This paper identifies the factors that can make a building principal an effective instructional leader, as seen from the superintendent's perspective. According to the author, the effective instructional leader helps those in the educational community define instructional goals and objectives, works to develop effectiveness in teaching, builds a…

This publication is the product of a working group assigned the responsibility of examining the role and responsibilities of instructional supervisors. In addition to reviewing the 1977 report of another working group, the members of this group examined existing certification and preparatory programs for instructional supervisors; conducted rather…

The lack of a clear role definition for the special education supervisor has resulted in an interpretation of the position as that of a facilitator, planner, and legal rights guarantor for exceptional children. To determine whether differences existed between the self-perceived supervisory methods of special education administrators and their…

This study, initiated by the Scarborough (Ontario) Board of Education, examines principals' perceptions of their role in curriculum implementation, the difficulties inherent in this role and the support systems available to assist principals, and the leadership component of the principals' role in curriculum implementation. Interviews, based on a…

This case was developed to use in leadership courses with specific implications for school law and supervision of instruction. Varied data are presented about the school and district for students to analyze. School instructional policies of inclusion of special needs students and supervision of teachers play a role in the course of events at…

The empowerment of teachers through collaboration, a supervisory trend currently receiving much attention and emphasis, employs variability and encourages cooperative decisionmaking. Despite its apparent popularity, collaboration can be viewed as unwieldy and difficult to manage with teachers who are already working under less than desirable…

The aims of this symposium are to examine and discuss critically the findings of a major survey of practices in instructional supervision. Data from over 1,000 teachers and their supervisors in central Pennsylvania were compiled, and findings are reported in four sections. The first section is an introduction focusing on the theoretical…

A high school English department chairman, who is highly skilled in language, literature, and teaching methods, becomes invaluable in supervising and supplementing the work of his teachers when he is given considerably lightened teaching loads and the authority to implement policies. In a time when department staffs are made unstable by mobile…

Counsels new superintendents to assess staff strengths and deficiencies before devising a plan that uses everyone's talents (even those of "turkey" principals) to fullest advantage. Strong communication and supervisory skills and firm administrative policies are essential to target weak performers and determine when transfers or dismissals might…

Results of a survey are presented on Lutheran elementary school principals' perceptions of selected supervisory tasks, and how they perceived hindrances in the performance of those tasks. (JD)

This book describes two studies, the first of which is a single case study that interprets the practical knowledge of an exemplary fine arts supervisor. An analysis of ethnographic data portrays the supervisor's practical knowledge as constructed around a dialectical orientation between two constructs or landscapes of imagery: the empowerment and…

Due to parental disenchantment with a Mississippi Delta junior high school principal, the principal's leadership style, the school climate, and group interactions were investigated. A consultant was employed to determine teachers', students', and parents' perceptions of the school climate and of the principal as a leader, and then to recommend a…

In this 2-year study, the assumptions and methods of role theory were employed to guide the description and analysis of instructional leadership among secondary school principals. This paper reports selected findings from the first year's work--a focused ethnographic study of instructional leadership patterns in five secondary schools--based on…

This annotated bibliography was prepared to serve as background material for the paper "Instructional Leadership: A Composite Working Model" by James R. Weber. Although not all the materials compiled in this bibliography propose discrete models of instructional leadership, the selections represent the range of issues, tasks, and…

Principals are expected to be instructional leaders but generally lack the time and training to assume such a role. Several theories and research studies suggest alternative views of the principal's role in providing instructional leadership. Ethnographic studies of principals show that principals spend little time on evaluation, instruction, and…