bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Phase 2 Clinical Trial Comparing Ro 48–6791, a New Short-Acting Benzodiazepine, with Propofol for Induction of Anaesthesia
Authors: Wrigley P. J. , Elliott D. W. , Blake D.
Published: January 2019

A phase 2, single-blinded, randomized, multicentre trial was conducted to compare recovery times from anaesthesia between patients induced with a new short-acting benzodiazepine Ro 48-6791 (Hoffman-La Roche, Sydney, N.S. W.) or propofol. Seventy-six patients were randomly allocated to receive either Ro 48-6791 or propofol for induction followed by a standardized anaesthetic. Alertness and ambulatory function during recovery were scored by a rater blinded to treatment group. Mean time to awakening was longer for the Ro 48-6791 group (15 min), compared with propofol (7 min, P<0.001), as was mean time to full clinical recovery (116 min vs 75 min respectively, P=0.002). Both groups showed similar cardiovascular stability following induction, but shorter apnoea times were demonstrated for Ro 48-6791 (48s vs 133, P<0.001). The longer recovery times with Ro 48-6791 would make this drug a less suitable sole induction agent than propofol for routine use in day stay surgery. Further studies of Ro 48-6791 should pay particular attention to the effect of dose reduction on recovery profile.
A Comparison of 0.5% Ropivacaine and 0.5% Bupivacaine for Axillary Brachial Plexus Anaesthesia
Authors: McGlade D. P. , Kalpokas M. V. , Mooney P. H. , Chamley D. , Mark A. H. , Torda T. A.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to compare the use of 0.5% ropivacaine with 0.5% bupivacaine for axillary brachial plexus anaesthesia.

Sixty-six patients undergoing upper limb surgery were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, multicentre trial. Five patients were subsequently excluded for various reasons. Of the remaining patients, 30 received 40 ml of 0.5%) ropivacaine and 31 received 40 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine. Brachial plexus block was performed by the axillary approach using a standardized technique with a peripheral nerve stimulator. Parameters investigated included the frequency, onset and duration of sensory and motor block, the quality of anaesthesia and the occurrence of any adverse events.

The six principal nerves of the brachial plexus were studied individually. The frequency for achieving anaesthesia per nerve ranged from 70 to 90% in the ropivacaine group and 81 to 87% in the bupivacaine group. The median onset time for anaesthesia was 10 to 20 minutes with ropivacaine and 10 to 30 minutes with bupivacaine, and the median duration was 5.3 to 8.7h with ropivacaine and 6.9 to 20.3h with bupivacaine. Motor block was evaluated at the elbow, wrist and hand, and was completely achieved at a rate of 60 to 73% in the ropivacaine group and 55 to 71% in the bupivacaine group. The median duration of motor block was 6.5 to 7.5h with ropivacaine and 6.0 to 9.0h with bupivacaine. These parameters were not statistically different. The duration of partial motor block at the wrist (6.8 v 16.4h) and hand (6.7 v 12.3h) was significantly longer with bupivacaine.

Ropivacaine 0.5% and bupivacaine 0.5%) appeared equally efficacious as long-acting local anaesthetics for axillary brachial plexus block.
Closed Circuit Anaesthesia in Ventilated Patients using the Komesaroff Vaporizer within the Circle
Authors: Bewley J. S. , Eltringham R. J. , Sanderson P.
Published: January 2019

A study was undertaken to assess the performance of the Komesaroff vaporizer, placed within the circuit, in ventilated patients during maintenance of closed circuit anaesthesia with halothane or isoflurane. Following intravenous induction, anaesthesia was maintained by inhalation. This was achieved using a conventional vaporizer outside the circle for the first 10 minutes to manage the fast uptake phase. The fresh gas flow was then reduced to the basal oxygen requirement with the Komesaroff vaporizer within the circle maintaining inhalational anaesthesia. Complete isolation of the circuit was achieved by returning all anaesthetic gases to the circuit following analysis and using a bag-in-bottle ventilator. The Komesaroff vaporizer dial was positioned at between the first and second division and end-tidal volatile anaesthetic agent levels were measured. This study demonstrated that at dial positions I or 1.5 with either agent, the end-tidal volatile concentration plateaued at clinically acceptable levels. The Komesaroff vaporizer can therefore be used safely in ventilated patients to maintain closed circuit anaesthesia provided clinical observation and monitoring are meticulous.
Severe Multi-System Failure following Delayed Presentation with Tiger Snake Envenomation
Authors: Jelinek G. A. , Rogers I. R. , Corkeron M. A. , O'Donnell A.
Published: January 2019

