A recent study indicates that the superintendent's personal involvement in principal supervision and evaluation, including frequent school visits, can be a key ingredient in school effectiveness. (MCG)

The rewards and sanctions accompanying performance-based pay and promotion programs will not be valued or given credibility as long as teacher evaluations are not approached professionally. The effect of treating teachers as bureaucrats or professionals, the limits of bureaucratic evaluation, and the demands of professional evaluation are…

A study of 42 successful principals with diverse approaches reveals that success depends on connecting routine activities to an overarching vision of school aims. A heuristic model facilitates visualizing the principal's role, operational context, and goals. (TE)

Discusses the conflicting roles of the various actors involved in curriculum development and suggests several strategies for resolving the power struggle that presently characterizes curriculum development. Available from Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1701 K Street, N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20006, single copies,…

Describes a human resources development program for school administrators, including training in management functions, leader behavior skills, instructional leadership skills, and more traditional topics. (Author/JM)

By describing a typical hectic week in the life of an assistant principal, the author demonstrates why there is little time for educational leadership. (JM)

New curriculum developments, supervisory strategies, and management techniques in 16 major city school systems are helping students and redefining the roles of supervisors and principals. Common elements are strong leadership, more authority for principals, and school-based management. (Author/MLF)

Reviews research showing that the social climate of the school and the morale of the staff can have a positive effect on pupil attitudes and learning. Suggestions are made for activities to improve morale. (Author/MLF)

Describes the results of an intensive study of Chicago elementary schools on how relational trust among teachers, students, parents, and principals influences school-reform efforts. Relational trust is grounded in respect, personal regard, competence in core role responsibilities, and personal integrity. Describes the benefits of relational trust…

State endorsements of site-based management frequently overlook the development of skills necessary for collegial teamwork and strategies for demonstrating administrators' sincere commitment to the process. This article describes symbolic actions that some administrators have taken to develop new skills and build the necessary trust for assuming…

Teachers are isolated from their peers by classroom walls and invisible school barriers. Many evaluation systems are outmoded, and few opportunities exist for teachers and principals to stretch their traditional roles. Professional Partnerships, an alternative evaluation process, addresses these common concerns. Teachers establish voluntary…

Describes the career development plan adopted by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (North Carolina) Public Schools. Reviews the preparatory steps through which new teachers rise to career status. Assesses the role of "mentors" or master teachers, the administrator's role, and the impact of the teachers' action-growth plans. (PGD)

The Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Public Schools' Project RISE raised the achievement levels of 18 inner-city elementary schools dramatically without changing personnel or student composition, and without additional funding. Improvements were related to change in staff attitudes and in policies and practices affecting management, organization, behavior,…

The experience of the Kenmore (New York) Public Schools with an inservice program for school board members and district level administrators and staff suggests the issues that must be addressed when convincing district personnel and board members to accept and support the concept of local school initiatives for educational improvement. (PGD)

The author of The Carnegie Foundation's "High School: A Report on Secondary Education in America" outlines four strategies for improving educational quality: (1) a coherent vision of educational objectives, (2) renewed emphasis on writing and thinking skills, (3) a core of common learning, and (4) strong school leadership at the local…