Over the years, careers have transformed to be flexible and changing rather than stable, life-long commitments to an organization. As such, making work meaningful, controlling the work environment, and taking the opportunity to get required training for the next job are as important as the financial advantages. Educators' careers cannot be…

To improve secondary school organization, operation, and outcomes, a research report presents major results from 13 studies of leadership, decision-making, and change conducted by Project on the Administration and Organization for Instruction staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in cooperation with over 100 schools. National and statewide…

Effective administrative decisions result from the continuous and systematic appraisal of past decisions and of current conditions. Forty observations that may guide secondary school administrators in assessing and improving the effectiveness of their own decision-making processes are presented in this publication. Each observation is accompanied…

Borrowing from Madeline Hunter, school districts should define staff development as school- or district-wide efforts to improve the quality of teacher decision-making. This article outlines a six-step process (including needs assessment, brainstorming, strategic plannning, communicating plans, coaching for effectiveness, and periodic monitoring)…

To implement School Based Management (SBM) in Charleston County, South Carolina, the school district was reorganized to include a management team to make shared decisions on all phases of district activities. Local schools were required to develop short and long range plans that encouraged needs assessment, goal identification, strategy…

A game centering on interpersonal, curricular, and organizational decisions similar to those that a principal might make during a school year. Includes everything (except markers and a die) needed for playing the game. (Author/IRT)

The Kentucky legislature has mandated that a school-based decision-making (SBDM) format of operation be adopted statewide. At the school level, the governance for SBDM becomes the responsibility of a local six-person school council. The plan establishes a reward and sanction program for schools. Offers guidelines for school principals. (eight…

This guide provides philosophical and theological underpinning for authority and its exercise inside of Catholic schools. It examines authority from a cultural perspective and accords primary consideration to the principles of democracy, Scripture, and church teaching while reflecting upon what these imply for Catholic educational leaders. Chapter…

This paper describes the positive changes in the organizational climate and the role of the principal in one high school during four years of implementing the Spencerport (New York) Effective Schools/Teaching Project. A gradual increase in the building level commitment of the project has led to a redefinition of leadership to include the Building…

Secretary of Education William Bennett discusses the importance of elementary education and elementary school teachers and what he hopes "First Lessons: A Report on Elementary Education in America" will accomplish. (MT)

Outlines findings on decision making from a recent survey of high school principals and middle management executives. Provides five recommendations for improving administrative skills. (MD)

This book was predicated on the idea that an effective principal must be proactive in decision making and have available appropriate information sources to make good decisions. Each chapter analyzes decision making from the perspective of different professionals in education and business management. Through the use of personal accounts and case…

The author, a principal at Tustin Memorial School in California, introduced a Democratic Decision-Making System, a teacher-developed, participatory management model for running a school. He discusses why he prefers this system and how to go about implementing it. (Author/RK)

Shows ways principals can encourage teachers to use the findings of educational research in their classrooms and help their schools develop their own specific research. (MD)

Principals' use of the curriculum council to develop the professional management function and establish a position of educational leadership is recommended. Additional benefits would include improved communications with staff and increased professional collegiality. (MJL)