A 68 year-old-man presented some twelve hours after a presumed Tiger Snake bite with coagulopathy, paralysis and muscle necrosis. He suffered multi-system failure requiring prolonged ventilation, haemodialysis and supportive care, to be discharged after 26 days. Delays to antivenom therapy after tiger snake envenomation can result in significant morbidity. Australian snakes are the most venomous in the world.
Propofol Maintenance to Reduce Postoperative Emesis in Thyroidectomy Patients: A Group Sequential Comparison with Isoflurane/Nitrous Oxide
Authors: Brooker C. D. , Sutherland J. , Cousins M. J.
Published: January 2019

The clinical benefit of propofol anaesthesia in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is still being elucidated despite many studies to date. In this study 64 adult female patients scheduled for thyroidectomy received, in a randomized double-blind fashion, propofol with air or isoflurane with nitrous oxide for maintenance of anaesthesia. The primary response variable was the presence or absence of vomiting in the first six hours. A group sequential design was used to allow interim analysis. After 64 patients, the fourth analysis showed that fewer patients receiving propofol vomited or required an anti-emetic during the first six hours (P<0.05). There was no significant difference detected in the 6 to 24 hour interval. In this group of female patients, total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) with propofol is associated with an early reduction in early postoperative vomiting compared with standard inhalational techniques. This reduction in vomiting does not appear to persist beyond the first six hours.
Patient-Controlled Epidural versus Intravenous Pethidine to Supplement Epidural Bupivacaine after Abdominal Aortic Surgery
Authors: Blake D. W. , Stainsby G. V. , Bjorksten A. R. , Dawson P. J.
Published: January 2019

In a double-blind, randomized, crossover study of 25 patients after abdominal aortic surgery, we compared patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with epidural versus intravenous pethidine. All patients received continuous epidural infusions of 0.125% bupivacaine adjusted to maintain appropriate sensory levels. The 48 hour study period commenced 36 to 48 hours after surgery and covered postoperative days 2 and 3. There was a crossover in PCA mode (epidural or intravenous) after 24 hours.

Plasma pethidine concentration at the end of each 24 hour period and the total 24 hour pethidine dose did not change significantly between postoperative days 2 and 3. Pethidine plasma concentration was lower after 24 hours epidural than after intravenous PCA [125 (SD 108) ng/ml versus 171 (SD 107) ng/ml, P=0.03], although pethidine dose did not differ significantly [mean 147 (SD 124) mg/24h]. Visual analog pain scores (VAS) did not differ significantly between postoperative days 2 and 3, or at rest between epidural and IV groups. However, VAS with coughing and with abdominal palpation were lower in the epidural PCA group (P=0.05, 0.008). With a background epidural infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine, PCA with epidural pethidine provided better pain control than PCA intravenous pethidine and this was achieved at lower plasma pethidine concentrations.
The Use of Antimicrobials in Ten Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Units
Authors: Bellomo R. , Bersten A. D. , Boots R. J. , Bristow P. J. , Dobb G. J. , Finfer S. R. , McArthur C. J. , Richards B , Skowronski G. A.
Published: January 2019

A prospective standardized collection of clinical, microbiological and pharmaceutical information on antibiotic use was conducted in Australia and New Zealand intensive care units (ICUs) involving 481 consecutive critically ill patients who were receiving antibiotics for any reason while in ICU. Patients had a mean SAPS II score of 34.1 ±17.8 with an expected mortality of 15.6% (actual mortality 12%). Of these, 292 (60.8%) were admitted to the ICU within 72 hours of surgery. Among such surgical patients, 233 (79.9%) received antibiotics for “surgical prophylaxis” while in ICU (48% of sample population). The second largest group of patients treated with antibiotics in ICU included those with systemic inflammatory response syndrome and clinical suspicion of infection (38%). Antibiotics were prescribed for the treatment of clinically diagnosed infection in 268 patients. Clinical response was apparent in 62.6%) and in most (71%) was achieved in the first 72 hours of treatment. The incidence of antimicrobial-related side-effects was 4%, mostly in the form of diarrhoea or rash (75%o of all side-effects). The most commonly prescribed antimicrobials were gentamicin (n = 146), ceftriaxone (n=98), vancomycin (n = 94) and metronidazole (n = 111). Three times daily prescription of aminoglycosides was uncommon (<1%). Forty-one patients had a documented infection (positive culture) with a gram-negative organism. Of these, 17 received therapy with a single antibiotic and 24 received therapy with two antibiotics. Despite similar illness severity, there were six deaths in the former group and only two in the latter.
Carbon Dioxide Embolism following Diagnostic Hysteroscopy
Authors: Sherlock S. , Shearer W. A. J. , Buist M. , Rasiah R. , Edwards A.
Published: January 2019

A 50-year-old woman ASA 2 underwent carbon dioxide hysteroscopy under general anaesthesia. Monitoring showed a sudden and rapid fall in end-tidal carbon dioxide followed by oxygen desaturation. She became pulseless and cyanosed.

