An administrator had a unique opportunity to participate in the founding of a Louisiana college by becoming the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Because many of the new staff were not experienced in their positions, she found herself mentoring many young people at the same time. It was a role with which she was most comfortable, partly because…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the relationship between demographic subgroups of principals in Louisiana and their perceptions of the socialization process. Information about principals' socialization experiences was obtained from a sample of 161 first-year principals during the fall semester of 1994. Socialization…

This study of educator interviews and conferences required by the Louisiana teacher certification program (Louisiana System for Teaching and Learning Assessment and Review (STAR)) is grounded in the supposition that metaphors infuse educators' everyday professional interactions. Of particular interest were: the nature of the various conference…

Findings of a study that examined how information is used in schools that have adopted shared decision-making practices are presented in this paper. The study focused on how first- and second-year principals access, use, and value various kinds of information. A total of 24 out of 29 Louisiana LEAD schools responded to a questionnaire, an…

The lack of a clear role definition for the special education supervisor has resulted in an interpretation of the position as that of a facilitator, planner, and legal rights guarantor for exceptional children. To determine whether differences existed between the self-perceived supervisory methods of special education administrators and their…

The Louisiana Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (LaCEPT) was formed to respond to the National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal to implement changes to improve teacher preparation in science and mathematics. The program was designed to encourage improvement in curriculum and instruction in science and mathematics for…

This paper reports on a research study designed, in part, to explore the expression of bureaucracy (or structural management) and culture (or symbolic management) in the work of eighteen elementary school principals in Louisiana. In addition, the study compares principals in nine of the schools categorized as "more effective" and nine…

The Northeast Louisiana University (NLU) Dropout Intervention Strategy Program (1990-1991) was designed to train administrators and teachers in junior high schools to recognize, treat, and relate to at-risk students who have been identified as potential school dropouts. The 13 participating schools were identified as having potentially high…