Discusses the skills and strengths of individual principals that have been instrumental in turning problem schools into safe and effective places of learning. Their styles vary greatly, but all had a vision and were able to turn that into distinct goals and expectations for their schools. (MD)

To influence lasting change in schools, principals must study general research findings, understand people's reactions to change and the limitations of effective schools research, examine sources of change, work to develop an effective leadership style, analyze structures affecting change, use outside facilitators, review and select planning…

Principals' attitudes toward innovative teaching methods are extremely open, according to a Utah survey. The key to having administrative backing for new methods in the classroom, this author tells teachers, is to keep the principal informed of what's happening and why. (Editor)

Describes a day in the life of an exceptional principal, Dennis Litky of Thayer Junior-Senior High School in Winchester, New Hampshire. (MD)

Article describes some of the useful but often overlooked strategies for principals who are trying to put new ideas to work. (Editor)

When Gorbachev came to power in 1985, he and his supporters signaled educators that schools were free to concentrate on education instead of enforcing dogma. Soviet secondary school principals are discarding old Bolshevist roles, including those of Marxist-Leninist-Communist watchdog and carrier of Communist command directives. Principals also…

Outlines findings from a study by the United States Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement of successful school improvement programs. The findings are categorized under four stages: initiation, initial implementation, full implementation, and institutionalization. (MD)

The author presents a questionnaire designed to assist principals in selecting committee chairpersons who will function as effective change leaders. (DS)

Although collective bargaining agreements can inhibit the principal's instructional role, it is still possible to be both contract administrator and instructional leader. (Author/JM)

After a 1986 study of American secondary schools, a British headmistress compares the schools she studied with their equivalents in the British education system. She points out that American principals are leaders and innovators. (MD)

A step-by-step process for changing curriculum, based on research by both the Ford and Danforth Foundations, stresses that administrators and teachers must work together to bring about meaningful change. (Author/MLF)

Schools can achieve humanistic goals, assert these writers, by providing students more options and therby meeting their diverse needs. Showing how widespread the mini-concept is, they report in this article a three-state survey that indicates how principals feel about their programs. (Editor)

Discusses the differences between traditional pedagogical methods and small-group cooperative learning. Describes the benefits of the cooperative approach, including emphasis on learning rather than on competition, improved comprehension, and increased social awareness. Provides hints for administrators implementing cooperative learning programs.…

Mastery or "second chance" learning is easily adaptable to the principal's modeling through the classroom observation/supervision process. The five-step process (preobservation conference, performance of observation, postobservation conference, professional growth plan, and observation) helps teachers own the classroom observation process and…