Resuscitation with oxygen, intravenous adrenaline and head-down tilt restored her to haemodynamic stability. Hyperbaric therapy was also administered as air embolism could not be excluded.
The Effect of Midazolam on Persistent Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting
Authors: Florio T. Di , Goucke C. R.
Published: January 2019

The effect of intravenous midazolam on persistent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was compared to placebo in a prospective randomized double-blind study. Twenty patients aged 18 to 82 years with persistent PONV resistant to standard anti-emetics and present for greater than six hours were randomized to receive either an intravenous infusion of midazolam 1.0 mg/h or placebo. Nausea (P=0.04), vomiting (P=0.02) and the use of rescue anti-emetics (P=0.003) were significantly less in the midazolam group. We conclude that low-dose intravenous infusion of midazolam significantly reduces persistent PONV.
Epidural Analgesia for Labour and Delivery in a Parturient with Congenital Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Paix B. , Cyna A. , Belperio P. , Simmons S.
Published: January 2019

We report a parturient delivering vaginally at term with symptomatic congenital hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Epidural analgesia was used during labour and delivery and is likely to have made a useful contribution to the successful outcome. Although controversial, reported use of epidural analgesia during labour for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy parturients has been generally positive. A multi-disciplinary team approach, early anaesthetic assessment and a carefully managed epidural catheter inserted in early labour can optimize analgesia and minimize the stresses of labour and vaginal delivery provided the risks of reduced preload and after load are minimized.
Aggression in Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Care: A Survey of Staff Attitudes
Authors: Ezeobele Ifeoma E. , McBride Rachel , Engstrom Allison , Lane Scott D.
Published: January 2019

Introduction

Inpatient aggression poses consistent complications for psychiatric hospitals. It can affect patient and staff safety, morale, and quality of care. Research on staff attitudes toward patient aggression is sparse.

Purpose

The study explored staff attitudes toward patient aggression by hospital position types and years of experience in a psychiatric hospital. We predicted that staff experiencing patient aggression would be related to working in less trained positions, having less psychiatric work experience, and demonstrating attitudes that were consistent with attributes internal to the patient and not external.

Methods

Fifty-one percent completed online survey using Management of Aggression and Violence Attitude Scale, along with demographics, years of work experience, and number of times staff experienced aggressive event.

Results

Management of Aggression and Violence Attitude Scale scores, staff position types, and years of experience were related to the number of aggressive interactions. Nurses and psychiatric technicians reported highest number of exposures to patient aggression, followed by physicians; however, support staff reported less patient aggression. More years worked in a psychiatric hospital was associated with more aggressive experience.

Conclusion

Nurses, psychiatric technicians, and physicians reported greater exposure to patients’ aggression than support staff. Training programs, developed specifically to individual position types, focusing on recognition of sources of aggression, integrated into staff training, might reduce patient on staff aggression in psychiatric hospitals.
Trouble Falling Asleep After Concussion Is Associated With Higher Symptom Burden Among Children and Adolescents
Authors: Howell David R. , Oldham Jessie R. , Brilliant Anna N. , Meehan William P.
Published: January 2019

Our objective was to identify factors associated with trouble falling asleep postconcussion. Patients seen for care after sport-related concussion were assessed ≤10 days postinjury and were between 6 and 19 years of age. Outcomes included symptoms (Post-Concussion Symptom Scale), postural steadiness, missed school, and medical history. There were 261 patients (49% female; mean age=14.8±2.5 years): 45% reported trouble falling asleep. A greater proportion of patients who reported trouble falling asleep missed ≥2 days of school (64% vs 49%; P = .02). Patients who reported trouble falling asleep endorsed more severe symptom severity than those who did not (median=38 vs 18; P < .001). After covariate adjustment, confusion (aOR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.131-3.375), missing ≥2 days of school (aOR = 4.52, 95% CI = 1.553-13.16), and noise sensitivity (aOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.1.042-2.010) were independently associated with trouble falling asleep. Sleep disturbances are associated with poorer clinical outcomes after concussion. Inclusion of sleep assessments may help to provide early therapeutic pathways for pediatric concussion patients.
An Evaluation of Lifestyle Health Coaching Programs Using Trained Health Coaches and Evidence-Based Curricula at 6 Months Over 6 Years
Authors: Budzowski Amanda R. , Parkinson Michael D. , Silfee Valerie J.
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

Describe health plan member-level participation, completion, and 6-month outcomes for 5 lifestyle health coaching programs offered by an integrated delivery and financing system (IDFS) over 6 years.

Design:

Case series study of 5 lifestyle programs with 180-day follow-up.

Setting:

Large Western PA integrated delivery and financing system (IDFS) deployed multiple coaching modalities for diverse insurance-member enrolled population.

Participants:

A total of 14 591 health plan members choosing a lifestyle health coaching program.

Intervention:

Evidence- and curriculum-based lifestyle health coaching programs delivered by 1 of 4 interactive modalities.

