While education research has explored the role of the principal in the advent of No Child Left Behind (2001), quantitative and qualitative studies fail to describe and explain the ways in which principals' leadership practices are shaped by their conditions. These conditions include the school culture and climate in which they work; their own…

With strong connection to schoolwide policy and vision and to the realities of the daily life of teachers and students, the department chair is uniquely positioned to play an important role in advancing instructional effectiveness (Printy, 2008; Weller, 2001). This article provides an in-depth look at the efforts of three urban comprehensive high…

This study considered the question, how do principals influence student achievement? We adopted a direct-effects model with antecedent effects to measure the relationship between principal characteristics and student achievement. Using such a model, we postulated that preservice principal characteristics, such as training and experience, enable…

The coprincipalship has been suggested as an organizational structure that addresses the increasing workload and time demands of the principal as well as the shortage of qualified applicants for the position. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of coprincipals in public and private schools in California, Illinois,…

Examines the salient theoretical models of principal succession articulated by four experts. A qualitative singlecase study illustrates the succession process between two "insider" principals in a rural-suburban school district. In this case, the insider choice for principal exhibited outsider characteristics; the successor was seen as a…

Investigated district and site administrators' perceptions of school violence and violence-prevention programs in 15 school districts in 12 states. Unanimously agreed-upon causes were lack of family involvement or supervision, lack of family structure, and parental use of violence. Describes a prevention model stressing family inclusion, values…