A well-planned formal mentor program established for continuous peer support is the ideal system for both tenured and untenured faculty. A Pennsylvania program has six full-time mentors to help teachers during and after school. The program is rooted in the concepts and practices of peer coaching, counseling, and support. Mentors' qualifications,…

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…

Information is a commodity; those who are most successful can efficiently access it, critically evaluate and interpret it, and effectively and ethically apply it. Through collaboration, teachers and media specialists show students the connections between learning processes and how to apply them to problem solving or decision making. (MLH)

A rural Georgia high school has established a framework of continuous improvement to help it become a learning organization. Teachers are involved at all organizational levels--from school management to instructional practices. Teams of teachers are testing new ideas and knowledge, using data and simple statistical tools to discover what works,…

The everyday demands of the principalship compromise secondary principals' ability to fulfill their instructional leadership role. One solution is sharing instructional leadership with teachers. Some effective strategies include assigning teachers staff development responsibility, creating an instructional council and an instructional dean…

The primary mechanism for assessment and program planning associated with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act is the multidisciplinary team--a group including at least one teacher or specialist in the suspected disability area. This article describes three bases of the multidisciplinary assessment process. Includes 14 references. (MLH)

Principals, familiar with school personnel, goals, and operations, are a logical leadership choice for establishing an effective decision-making process. School-based management offers potential for organizational change geared toward teacher empowerment. Principals must first encourage open communication and trust and help staff develop…

A study was conducted at two metropolitan South Florida high schools to determine perceptions of 100 teachers concerning block scheduling. Teachers felt that the 4 X 4 block schedule contained too many time gaps for teaching foreign languages, English, and math. Teachers believed block schedules benefitted advanced students more than others and…

The role of interdisciplinary teaming in the induction of new teachers was examined at two middle level schools through the perceptions of three participant groups: new teachers, mentors, and principals. Data collected through a mixed-method design indicated that participants perceived inter disciplinary teams as an integral part of the induction…

St. Louis, Missouri's New City School begins each academic year by teaching multiple-intelligences theory to its students and by educating parents via portfolio nights. There is heavy emphasis on the personal intelligences, since the abilities to work with others and to capitalize on individual strengths are the keys to successful adulthood. (MLH)

New York City's Dropout Prevention Program's success depended on more than the usual commitment of resources, shared ideals, and dedicated people. A flexible planning framework was needed to overcome collaborators' mutual mistrust, identify common ground, and gain the support of line staff and top leadership in schools and in community…

Although music performance classes may include one or two public concerts each year, these concerts should not be the main class focus. Fine music programs can be identified by their balance, curriculum quality, activity level, and opportunity for students of all abilities. (MLH)

The necessary conditions for successful shared decision making include school board and administrative affirmation, tolerance for diversity, teacher and administrator training, and collegial support. Involving teachers in decision making requires four implementation phases: readiness, experimentation, refinement through trial and error, and…

In this interview, Arthur E. Wise, teacher reform advocate, discusses the status of educational reform, the impact of the national goals, and the principal's role in implementing change. School-based management complicates the principal's role, as principals must become expert team-builders and facilitators. The national education goals are…

To establish an effective, collaborative work culture, the school and its members must embrace continuous improvement. Principals can use certain activities and leadership approaches to help establish a productive school culture. One Oklahoma middle-school principal involved faculty in creating a school vision and developing grade-level teaching…