A study of elementary and secondary principals revealed that effective principals all demonstrated five essential qualities of leadership--they had clear visions of desirable futures for their schools, translated those visions into specific goals, established supportive environments for improvement, monitored progress, and intervened effectively…

This paper examines the evolution of the boundary-spanning role of the school superintendent and its impact on their ability to function effectively as educational leaders. This role, which is a relatively new development in the definition of superintendency, includes acting as a filtering agent controlling the flow of information in and out of…

Demand for school reform continues to be characterized by a cry to adopt new leadership behaviors and change the preparation of school leaders. Once hired, new school leaders are confronted by the weight of tradition and history in their new jobs. This paper reports on an investigation of the impact of these socialization practices on new…

Describes Peter Senge's learning organization model for creating effective organizational structures and its applicability to leadership in higher education institutions. By examining Senge's views on the ideal leader, the author concludes that the model disregards two important aspects of educational leadership: political adeptness and a strong…

Based on 135 empirical studies conducted since 1974, research is needed on the principal's impact on student outcomes, characteristics of teachers' practices generated from theories of teacher development, and school culture. Further research should also explore the relative cost effectiveness of further efforts to increase administrator…

Offers insights into the features of a learning organization. Delineates a context for leadership without elaborate structures, chains of command, or approving and authorizing. Underscores the importance of personal networks in boundaryless organizations. Suggests that each part of the organization continually learns about the interrelatedness of…

A college chief advancement officers describes the qualities that make a president an ally in fund raising. These qualities include vision and leadership, commitment to the campus, commitment to advancement, integrity, honesty, perseverance, patience, optimism, communication skills, energy, willingness to learn, humor, creativity, understanding of…

Investigated (Alabama) principals' role perceptions and possible gender influences. Results show the principal's job has changed significantly during the past 5 years. Male and female respondents agreed about challenges and necessary skills, but differed on role perceptions. Women were more global and team-oriented; men were more managerial.…

Presents a critical discourse analysis of a board of trustees meeting at a New Zealand secondary school. Shows how distorted communication can arise in administrative settings when some stakeholders are not represented. Also describes a group of emancipatory leaders who work in children's best interests. (Contains 37 references.) (MLH)

Compares self-reported survey data from magnet-school principals to those of neighborhood school principals to ascertain if administrator roles differ in choice environments. Despite market theorists' predictions, findings suggest that magnet schools do little to alter principal roles (as entrepreneurs, middle managers, or instructional leaders).…

School business administrators must be both business managers and educators. As the school district's chief financial officer, the school business administrator must have strong communication and interpersonal skills. Spheres of involvement include working with school staff, parents, the district office, town officials and committees, vendors, and…

This paper compares the managerial, administrative, and leadership styles of public-school superintendents and presidents of public corporations. Data were derived from questionnaires mailed to eight superintendents and seven corporate presidents. Findings show that superintendents and corporate presidents used similar leadership…

Leaders need to be forceful--to assert themselves and push others to action. They must also be enabling--to discover and bring out the capabilities of others. The problem is that many executives see forceful leadership and enabling leadership as mutually exclusive or strongly favor one approach over the other, thus lacking the versatility they…

Principals encourage student academic gain by the ways in which they govern the school, build strong collaborative relationships, and organize and allocate professional work time. Because these activities are important predictors of academic achievement, along with quality teacher activities, further information is also provided about how…

Some evidence from the school-restructuring literature indicates that traditional school leadership behaviors and school-based management (SBM) are incongruent. Collaborative relationships between teachers and school leaders are problematic when teachers' duties and performance appraisals are hierarchically decided by school leaders. This paper…