The high school principal, a key figure in the educational equality and equity equation, should serve as both instructional leader and administrator. State legislation might more clearly define the principal's role and leadership responsibility. Principals should choose their own faculty, retain faculty they want, and have discretionary funds for…

Principals tired of the "rat race" should consider working abroad. International schools use U.S. textbooks, and teachers instruct primarily in English. Schools have some kind of governing board but have the advantages of being both independent and private. The headmaster becomes the personal emissary and prime nongovernment example of America,…

High school principals cannot effectively lead their schools from principal's office, nor do they need more formal structure or unctuous human relations approach. Experienced principals have learned to get out of their offices and spend more of school day where 9ction is. Schools must not compromise their vitality and humanity to fit some…

Describes a Kansas public school district's efforts to develop a synergistic curriculum plan combining the most positive elements of a standardized curriculum with those of a school-based curriculum. Encouraging staff commitment demands mutuality of expectations, dependence, trust, respect, communication, and vision. (MLH)

Academic multiculturalism, an emerging educational trend, is a one-dimensional approach that adds a list of admirable persons of color to the existing curriculum. Political multiculturalism opens the curriculum to analysis and reconstruction of historical power struggles, including the social conditions and inequitable power relations behind…

Fourth-generation program evaluation is a collaborative, responsive approach that attaches great importance to the claims, concerns, and issues set forth by various stakeholders. This model stresses value pluralism and has several community-involvement phases: planning, data collection, results, final evaluation report, and follow-up. (20…

A recent international educational exchange program helped U.S. secondary principals understand how German high schools differ from American ones. German principals are "lead teachers" who teach at least one class daily. Germany's three-track high school system will soon be replaced by U.S.-style "comprehensive" secondary…

The assistant principalship holds a critical position in education organizations because it is an entry-level position for administrative careers. Assistant principals maintain the norms and rules of school culture and handle the conflicts arising among teachers, students, and the community. Principals who work as administrative teams with their…

For over a decade, Reginald Clark conducted research on low-income students identified as well-motivated, high achievers. Clark's effective families shared a feeling of control over their lives, frequent communication of high expectations, dreams of future success, reliance on hard work and active engagement, and emphasis on spiritual growth. Tips…

Increased parent involvement means better financial support for public schools. Parent involvement at the secondary level is most effective when teachers feel comfortable working with parents; parent convenience is considered; school-parent communication is frequent and positive; programs build self-esteem and feature social and educational…

Provides clear definitions of administrator and counselor roles in the interest of school effectiveness. Although guiding a school to instructional excellence is the most important administrative task, counselors have only limited curricular responsibility. Shared roles include the areas of public relations, drug abuse education, and knowledge of…

To avoid bad decisions, principals must be willing to invest time, energy, and resources and prepare the problem-solving team for the frustrations involved in tackling tough problems. Simple probing techniques such as "creating (or intensifying) the problem,""the Five Whys""I wish" statements, the nominal Group Technique, and multivoting can aid…

To promote academic excellence and active teacher involvement, secondary school principals must advocate the "all students can learn" philosophy, focus on supervising instruction through classroom observation, understand and apply conferencing and coaching techniques to instructional improvement, and encourage decisions fostering greater…

Law-related education equips students with knowledge and skills pertaining to the law and fundamental legal principles. The most effective programs have building administrators' support, use interactive teaching techniques, contain relevant and balanced subject matter, use community resource people, and encourage self-development. Administrators…

Because many key decisions affecting education's future will be made in the political arena, principals must become more politically involved and acquire the necessary skills to influence policy outcomes. To prepare for the public debate, principals must recognize that the present political culture favors open market competition, articulate a…