Since 2005, the AISD Central Office Work Environment Survey has been conducted to gather information about working conditions. The following report presents the survey results for Spring 2012 and Spring 2013 for AISD central office employees in Food Services, Service Center, Transportation and Warehouse. Separate reports were published for each…

There is no shortage of ideas for improving urban schools: higher standards; aligned assessments and curriculum; better teacher evaluation and support; more and better parent choices; blended learning; and so on. What's missing is any recognition of the importance of district systems in promoting and sustaining improvement as leaders come and go.…

The ultimate goal of teacher evaluation systems is to improve the quality of instruction by clarifying expectations for effective teaching and helping teachers meet those expectations through high-quality feedback and support. Classroom observations -- which make up the majority of a teacher's summative rating in most States and districts -- give…

School superintendents have many roles, and being responsible for collective bargaining is one of those roles in states where collective bargaining is mandatory. This role has changed over the years, and it varies from school district to school district. As teacher associations and unions have increased in number and strength, superintendents and…

This paper discusses the roles of stakeholders in improving quality of university education in Nigeria. Internal and external stakeholders are identified and the various roles they could play in improving the quality of university education are discussed. The paper contends that continuous and holistic improvement in university education system…

This study focuses on how superintendents who have experienced success, as measured by having a school district achieve and consistently achieve in the face of many challenges today. Several key strategies and leadership frameworks that superintendents use are examined through a review of current research and are validated by reviewing the results…

Schools have long been central to community-based alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention programs. Yet research consistently shows that school programs have only a marginal effect on student substance use and community ATOD problems. Schools are only one of the many influences on young people, and even the best curriculum will fail if…

Superintendents know they work and live in a giant fishbowl. School board members, teachers, community members and the news media have been known to scrutinize what kind of vehicle they drive, who they socialize with outside of work, whether they drink alcohol, where they live and when they leave the house each morning. But when the harsh glare of…

How long does it take to become an effective board chair at an independent school? One year is certainly not enough. A typical two- or three-year term provides enough time in office to learn the role and start making progress in some critical area, but not enough time to develop any semblance of mastery. Then the chair's term is over and the board…

Every program in a school or school district has, or once had, a purpose. The purpose was most likely promoted, argued and debated among school constituencies--parents, teachers, administrators and school board members--before it was eventually approved. This process occurs year after year, budget after budget. In itself, this is not necessarily a…

The evolution of multi-tier systems of support (MTSS) for both academics and behavior has reflected the diverse interests of those leading implementation efforts, the influence of various state and local regulatory requirements, and differing funding methods and priorities. These variations have naturally led to many different pathways for…

School districts play a key role in identifying, supporting, and educating homeless students. This qualitative case study of a school district in Northern California illustrates how district leadership serves as a bridge between federal policy and local school sites. In this case study, federal funding funneled through the state served as the…

Drawing on a recent New Jersey Supreme Court decision (2007), this case addresses a school district's responsibility regarding homophobic bullying, school culture, and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to be free of discrimination.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors contributing to a successful transition into the role of a new superintendency in Texas. A triangular designed mixed methodology with a convergence model was employed. The setting was urban, suburban, and rural school districts in Texas. The participants were superintendents of public school…

In the past, school and college administrators relied heavily on advice from colleagues, largely because they had an internal orientation toward their work. As the social, political, and economic influence of external forces became more apparent, they learned to value input from a range of stakeholders. Robert Taft, former governor of Ohio, is a…