According to a former principal, the best strategies for improving schools are to delegate authority, enlist faculty in critical decisions, impose questions instead of solutions, and create an environment where teachers can continually grow and learn together. Principals must be focused on the future, but grounded in reality. (MLH)

A study of 18 exemplary Georgia principals found that major psychodynamic changes can result from developing a shared-leadership style. There were changes in motivation, role conflict, and use of power. Principals sometimes wondered if they were needed, but most reaped major rewards: satisfaction, pride of accomplishment, and good press. Contains…

Neglected in educational literature, assistant principals can nonetheless help principals by acting as vision codesigners, teacher coaches and evaluators, master schedule designers, program developers, instructional managers, and communicators. Shared instructional leadership allows for greater job control, flexibility, initiative, collegial…

The purpose of this study was to illustrate specific factors that influenced graduating high school seniors not to immediately pursue additional education. A 13-item survey was developed to determine student and parental satisfaction with aspects of this decision and to further explore influential factors. Participants included students and…

High schools seek to maximize student holding power providing something for everybody. This shopping mall concept produces schools in which variety, choice, and neutrality are counterproductive for some individuals. To counteract this effect schools need to take risks through greater commitment to individual student development and to higher…

Article discussed the role of the assistant principal and stressed the point that the administration of schools is most effectively accomplished by a team approach. (Author/RK)

Believes that the principalship is the key position for facilitating change, this author provides practical suggestions for the principal as change-agent. (Editor)

Describes the successful use of the Delphi Dialog Technique (a goal-setting process) at East High School, Anchorage, Alaska, where it was used to obtain consensus among staff members about school-growth targets. (JW)

Describes the application by principals of situational leadership concepts to reduce conflict among groups participating in decision making. Factors covered include maturity levels of participants, flexibility of leadership style, and possible variations in conflict management strategies appropriate to different maturity levels of participants.…

Responses to a national survey of 233 high school principals about the degree of involvement of various school personnel in five decision areas suggest that only building administrators and teachers have high degrees of involvement in decision areas. (Author/MLF)

Principals should allow teacher input into decision making in appropriate areas and be clear about exactly which areas these are. (JM)

After principals had a chance to learn how their teachers perceived their leadership behavior, a workshop helped the principals to become more effective. (JM)

Discusses how increasing teacher militancy is altering school district decision-making and changing the role of superintendents and principals. (JG)

Cheshire (Connecticut) High School was given a clear mandate to renew itself. Initially resistant faculty became enthusiastic while helping the principal develop a renewal framework stressing interdisciplinary instructional practices, integrated skill targets and assessment procedures, international awareness themes, large-scale technological…

Secondary school administrators confront a variety of ethical dilemmas during their tenure. Three hypothetical scenarios provide an opportunity to analyze the process employed to address an ethical dilemma. (MLF)