Measures:

A single metric was used as an overall indicator of clinical success for each program. Success measures include a ≥5% reduction of self-reported baseline weight, meeting physical activity guidelines, and 7-day point prevalence abstinence from tobacco. For stress and nutrition, where no single target measure exists, a metric was created that represented a net improvement across all key outcomes measured.

Analysis:

The proportion of members meeting target outcomes were calculated and described across all time points and modalities.

Results:

At 180 days, 77% of enrolled members reported reduced stress, 7% quit tobacco, 50.5% met physical activity guidelines, 65.2% improved nutrition, and 44.2% lost 5% or more of baseline weight.

Conclusion:

This evaluation describes the real-world effectiveness of evidence- and curriculum-based lifestyle improvement programs delivered by trained health coaches to a diverse health plan member population.
Women in the Ancient Athenian Context: From an Ecofeminist Perspective
Authors: Sahinidou Ioanna
Published: January 2019

I discern in Greek myths of the goddess Athena traces of the idea of domination of mind over senses, and that men were seen as superior to women because of their naturally ruling mind. The Athenian, Platonic, androcentric, hierarchical worldview saw women as physically inferior to men. Behind courageous, wise Athena, lies Plato’s dualistic philosophy of reason, and the ideology of control. We must make a distinction between a dualistic philosophy and a holistic approach to reality. Ancient goddess Hestia’s inextinguishable flame as energy of all life extended to the entire world can be read as symbolizing the interrelatedness of all life.
She Climbs Toward the Light: Karen Armstrong’s The Spiral Staircase in a World of Displaced Women
Authors: Walker Maxine
Published: January 2019

The Spiral Staircase, Karen Armstrong’s self-narrative, shows the limitations of theological or religious reflections within a specific religious community. Leaving the Sisters of Charity for a tumultuous academic life, historian of religion Karen Armstrong lives a wrenching ontological dislocation that originates in her undiagnosed epilepsy and negative body experiences. Using semiotician Algirdas Greimas’s ‘Semiotic Square’ as an interpretive strategy, the unresolved tensions and contradictions exposed in the deep narrative structure of this non-traditional conversion memoir are resolved by ‘compassion’ at the manifest level. Armstrong’s experiences, both in and out of the convent, will inform her academic study and lead her to compassionate solidarity with the marginalized. Armstrong’s memoir reveals various internal and external forces that shape an individual woman’s way of being in the world, and that inform her investigation of multiple faith practices and beliefs. In a time of mass refugee migration and ‘homelessness’, the one woman, the one ‘other’, matters in how one thinks about the body and about God.
Chemical and appearance changes of wood due to artificial weathering – Dose–response model
Authors: Petrillo Marta , Sandak Jakub , Grossi Paolo , Sandak Anna
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study was to assess a model for the surface degradation kinetics of natural wood exposed to artificial weathering. The photochemical and physical processes of weathering result in simultaneous changes of both the wood matrix composition (i.e. lignin content, cellulose crystallinity index, cellulose polymerization degree) and wood’s appearance (i.e. colour, gloss, roughness). European larch, a popular cladding material, was used for experimental samples. Weathering was conducted in a QUV artificial weathering machine for 672 h according to the EN927-6 standard. The response of wood was assessed using multi-sensor measurements. Results revealed that changes in colour are evident already after 28 h of artificial weathering, with an increase in a* and b*, and a decrease in L*. That initial trend was reversed afterward, with the colour changing to grey. Due to the particular shape of the curves representing colour coordinates, it is difficult to use CIE L* a* b* parameters to model the weathering dose. However, the degradation curve established for selected near infrared bands was useful to build a dose–response model of wood surface degradation. In all cases, a clear trend of change in absorbance values that progressed along with the weathering dose was observed. These curves, unlike the CIE L* a* b* values, are monotonic, meaning that dose value corresponded with only one value of absorbance. Principal component analysis of the near infrared spectra allowed clustering of the spectra by different dose classes, with the main differentiation in the reference class and in the final class (maximum dose). It was found that the discrimination between spectra at diverse cumulative weathering doses was more evident for earlywood than for latewood. This confirms the hypothesis that degradation kinetics differ depending on the anatomical configuration of wood. This research is a first step for establishing dose–response model for natural weathering, where precise quantification of weathering parameters is more challenging.
Resilience as a Mediator Between Workplace Humour and Well-being at Work: An Enquiry on the Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Bhattacharyya Pratishtha , Jena Lalatendu Kesari , Pradhan Sajeet
Published: January 2019

Humour is considered as a crucial job resource for healthcare professionals. It has been further credited for several positive outcomes such as resilience and well-being. This study investigated: (a) the mediating role of resilience between adaptive humours styles (self-enhancing and affiliative) and well-being at work and (b) the moderating role of self-esteem in the indirect relationship between the adaptive humour styles and well-being at work via resilience. The study was conducted on a sample of 354 healthcare professionals. The findings of the study indicate a significant association between the adaptive humour styles and well-being at work with resilience as a mediator. Furthermore, self-esteem was found to significantly moderate the indirect relationship between self-enhancing humour and well-being at work via resilience.
Principals’ Perspectives on Shared Governance Leadership
Authors: Blase Jo , Blase Joseph
Published: January 2019

