to schools. Leadership is viewed as an…

This book describes change in the nature of school leadership as required by the nature of future schools. Two chapters in part 1 develop the perspective for leadership, based on problem solving, for the future. Chapter 1 argues that the problem for future leadership has three components: (1) developing a shared, defensible vision of a future…

Local boards of education in rural school districts have a unique opportunity to strengthen education through empowering various constituencies. Research shows that people believe in the potential of the local board, but also believe that school boards often fail to move effectively on critical leadership issues. Leadership as a process of…

A framework for developing a new kind of educational leadership is described in this paper, which is based on three propositions. The first proposition states that the policy framework of U.S. public education is undergoing fundamental changes: a goal shift from tolerating mediocrity to expecting educational success for all, and a process shift…

This book describes two studies, the first of which is a single case study that interprets the practical knowledge of an exemplary fine arts supervisor. An analysis of ethnographic data portrays the supervisor's practical knowledge as constructed around a dialectical orientation between two constructs or landscapes of imagery: the empowerment and…

Stresses the need for faculty and administrators to cooperate in assessing student learning. Addresses barriers to teacher involvement and presents models that nurture faculty in the assessment process. Recommends that administrators create a culture that is conducive to assessment and adopt a variety of leadership characteristics using the…

A framework for examining the future development of the community college and specific policy and program proposals is provided by the 13 essays in this collection. Part one, "The Community College in Perspective," includes "The Evolution of Two-Year Colleges Through Four Generations," by Dale Tillery and William L. Deegan; and "Determining…