The goal of this article is to explore the various ways that superintendents have responded to accountability-based educational reform efforts such as No Child Left Behind, the factors that have influenced their responses, and the implications of these responses for current and future educational leaders. With respect to the first issue, empirical…

Schools across the United States are confronted with the critical demand for highly effective teachers to address the needs of the increasing numbers of diverse learners in their classrooms. In response, school systems are looking beyond the traditional four-year degree student to individuals who are entering the teaching field from other…

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the early stages of an urban district's special education reform effort in which the entire district moved from a programme model to an integrated services delivery approach. We studied teacher and building administrator's responses garnered through focus group, individual interviews and observations at five…

Job stress in school staff is a concern for school systems and has an impact on many organizational factors within the school setting. The extent to which school personnel are aware of their stress, coping mechanisms and coping strategies is the focus of this study. The literature review highlights various aspects of stress including the…

High achievement in mathematics is a critical part of the portfolios of students seeking admission to the best high schools and colleges; it is essential to a school's success at district, state, and national levels and to America's future as a global competitor. Elementary school leaders need to provide their students with a balanced,…

As the 21st century progresses, the role of the building-level school administrator has become more and more complex. With the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act, changing demographics, instructional leadership, and state accountability systems, the need for principals to feel a sense of efficacy toward their jobs is critical. There is a body…

This multiple case study examines the role of the community college president in fundraising as perceived by selected Michigan community college presidents. Over the past few decades, fundraising from private sources has become increasingly important in the fiscal landscape of community colleges. Pfeffer and Salancik's (1978) work in resource…

To identify how high school assistant principals in large suburban schools serve as instructional leaders and how they develop these skills, this research utilized a multiple-case study design, followed by a cross-case analysis of the data. This research explores the instructional leadership of three female comprehensive high school assistant…

Some clinical leaders of community mental health centers are not aware of successful methods for supporting and empowering staff to be more effective, specifically when the staff is experiencing change because of new health information technology. Clinical leaders in community mental health face similar management issues as do other business,…

This study attempted to determine the effectiveness of schools that have highly qualified teachers, along with a well managed facility, and the administration's perception of the leadership role as an instructional specialist on the outcomes that students displayed. Also, the relationship between two instruments used to determine the quality of…

In each of its teacher workforce reports over the past dozen years, the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd (CFTL) has combined solid research, thoughtful analysis, and plain language to describe who is teaching California's 6.2 million students. This year the author and his colleagues have expanded that focus to include the…

The purpose of this research was to determine building administrators' perceptions of their role in literacy reform and how their perceptions may influence policy. This investigation utilized a mixed-methods approach through a Likert-style survey instrument that contained opportunities for constructed responses which was developed by the…

In their first coauthored book, Dr. DuFour and Dr. Marzano have combined their passions to articulate how effective leaders foster continuous improvement at the district, school, and classroom levels. The book focuses on district leadership, principal leadership, and team leadership and addresses how individual teachers can be most effective in…

Understanding the rapid and episodic learning and development of young children is a complex undertaking. In the early years, each child experiences the most dramatic developmental and learning period in his or her lifetime. In addition, there is marked variability among children in the rate and pattern of typical development. Motor,…

Much has been written during the past decade about the changing role of the principal and the shift in emphasis from manager to instructional leader. Anyone in education, and especially principals themselves, could develop a mental list of responsibilities that fit within each of these realms. But research makes it clear that both those aspects of…