This article presents descriptive and conceptual findings about shared governance leadership from the perspectives of shared governance principals. Data for the study were drawn from successful principals affiliated with the League of Professional Schools (Glickman, 1993). The study describes the professional and personal socialization factors that contributed to the development of principals’ perspectives on shared leadership and the strategies and purposes that fundamentally define such perspectives.
Strategic Plans and Principals’ Needs for Control
Authors: Nir Adam E.
Published: January 2019

This study investigates the extent to which the managerial behavior of school principals is related to their beliefs about control. Contrary to previously reported findings, this study argues for a negative relation between extreme internal locus of control and the perspectives used by individuals for strategic and long-term plans. Findings based on questionnaires and interviews that studied 45 American school principals’ locus of control and schools’ strategic perspectives reinforce this conclusion: principals characterized by an extreme belief of internal control use relatively short perspectives for schools’ strategic and long-term plans (equal or less than 2 years), while longer perspectives (4 to 5 years) are found in schools with principals characterized by an internal but less extreme belief of control. The need to train school principals to confront uncertainty and produce strategic plans is discussed.
A Critical Interrogation of Murphy's Call for a New Center of Gravity in Educational Administration
Authors: English Fenwick W.
Published: January 2019

In an invited address at the 1999 annual meeting of AERA, Joseph Murphy called for “a new center of gravity for the profession” of educational administration. This “call” was later issued as a formal publication of the University Council of Educational Administration. This article is a critical appraisal of Murphy's portrayal and analysis of the state of educational administration.
A Case Study of Democratic Accountability and School Improvement
Authors: Mullen Carol A. , Graves Thomas H.
Published: January 2019

This case study examines ways to improve schools through “democratic accountability.” The study investigated strategies that were used by a principal to increase staff and student expectations in a low-performing middle school. Information was collected through interviews and surveys with school stakeholders at all levels of involvement. The article concludes by raising issues for leaders regarding building the capacity of schools to sustain improvement.
Influence Strategies of Principals: Ordinary Times Compared with Times of Change
Authors: Somech Anit , Drach-Zahavy Anat
Published: January 2019

The following study examined whether principals utilized flexible influence strategies under changing circumstances. More specifically, it investigated the fundamental influence strategies principals used to affect teachers in regular times compared with times of change. It also examined the relationships between distinct influence strategies and the effectiveness of the organizational change. Subjects were 450 Israeli teachers. The results indicate that principals acted mainly through an informal and less directive orientation of influence both in ordinary times and in times of change. The results also suggest that although support and involvement in decision making proved significant contributors to change effectiveness, those influence strategies were used less by principals during the process of change than in ordinary times. Nevertheless, the findings highlight the readiness of principals to utilize a more-participative influence approach. These results are discussed in regard to current reform efforts in school education.
Metaphors as Images of School Culture
Authors: Ferreira Maria M. , Smith Gerald R. , Bosworth Kris
Published: January 2019

In the study of organizational culture, metaphors help insiders bring to the level of conscious thought the assumptions underlying its essence. This study examined the culture of a suburban middle school through metaphors chosen by teachers, administrators, and staff to describe their school. The study focused particularly on how the metaphors held by individuals shaped their beliefs and practices. The results of our study indicate that the metaphorical images used by our participants to represent the culture of their school did reflect, to a great extent, their construction of professional reality. The assumptions underlying their professional worlds became evident as they described their metaphors and the roles they ascribed to themselves, students, and others within each metaphor.
Analysis of the Relationships among Site Council Resources, Council Practices, and Outcomes
Authors: Bauer Scott C. , Bogotch Ira E.
Published: January 2019

This study investigates the embedded logic of theory connecting decision-making and communication practices of site-based management councils with the perceived effectiveness of councils. Survey data (N = 133) are used to test a path model that treats variables relating to the support provided to site teams as antecedent factors and those relating to practices as intermediate factors, each hypothesized to contribute to perceived outcomes. Results show that two factors relating to practice (decision focus and positive communication) have significant, direct effects on outcomes, while two factors dealing with the support (capacity and authority) tend to have significant indirect effects through their impact on practice.
Educating Leaders for Proactive Involvement in Policy Development
Authors: Reed Cynthia J. , Kochan Frances K.
Published: January 2019

Schools and education in general face intense scrutiny, particularly as states enact high stakes accountability legislation that measures and judges performance. This has led to increased stress for school administrators who have typically had little voice in framing these policies but who are responsible for meeting state mandated standards. This article describes the steps taken in a university educational leadership program to foster the proactive engagement of educational leaders in the policy arena.
The Reform of Administrator Preparation at Stanford: An Analytic Description
Authors: Copland Michael Aaron
Published: January 2019

