Principals are increasingly held accountable for school achievement. This paper reports the results of a mixed methods sequential Quan --> Qual research study to explore how middle school principals created a culture of academic optimism (AO) that promoted high student achievement (SA). Based on the analysis of AO scores from 26 schools, mostly…

For a school improvement initiative to succeed, education leaders must do more than adopt a new program and train staff. This issue of "SEDL Insights" explores steps that leaders can take to ensure the successful implementation of a new program or practice.

Bullying is a serious problem among students. Research linking school climate and trust as to bullying is minimal. This study examined elements of school climate and trust in relation to bullying and protection using Hoy and Smith's (2004) climate study and Smith and Birney's (2005) trust study. Trust was found to be the significant predictor of…

The situational leadership model identifies four leadership styles--telling, selling, participating, and delegating. This paper discusses the initial findings of a study that examined the role of superintendents in Alabama. The study sought to determine if secondary school principals and local teacher-association representatives differed in their…

Perceptions of the current and ideal functioning roles of the principal were compared using responses of 147 Alabama teachers. Differences between current and ideal roles were found for categories of counselor, evaluator, motivator, and supervisor. These results emphasize the varying perceptions teachers have of principals. (SLD)

This study examined the perceptions of school board chairs and teacher leaders regarding the work-related behaviors of Alabama's elected and appointed local school superintendents. A mailed survey sought information on: demographics; work-related behaviors identified as essential for successful school system leadership; perceptions of…

The purpose of this study was to describe the role of the Alabama vocational education district supervisor as perceived by local education administrators and teachers. (Applicability of the methodology and the findings may prove valuable to other state departments of vocational education as well.) Questionnaires were sent to 650 administrators and…

Practices for improving adolescent literacy--which includes reading, writing, and speaking--are much discussed and debated among secondary school educators and researchers. At Discovery Middle School in Madison, Alabama, the debate has ended after teachers and administrators implemented several practices that elevated student achievement from…