After her school wins the coveted United States National Secondary Education Award, a school principal embarks upon an educational odyssey. The principal discovers that the reasons for winning the award are a sham! As her school falls apart, she begins to reflect on the stagnant school organization and the ineffective prescriptions for…

The report most frequently heard in successful schools is that rules are carefully and openly developed, clearly announced, firmly enforced, and consistently applicable to everyone. (Author)

Evidence suggests that a middle school organizational design has some administrative advantages over the traditional junior high school program because of the more unified social and academic atmosphere. (LH)

Higher order thinking can be defined as interpreting, analyzing, and manipulating information to solve a challenging problem. This definition does not restrict higher order thinking to any level of cognitive ability or any class of people; it includes thinking involving both nonacademic and academic topics; and it is not limited to any particular…

School-based management (S/B/M) pilot projects, funded by the Washington State Legislature, were established to develop and strengthen the S/B/M concept to produce meaningful change. Bringing together recent educational research and modern business management theory, S/B/M operates on the assumptions that individual schools are the largest…

One result of the extraordinarily rapid pace of educational reform in recent decades has been public expectation of greater accountability for the more than $300 billion spent annually on schools. As reformers have sought better ways to utilize all resources, including instructional time, block scheduling has been developed as a more efficient way…

This pamphlet summarizes the recommendations of a task force of educational administrators who have experience in school-based management, a process of decentralization of authority based on the beliefs that those most closely affected by decisions ought to play a significant role in making those decisions, and that educational reform efforts will…

Studies in five Missouri districts identified eight characteristics deterring change and constituting an "informal covenant" between teachers and principals. Eight corresponding conditions essential to change include relating changes to a school's culture, knowing local procedures and sensitive issues, recognizing moments when changes are…

Examined the nature and extent of the school principal's role in affecting student learning. Found no direct effects from the principal's instructional leadership, but did find an indirect influence on overall school effectiveness through actions that shape the school's learning environment. (ET)

This book is premised on the conviction that being a successful principal is more than being a good manager. Becoming an effective school leader means understanding the culture as well as acquiring the technical skills. The book discusses the personalities and value systems that school leaders need to succeed. It is designed for first-year…

Developed as a guide for school leaders faced with the task of restructuring a school, this guide is a comprehensive look at the notions of restructuring and reform. It provides a comprehensive definition of restructuring, three outstanding representative examples, and a systematic process for implementing and managing change. Written to provide…

This handbook describes skills and competencies that are consistent with the most generally accepted middle school philosophies. These include the philosophy that middle schools should be student-centered, should ease the transition to high school, emphasize an integrated curriculum, and implement instruction that emphasizes active learning.…

This manual is a guide for principals to use in planning and directing a system of leadership and instructional improvement. Its components are designed specifically to provide an established process for improving instruction at the building level. It achieves this objective by: (1) placing the principal in the role of instructional leader; (2)…

This handbook is the result of more than 2 years' deliberations by The Commission on the Restructuring of the American High School. The Commission emerged from a partnership of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The report focuses on revitalizing education…

This manual grew out of a study of lay-staffed Catholic schools. In the study, lay principals often expressed the need for assistance in understanding more about Catholic school administration, particularly about what is unique to Catholic schools. The publication is not meant to be an exhaustive manual on school administration, but focuses on…