This article adopts "irony" as a frame for understanding some of the consequences of the reform movement in the UK. A distinction is drawn between the ironies that are endemic in all organizations and rooted in ambiguities and dilemmas, and the ironies that specifically flow from the disjunction between central policies and the…

Madeline Smith, a new elementary principal in northeastern Pennsylvania, wrestles with how to handle a dilemma involving one of her special education teachers who is wearing a head wrap while working. Wearing the head wrap is a violation of district policy, and if the head wrap is a religious symbol, then the employee is also violating the state…

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this research was to explore the attitudes and barriers related to the implementation of the local wellness policy (LWP) in the elementary school setting. Methods: Researchers used a two-phase approach. Phase I included focus group interviews with school nutrition directors, principals, teachers, parents, and…

A survey instrument to determine school policy and practice regarding cell phone use by teachers and students was developed using a literature review, a panel of experts, and then a pilot study with typical respondents. The survey was mailed out randomly to 200 high school principals representing all 50 states. The return rate was 56 percent with…

In the current climate of school improvement, no one feels more pressure than a high school principal. A principal bears responsibility not just for the organization's daily functioning but for the performance of its students in high school and beyond. However, high school students perceive principals as individuals who held the lion's share of…

Surveyed Florida middle and high school principals to determine their anti-tobacco policies and enforcement strategies. All schools had formal policies, but middle schools implemented them more rigorously. Various enforcement strategies were employed formally and informally. Punitive strategies were more common than nonpunitive strategies.…

This study uses multivariate analysis of a large panel dataset to examine the determinants of principal retention (and, thus, the determinants of attracting a principal away from her current position). The empirical model incorporates measures of a principal's traits and of the organizational structure, culture, and situational context within a…

The School District of Philadelphia (SDP), like many other urban school districts, struggles to increase its hiring and retention of experienced and highly qualified teachers in its low-performing/high-need schools. Excluding its charter schools, SDP serves approximately 165,000 students, largely from high-poverty (76%) and minority (85%)…

Background: In June 2002, the State of Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) passed Public Act 02-119, An Act Concerning Bullying Behavior in Schools and Concerning the Pledge of Allegiance. Section 1 mandated that each local and regional board of education (school district) develop a policy to address bullying in its schools. Conn. Gen. Statute…

In a case involving a principal terminated after deciding to home-school his children, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal district's $300,000 settlement favoring plaintiff. School employees desiring to enroll their children in nonpublic school settings should consider whether their district has a school patronage policy requiring…

This study examines the relationship between high-stakes school accountability and its effects upon student test scores and school policies. The authors seek to understand the extent to which accountability sanctions and incentives for the poorest-performing schools in Florida explain subsequent changes in school practices and policies as well as…

Background: School leaders must make sense of the messages they receive from multiple, overlapping contexts of their school environments. Equally important, they must shape meaning of school issues and events with and for other school members. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which school leaders defined and made sense…

It is no secret that strong parental involvement is essential for school success. Yet, it is still a challenge to get parents more involved in their children's education. According to the most recent MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, teachers and principals agree on the importance of parental involvement--71% of principals and 59% of…

This qualitative investigation examined the nature of administrators' beliefs about students referred to them for classroom disruption. A second purpose was to see whether beliefs about teachers who make a high number of office referrals were linked to administrator practices. Data were obtained from semi-structured telephone interviews with six…

When planning a conference with the school principal, parents should remember that principals do not have the autonomy of those from past eras. To help ensure a successful meeting, parents can plan ahead, outline expectations, and not expect an immediate solution. (DF)