A situational perspective of instructional supervision views context as mutually constructed by participants. The article presents a history of supervision, then details the rationale for a situational approach, presents a vision of what situational supervision may look like, and notes implications of a situational approach. (SM)

Examines data (interviews with two principals) from a study of teacher response to curriculum innovation to illustrate differences between the bureaucrat/administrator and ethno-humanist roles of African-American principals. Overlap of these roles and tensions between them are reflected as principals move back and forth between the roles. (SLD)

Mastery or "second chance" learning is easily adaptable to the principal's modeling through the classroom observation/supervision process. The five-step process (preobservation conference, performance of observation, postobservation conference, professional growth plan, and observation) helps teachers own the classroom observation process and…

Perceptions of the current and ideal functioning roles of the principal were compared using responses of 147 Alabama teachers. Differences between current and ideal roles were found for categories of counselor, evaluator, motivator, and supervisor. These results emphasize the varying perceptions teachers have of principals. (SLD)

Examines whether private school vouchers would increase educational quality in public and private schools. Even in models featuring X-inefficient (budget-maximizing) administrators, vouchers' effects on quality are ambiguous. Vouchers may reduce the enrollment response to changes in public-school quality by placing different households on the…

Suggests principals and supervisors should be aware of the special needs of beginning teachers and work to provide a climate that supports positive growth. Offers strategies for beginning teacher and administrator strategies on the issues of isolation and loneliness, classroom management and discipline, conflict with colleagues, understanding…

This report consists of two main sections. The first presents a theory about how supervisors decide on the causes of a subordinate's poor performance and what they do about it. A two-stage process is suggested. The first stage involves the supervisor making attributions about the causes of the poor performance. This stage requires processing an…

The following articles are included in this publication on beginning teacher induction: (1) "The Teacher Induction Process: Preserving the Old and Welcoming the New. An Introduction" (Judy Reinhartz); (2) "A Synthesis of Research on Teacher Induction Programs and Practices" (Leslie Huling-Austin); (3)…

This Bulletin investigates the role of the principal in fostering a school climate conducive to collegial supervision--teachers observing teachers and working together for instructional improvement. Chapter 1 attempts to put into perspective the traditional responsibilities of the principal as instructional leader and teacher evaluator. Collegial…

This report is the fifth in a series on cultivating excellence in education for the purpose of training and retraining school leaders of the 1990s. The role of school administrators, and especially building principals; the characteristic administrative functions; the step-by-step procedures for implementation; and the advantages and possible…

This paper briefly describes the rationale, aims, and proposed activities of an instructional management academy conducted by the Instructional Management Program at Far West Laboratory. The first academy, conducted during the 1983-1984 school year, allowed participating principals to analyze their management behavior, receive support and insight…

Principals wish to foster both staff motivation and student achievement in their schools, yet research reveals a seeming contradiction between these two goals. Fredrick Herzberg found in the late 1950's and 1960's that in various occupations, employees' motivation depended primarily on their sense of: the significance of their work, achievement,…

Research evidence on the effects of schooling continues to demonstrate that schools with effective leadership produce more learning than other schools do. Today's instructional leader must possess skills in the four areas of curriculum development, clinical supervision, staff development, and teacher evaluation. Recent research also reveals a list…

The last of a seven volume report on a national survey of individualized education programs (IEPs) for handicapped children, reviews findings from a followup study designed to identify those school district factors that contribute to the informativeness and internal consistency of IEPs. Five districts in five states selected for the followup…