The most recent wave of reform in the preparation of school leaders has been underway for more than a decade. Clear description of successful program efforts can provide the field of educational leadership with an understanding of promising new and innovative directions in preparation. This article provides an analytic case description of one reform-oriented administrator preparation program, the Prospective Principals Program at Stanford University. The voices of students, graduates, and program faculty are incorporated to illustrate and document the evolution of the program. Promising aspects of the program, including implications in six specific areas, are highlighted in an effort to contribute to the growing knowledge base emerging from reform efforts in preparation.
Teachers’ Ratings of Effective Principal Leadership: A Comparison of Magnet and Nonmagnet Elementary Schools
Authors: Hausman Charles S. , Goldring Ellen B.
Published: January 2019

This study explores teachers’ ratings of principal leadership in magnet and nonmagnet elementary schools. The article provides potential explanations for nonmagnet teachers’ ratings of their principals as more effective leaders than their magnet school counterparts. First, more permeable boundaries characteristic of magnet schools may compel magnet principals to allocate additional time to external management. Second, the enrollments and staff sizes in magnet schools are larger; therefore, magnet principals have less time for each individual. Third, nonmagnet schools serve more low SES children and have fewer resources to do so. Confronting these challenges may help explain why nonmagnet teachers rate their principals as more effective. Finally, magnet teachers report greater autonomy and expertise, which may make principal leadership in specific domains extraneous.
Professional Learning Communities: Leadership, Purposeful Decision Making, and Job-Embedded Staff Development
Authors: Huffman Jane B. , Hipp Kristine A. , Pankake Anita M. , Moller Gayle
Published: January 2019

This article reports the results of a preliminary study of how schools involved in a national project are developing structures critical to becoming professional learning communities. The study investigates the characteristics that distinguish schools at a high level of readiness for the development of a professional learning community from those at a low level of readiness. Based on interviews of principals and teachers in 20 schools, three characteristics emerged that were evident in the high readiness level schools.
Is this Dialogue Falling upon Deaf Ears? Exploring the Deliberative Process among School Administrators
Authors: Schechter Chen
Published: January 2019

This case study explores the deliberative process involved in the conceptualization and implementation of a new and innovative program in one school. After introducing the concept of deliberation, the case study focuses on the communal deliberative process that occurred in the school. The themes that emerged offer insights for schools and deliberative communities regarding the deliberative process.
A Dialogue about Race and Ethnicity in Education: Struggling to Understand Issues in Cross-Cultural Leadership
Authors: Shields Carolyn M. , Larocque Linda J. , Oberg Steven Lynn
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this article is to prompt reflection on the complexity of leading diverse and multiethnic schools. Taking as a starting point some situations and attitudes common in schools, the article is presented in a dialogical format in which the authors engage in debate, raise issues, and challenge each other's assumptions. By struggling to make sense of conflicting perspectives, and by reflecting on their own dialogue, the authors hope to model the type of debate that might occur in schools to help educational leaders better understand how to create a sense of community in multicultural contexts.
School Leaders and Antiracism: Overcoming Pedagogical and Political Obstacles
Authors: Solomon R. Patrick
Published: January 2019

In this study school principals acknowledged the manifestations of racism within their schools, but their lack of conceptual clarity led to ambivalence and ambiguities in their practice of antiracism pedagogy. Stakeholders, such as teachers who resisted staff antiracism development initiatives and white parents who withdrew from racially diverse learning environments, further complicated this shortcoming. Principals’ limited conceptual knowledge of antiracism combined with the desire to maintain a culture of harmony restricted their interrogation of racist ideologies and power relations that are embedded in the social, cultural, and political structures of schools. This article recommends that to adequately prepare themselves for the conflictual terrain of antiracism pedagogy, school leaders must acquire adequate conceptual and theoretical knowledge that will inform their transformational tasks. They must also address the contentious issue of a staffing model that reflects racial diversity, that is, one that is supportive of staff development initiatives that tackle race equity and social justice within schools.
School Reform: Equal Expectations on an Uneven Playing Field
Authors: Bell Genniver C. , Jones Enid B. , Johnson Joseph F.
Published: January 2019

Educational reform efforts in the United States have produced little sustainable results. Reformers are quick to impose standards and to label schools and the students they serve. Yet, they rarely acknowledge the serious inequities and inequalities found throughout the educational process. This article seeks to present a more comprehensive view of the collective disparities found in the American educational system, with the idea that “leaving no child behind” requires a serious attempt at leveling the playing field. Inherent in this presentation is the notion that reform efforts that produce real change must begin with public policy that acknowledges and removes the faults and errors of the system.
The Impact of School-Based Management on School Health
Authors: Nir Adam E.
Published: January 2019

