Clearly, class-size reduction has become a public-relations issue that educational leaders can use as an opportunity to communicate and gain support for all school reforms. Implications for principals include keeping the school community informed, involving teachers, knowing relevant research, and using creative class-size reduction methods.…

As shown by a survey of three middle-level assistant principals, student discipline consumes an inordinate amount of attention. Also, participants did not see their position as an avenue to help youngsters. Since school administration duties should be shared, assistant principals must shed their "noneducational,""daily operations…

The principal must be the guiding force in a good school publications program. He must take the initiative by finding the right adviser, instituting guidelines for responsible policy, and allowing students enough freedom so that learning can occur. (Editor)

Protecting the vanishing species of the healthy person should be the school's primary goal. Yet, cognitive and technical skills continue to get top billing, says the author. He outlines some aspects of the healthy individual and challenges school administrators to combat society's sickness. (Editor)

This article examines one aspect of the principal's role - the supervisory function - and asks whether the principal can convey human sensitivities in supervision rather than the all-too-frequent benevolent despotism. (Editor)

Attempting to examine the role of the principal in the change process, the writer applies interactional analysis to the principalship and other levels of leadership as a tool to help develop a climate for change. (Editor)

Ways suggested for principals to categorize tasks according to importance in order to allocate time more effectively. (Author/MLF)

Seventeen suggestions for making meetings productive. (MLF)

The question of whether teacher evaluation should involve teaching peers is discussed in relation to the concept of "zones of acceptance." The author suggests that teachers should be involved in evaluation when the issues being evaluated fall within their scope as teachers. (MD)

A survey gauging superintendents', principals', and teachers' expectations for the principalship revealed great similarities among all three groups' perceptions of what principals should do and what principals actually accomplish. However, teachers noted principals' low regard for creative teaching, a situation impeding educational progress.…

During this interview, John Gardner, former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (1965-68), comments on the substantial overlap between leaders and managers. When principals perform as leaders, they are preoccupied with vision, values, motivation, and renewal. They become politically expert at bargaining, mediating, sorting out, persuading,…

Explores constraints on principals' ability to serve as instructional leaders, including definition problems, current training and selection practices, the nature of teaching, lack of incentives, and the limits imposed by collective bargaining agreements. The principalship must be dramatically changed if principals are to become instructional…

Secondary principals can promote staff development by adopting eight instructional leadership behaviors that promote teacher involvement, exhibit knowledge of the field, establish high standards, maintain high principal visibility, recognize achievement, and encourage change. (PGD)

Reports a survey of 60 school administrators on most frequently used power tactics and most effective tactics for principals. The use of the administrator's personality to acquire power was reported as the most often used and most effective strategy. (MJL)

Shared decision making is the best vehicle for planned change, according to this author. But, he reminds readers, if it is to work, clarification of the administrator's role and of his responsibility for setting the general pattern of leadership is needed. He believes that shared decision making is truly an art. (Editor)