The article aims at exploring what counts as successful leadership and what the key questions in exploring successful school leadership across countries should be. A main argument is that successful leadership is a contestable concept, and I argue for framing school leadership as a moral and democratic enterprise, which implies a need to protect…

The organizational and human productivity knowledge-base expansion of the past 5 years indicates that educational leaders and support staff must assume responsibility for schooling together to change student achievement patterns. The sociological management challenge is one of empowering groups to address educational productivity. The…

First-year principals will assume the role of instructional leaders in environments created by their predecessors. How these novices feel, react, and attempt to fulfill the expectations of their supervisor, staff, and community are investigated in this paper. Three male and three female first-year principals in Long Island, New York public schools…

The views of Georgia school superintendents on leadership preparation and the role of principals are examined to determine future directions and standards for preparing public educational leaders in the state. Data were collected from 182 (97 percent) of the state's total of 187 superintendents. In the first part of the paper, Georgia…

To explore the role, responsibilities, and organizational relationships of a business administrator within the school district, six districts in the state of Washington were selected for examination. Semi-structured interviews were conducted along with observation of relevant documents to (1) describe the role and responsibilities of the business…

This report presents the findings of a survey designed to determine the perceived role of the K-12 science supervisor. Surveys were administered to samplings obtained at three 1978 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) area conventions (Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Milwaukee) and from individuals in selected states to ensure a valid,…

A study examined factors and problems that tend to hinder effective implementation of agriculture curriculum in Uganda's secondary schools. Comparisons of examination results revealed that the levels of achievement of secondary school students in agriculture fell below those of other science subjects. A survey was conducted in 10 schools where…

This study uses an organizational perspective to investigate three questions regarding the principal's role in instructional management: (1) Do instructional management behaviors predict student achievement? (2) What specific instructional management behaviors are identified with principals in effective schools? and (3) Are the linkages that…

This 3-year study, part of the Effective Schools Project of the Seattle School District and the University of Washington, was undertaken to investigate the relationship between teachers' perceptions of the principal as instructional leader and average gain scores of students in 67 elementary schools in Seattle. Scores were disaggregated by student…

This paper documents the evaluation use process among districts using the Guide for Evaluation Decision Makers, published by the Center for the Study of Evaluation (CSE) during the 1984-85 school year. Included are the following: (1) a discussion of research that led to conclusions concerning the administrator's role in evaluation use; (2) a…

To complement a national survey called "High School '77," researchers in 1978-79 conducted indepth field studies of the organization of five high schools. School bureaucracy and procedures and their relationship to instruction, teachers, and school programs were analyzed. The five schools were drawn from village, suburban, urban, and…

This monograph focuses on educational evaluation and how it occurs within a specific setting--school districts' central administrative offices--examining the relationships between evaluation activities and district organizational features that impinge upon such activities. The various chapter authors worked with the Center for the Study of…

The purpose of this research was to investigate and describe the relationship of environmental change to superintendent-school board decision-making and superintendent turnover. Assuming the resource dependence model of organizational open system theory, researchers hypothesized that the amount of decision-making autonomy boards grant to…

Practical observations are offered in this report on health manpower information data and analyses to provide assistance to health planners in carrying out manpower activities more effectively. Problems and considerations discussed are as follows: Timeliness and accuracy of data, comparability of definitions and coverage, confidentiality problems,…

A questionnaire survey of 1,812 elementary and secondary teachers sought to determine the effects of principals' leadership behavior on teachers' job satisfaction, satisfaction with supervision, and participation in decision-making. Two dimensions of leadership behavior were studied: consideration, or supportive and expressive behavior; and…