What are the influences of school-based management (SBM) on schools’ organizational health? This study assessed the effects of SBM on schools operating in a centralized system of education. The health qualities of 28 schools were measured in a longitudinal study spanning 3 sequential years, including the year before introduction of SBM in schools and in the 2 years that followed implementation. The results indicated no significant changes when comparing the integrated index for school health among the 3 years. However, significant differences appeared when the various subsets of school health were compared. The results indicated that teachers put more emphasis on children's outcomes. Yet, at the same time, teachers reported having lower morale and increased bureaucratic load in comparison to the circumstances that existed in their school prior to the introduction of SBM. Implications for student growth and teacher development are discussed.
Standards for Education Administration Preparation Programs: Okay, but Don't we have the Cart before the Horse?
Authors: Creighton Theodore
Published: January 2019

This article looks at the quality of students entering preparation programs that will drive the standards and accountability movement. Until we give serious attention to improving the quality of selection criteria, the standards movement has little chance to impact education positively. This study warns that no aspect of our preparation programs is more damaging than our reputation for being a refuge for mediocre candidates. A program consisting of mediocre candidates will not likely pull the standards cart—more likely, such a program will stall the cart in its tracks.
Exploring the Validity of Standards for School Administrator Preparation
Authors: Keeler Carolyn M.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the Idaho Foundation Standards for School Administrators, an adaptation of the ISLLC standards, as the basis of Idaho administrator preparation. If the objective of creating standards is to prepare administrators to lead successful schools, then a preparation program based on the standards should result in principals who get higher achievement results, create responsible citizens, or otherwise produce successful students. Data from three sources, building administrators, superintendents, and administrative interns, were compared to the standards. Identified areas of need not addressed by the standards included counseling skills, training in change strategies, and the laws governing programs for special populations. This exploratory research into the validity of the Idaho Foundation Standards for School Administrators has resulted in the identification of some discrepancies between administrator preparation, the standards, and administrator practice. Results will be used in revising program curriculum to meet both administrators’ needs in the field and the new National Council for Accrediation of Teacher Education (NCATE) program accreditation guidelines.
Easing the Violence: Transgressing Heteronormativity in Educational Administration
Authors: Koschoreck James W.
Published: January 2019

The overwhelming heteronormativity presumed in the field of educational administration poses challenges for both scholars and practitioners who strive to transgress the societal expectations that constrain the expression of sexually diverse populations. In this article, I use a combination of autobiographical data and information gathered through personal interviews to examine multiple ways in which the normalization of sexuality might be interrogated. I argue that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered faculty and administrators can more effectively contravene the normalizing practices of heterosexism by refusing to remain silent about issues of sexuality. Additionally, I include implications for practicing researchers and administrators who are seeking to challenge heterosexist norms.
“Do you have any Idea who you Just Hired?!?” A Study of Open and Closeted Sexual Minority K–12 Administrators
Authors: Fraynd Donald J. , Capper Colleen A.
Published: January 2019

In this exploratory, qualitative study, we considered in-depth interviews with two female and two male European American school leaders, one of each gender who were “closeted” in their sexuality and one of each who were “open.” Foucault's sovereign and disciplinary power and normalization conceptually framed the study. Their fear of disclosure resulted in reproducing heteronormative power. At the same time, all four used their sovereign power to take a stand against homophobia in their settings, though the explicitly out principal took much more direct action than the closeted leaders.
Ideal Schools for the 21st Century: A Comparative Analysis of American and Chinese Principals’ Views and Visions
Authors: Su Zhixin , Adams Jeanne P. , Mininberg Elliot
Published: January 2019

The importance of principals to school improvement has been widely recognized, but few studies have focused on principals’ own perceptions of school change and their special roles in reform. This article reports findings from a comparative survey study of American and Chinese school principals’ basic beliefs regarding education and schooling, their views on school reform and the role of the principal in reform, and their visions of ideal schools in the 21st century. Although similarities exist in their perceptions, there are striking contrasts between the American and Chinese views and visions, which point to quite different directions and paths of reform in the two nations. While Americans are busy constructing common standards, developing and using more standardized tests for all students, and moving toward standards-based school reform, the Chinese seem to desire just the opposite—deconstructing uniform standards, moving away from the pressures of national exams, and focusing more on the interests and potentials of each individual student, a goal that has been largely ignored in the past in the Chinese culture and schools.
Superintendent Shortage: The Wrong Problem and Wrong Solutions
Authors: Kowalski Theodore J.
Published: January 2019

Claims of an insufficient supply of superintendents and conclusions about the underlying causes of this condition have been widely accepted by policymakers, professors, and practitioners. As a result, professional preparation and licensure have already been altered in some states. Economist perspectives of occupational shortages, the causes of dwindling applicant pools, and job turnover and exits are used to demonstrate that this problem has been framed incorrectly—an error spawning questionable policy decisions. The argument is made that the long-standing practice of overproducing administrators and then allowing employers to determine competence is not indicative of a true profession. Recommendations are made to strengthen preparation and licensing requirements and to improve working conditions and salaries.
Predicting and Modeling Superintendent Turnover
Authors: Natkin Gerald L. , Cooper Bruce S. , Alborano James A. , Padilla Art , Ghosh Sujit K.
Published: January 2019

