Opinions about what makes an effective middle school were elicited by this study in which 153 principals of exemplary middle schools and 35 national leaders of the middle school movement were queried. Questionnaires asked about the functions and characteristics of middle schools regarding (1) students, (2) teachers, (3) principals, (4) curriculum,…

The first of four presentations in this collection dealing with student mobility focuses on the role of the university in improving vertical mobility. Questions concerning the impact of community colleges on baccalaureate programs, the demand for vertical mobility, and means of improving mobility are addressed. Particular problems of Western…

A study was conducted to determine the tasks and responsibilities of a local vocational director at the secondary school district level in Colorado. Its objective was to determine the perceptions of local directors of secondary school districts in Colorado and their immediate supervisors' perceptions of the administrative tasks and…

Three major studies of the role of teachers and other school district professionals in educational decision making and in initiating innovations, spanning the 1968-1973 time period, are reviewed and compared. A probable increase in the role of teachers as initiators of innovations is evident. Data on teachers and others as innovation initiators…

In order to deal with the decline in full-time equivalent enrollment at Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) for the first time in its ten-year history, a model recruitment plan was developed, aimed at increasing enrollments in college programs with weak draw and among communities and high schools whose participation rates were low. The plan…

The role of the principal as instructional leader, the teacher evaluation process, and their interrelationship were the foci of this study, designed to assess how practicing teachers feel about these phenomena; i.e., how they perceive them and what are their expectations. Background information for further development and field testing of theories…

A strategy was developed to improve the administration of an Open Entry/Open Exit and Self-Paced Individualized Instruction (OE/OE and SPII) program in community colleges in Oregon. The variables affecting an innovative program are identified and discussed based on the author's practical experience, and a series of alternative ideas for decision…

The first 16 pages of the report describe the development of the day care administrator training project. They describe: the identification of 32 areas of administrative skill which the curriculum focuses on; the organization of the curriculum along Gagne's model through a task analysis of the terminal, enabling, and teaching objectives; and the…

In order to determine the most effective method of administering the cooperative education program at the College of the Mainland (COM) in Texas, the author surveyed community colleges supporting cooperative education under a Title IV grant, conducted interviews of COM faculty and staff, reviewed the literature, and reexamined COM's formal and…

Succession socialization is the movement of an aspirant from candidate to protege to administrator. The 'rites of passage' are delineated as announcement, training, and advancement. The vehicle is the sponsorship mode which entails identification, adoption, and molding of the protege in the attitudinal image of the sponsor. Completion of…

Nineteen administrators at De Anza College (California), including members of the President's cabinet and division chairmen, were interviewed and surveyed in order to ascertain their professional development needs in the areas of management/administration functions, leadership, human resources management, and interpersonal relationships. Findings…

A study was conducted to ascertain the perceptions of mid-level administrators concerning collective bargaining at El Camino Community College, the first California community college to engage in collective bargaining pursuant to recently adopted enabling legislation. A survey instrument was administered to 28 administrators (deans and associate…

This paper focuses on the federal efforts in vocational research and development (R&D) of the last decade, reviewing major accomplishments, speculating on possible misdirections, and recommending directions for the future. The administration of vocational R&D is briefly described and a historical overview is presented of federal efforts…

A study of dental student perceptions of faculty responsibilities and roles, such as administrative duties, part-time teaching, and research, concludes that these perceptions must be considered if positive changes are to made in the teaching environment. (MSE)

Results of a 1984 national survey of chief liberal arts academic officers (department heads, deans, and chief academic officers) are used to examine aspects of administrator careers and behavior, including grant administration, job satisfactions and frustrations, and career success. (MSE)