This study examines the longevity in office of superintendents in 292 school districts, using data from the period 1975-99. Random samples of districts from across the United States, as well as all school districts from North Carolina, were studied. Data were analyzed by survival analysis techniques, using information on superintendents, districts, and school boards as predictors. Superintendent tenure has not changed significantly since 1975-79, averaging 6–7 years over the whole period. Significantly related to survival in office were level of school board involvement in management, support for needed construction, merger of school systems, district poverty level, and superintendent postgraduate education.
Policy, Structural, and School Board Influences on Superintendent Supply and Demand
Authors: Tallerico Marilyn
Published: January 2019

This article provides an overview of the macrolevel structures, policies, and institutionalized practices that influence mismatches between educational administrator supply and demand. It also explores the micropolitics of local school board search and selection practices that can affect the access of women and people of color to the superintendency. Consideration of both these macro- and microlevel dynamics provides an alternative perspective on what have been reported as shortages of qualified candidates for current and anticipated superintendent vacancies.
Developing Prospective Principals’ Problem-Framing Skills
Authors: Copland Michael Aaron
Published: January 2019

This article reports on a study that inquired about the teaching and learning of administrative problem-framing skills in a problem-based learning (PBL) administrator preparation program. A literature-based definition of problem-framing ability is developed and a theoretical rationale for the study, based on elements of a social-psychological framework, is introduced. Employing a one-group pretest–posttest design, the problem-framing ability of students in one program cohort was measured prior to exposure to any PBL experiences and again at the end of their preparation program after repeated exposure to PBL. A statistical analysis reveals students’ problem-framing ability improves significantly over time, associated with their level of exposure to PBL. In postprogram qualitative data, graduates suggest PBL preparation develops their ability to frame problems encountered in practice. Finally, the implications of the findings for instructional practice and future research on administrator preparation are explored.
Witnessing and Advocacy in Educational Leadership
Authors: Ropers-Huilman Becky
Published: January 2019

This article reviews the concepts of witnessing and advocacy as they inform and disrupt both the practice and the teaching of educational leadership. Since power relations are always a part of social interactions, educators need to attend to the ways those power relations affect teaching and learning. The article suggests that witnesses look for evidence of harmful bias in their schools and work to find remedies; witnesses identify biases in themselves and strive to ensure that those biases do not impede teaching and learning; witnesses listen when evidence of harmful bias is brought to them and work collaboratively to find remedies; witnesses articulate both problems and solutions related to bias, using their roles to fulfill the broader purpose of education; and witnesses see the powerful role of education in either perpetuating or challenging biases.
Dispositions of Middle School Principals toward Teacher Selection Criteria
Authors: Kowalski Theodore J. , Dougherty Brian A.
Published: January 2019

This study examined the dispositions of Indiana middle school principals toward 29 possible teacher selection criteria drawn from the middle school literature and 13 possible criteria not drawn from this literature. The former were assigned more importance than the latter, and performance-based criteria were assigned more importance than credential-based criteria. Statistical testing revealed no significant associations between principal education and experience characteristics and assigned levels of importance. Findings are compared to previous studies focusing on actual practices, and possible reasons for an apparent disjunction between espoused beliefs and behavior in the area of teacher selection are discussed.
Teachers’ Perceptions of Student Bullying: A Conceptual and Empirical Analysis
Authors: Smith Page A. , Hoy Wayne K.
Published: January 2019

This study is an analysis of the nature and meaning of bullying in schools. First, the literature on student bullying is reviewed and a definition of bullying is proposed. Next, we developed a set of items to operationalize teacher perceptions of student bullying. An initial, exploratory factor analysis suggested two rather distinct aspects of bullying—teachers’ description of student bullying and their attempt to protect students from intimidation and harm. A test of the factor structure of the bullying measure in a new comprehensive sample supported the initial conceptualization and measure. Further analysis suggested that there were no gender differences or school level differences in perceived bullying. Finally, student bullying was related to the climate of schools in both surprising and unsurprising ways.
The Myth of the Rational Decision Maker: A Framework for Applying and Enhancing Heuristic and Intuitive Decision Making by School Leaders
Authors: Davis Stephen H.
Published: January 2019

This article takes a critical look at administrative decision making in schools and the extent to which complex decisions conform to normative models and common expectations of rationality. An alternative framework for administrative decision making is presented that is informed, but not driven, by theories of rationality. The framework assumes that as problem complexity increases, human capacity for rational analysis decreases, and the mind searches, instead, for heuristic and intuitive ways to reduce cognitive demands. The article provides a number of practical suggestions for improving administrative decision making that are drawn from my research with 92 public school principals.