bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Education Policy in Leadership Practice
Authors: Lowenhaupt Rebecca , Spillane James P. , Hallett Tim
Published: January 2019

Over the last few decades, high-stakes accountability has become commonplace in education policy both in the United States and internationally. In this paper, we consider the role of school leaders and “accountability talk” in implementing this shift through a case study of one urban school principal's talk during a period of reform. Consistent with broader policy discourses, the 650 instances of principal rhetoric in 14 elementary school meetings reflected issues of standardization and assessment through rational appeals to logic (logos). However, the principal's “accountability talk” also relied on rhetorical sequences that wove these rational appeals together with moral (ethos) and emotional (pathos) claims, thereby connecting the accountability paradigm to more established discourses associated with the educational profession. We argue that school principal's talk is a primary means through which broader institutional changes and local work practices become coupled together, often in ways that blend apparently competing models of organization. As such, accountability talk should be of both empirical and theoretical interest for scholars studying school leadership and education reform.
The Dynamic Roots of School Leaders’ Twitter Use
Authors: Cho Vincent , Rangel Virginia Snodgrass
Published: January 2019

Some postulate that social media tools, such as Twitter, might be used to support educator professional learning. Drawing upon interviews and tweets from 17 school administrators, this study examined the factors and consequences of administrators’ Twitter use. It finds that administrators’ understandings and uses of Twitter changed over time, subject to influences such as interactions with colleagues, one's sense of online visibility, and abilities to develop workarounds for Twitter's limitations. The discussion explores issues relating to the future of educators’ social media use, as well as how to theorize about the implementation and adoption of technologies in education.
The Diverse Faces of Teacher Leadership
Authors: Bae Christine Lee , Hayes Kathryn N. , O'Connor Dawn M. , Seitz Jeffery C. , Distefano Rachelle
Published: January 2019

The potential benefits of teacher leadership are widely acknowledged; however, the conceptualization of this construct is in need of theoretical development and analytic clarification. The purpose of this mixed methodology study was to operationalize distinct types of teacher leadership into an organized typology, based on case studies of teacher leaders in a science education project. In addition, through confirmatory factor analysis, evidence for factors representing the distinct types of teacher leadership identified in the typology was found in a general teacher leadership survey. Implications for teacher leadership research and practice are discussed.
Teacher Leadership and High-Stakes Teacher Evaluation
Authors: Mangin Melinda M.
Published: January 2019

Teacher leadership is frequently implemented alongside top-down mandates as a way to provide both pressure and support for change. At the same time, the convergence of policy tools with fundamentally different theories of change can complicate and hinder improvement efforts. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine one instance where policy tools with divergent theoretical assumptions converge: the use of teacher leadership as a capacity-building tool and high-stakes teacher evaluation, an authority tool with sanctions for poor performance. As such, this study investigates the extent to which these two approaches complement one another to facilitate improvement or whether they conflict in ways that are counter-productive. To understand the interplay of high-stakes teacher evaluation and teacher leadership, 1 conducted an in-depth case study in one high school. Findings from the study indicate that the school and district supported the teacher leader in building teachers’ capacity through high-quality learning experiences. However, the teacher leader's efforts were hindered by the high-stakes teacher evaluation context, which created a risk-averse earning environment and impeded teachers’ engagement in the kind of learning needed to change instructional practice. Instead of interpreting the high-stakes evaluation as an impetus to embrace available learning opportunities, teachers focused on complying with top-down policy mandates at the expense of learning
The Roles of Teacher Leaders in Guiding PLCs Focused on Disciplinary Literacy
Authors: Charner-Laird Megin , Ippolito Jacy , Dobbs Christina L.
Published: January 2019

This study investigates the experiences of teacher leaders working to facilitate professional learning communities (PLCs) focused on inquiry into disciplinary literacy at the high school level. Specifically, we examine the moves that team leaders made to preserve focus and learning within their PLCs and how participants experienced their leadership. We found that the teacher leaders in this study established structures and routines for their PLCs to work productively together and that their facilitation was crucial for the success of inquiry, and thus for participants’ professional learning and growth.
The Interplay between Principal Leadership and Teacher Leader Efficacy
Authors: Stein Kristy Cooper , Macaluso Michael , Stanulis Randi Nevins
Published: January 2019

Researchers assert that the influence of teacher leadership on school change is highly contingent on the actions and beliefs of school principals. Self-efficacy theory also suggests that the extent to which teacher leaders feel they can impact change will influence how they engage with leadership opportunities. This study considers the interplay between these two forces and uses eleven embedded case studies to examine how principal leadership style-transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire-influences teacher leader efficacy. Findings suggest that teacher leader efficacy is rooted both in the teacher leaders’ self-perceptions and in how those perceptions influence and are influenced by principals’ expectations and leadership behaviors.
How Contexts Matter: A Framework for Understanding the Role of Contexts in Equity-Focused Educational Leadership
Authors: Roegman Rachel
Published: January 2019

In this article, I put forth a framework for thinking about how contexts matter. This framework highlights organizational, occupational, personal, and social contexts that influence leadership, which I illustrated with three cases of superintendents working on issues of systemic, equity-focused improvements. Data are drawn from a seven-year study of a superintendent's network, including nine interviews with each participant. These illustrations demonstrate that different interactions between the personal, occupational, social, and organizational contexts may result in reframing, crystallizing, or negotiating what it means to lead for equity. For superintendents to engage in equity-minded reform, research and policy need to expand to consider leaders’ personal experiences as well as dominant discourses of equity.
Empathy Regulation among Israeli School Principals: Expression and Suppression of Major Emotions in Educational Leadership
Authors: Oplatka Izhar
Published: January 2019

The present study aimed to trace the ways by which Israeli principals manage their emotions at work and posed two questions: (1) How do principals tend to express empathy toward others in the school? and (2) How do principals regulate their empathy at work? Based on semi-structured interviews with 10 Israeli school principals, it was found that they are allowed, even encouraged, to display, under specific circumstances, three components of empathy: cognitive, affective (e.g., compassion), and behavioral (e.g., caring), while consciously inhibiting the expression of anger and fear publically. In addition, the principals use four strategies to regulate the components of empathy and its related emotions. Cultural, professional, and personal characteristics seem to explain empathy display and regulation among the Israeli principals.
Developing An Assessment of Community Equity Literacy: An Exploratory Study of Aspiring School Principals
Authors: Green Terrance L. , Rodgers Melissa A.
Published: January 2019

Principals play a critical role in school-community engagement, yet there are a dearth of instruments to measure principals’ knowledge and practice in this area. This study therefore describes the research base of community equity literacy and explains why it is essential to the work of school principals and their leadership teams. It also examines the results of a pilot survey of an experienced group of aspiring school principals as a way to further develop an instrument to assess educational leaders’ community equity literacy. This article concludes with implications for leader preparation and future research.
Transformational Leadership and its Impact on School Climate and Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Indonesian High Schools
Authors: Damanik Enceria , Aldridge Jill
Published: January 2019

This study examined the relationships between principals’ leadership, school climate, and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. Drawing on existing scales, this study examined six aspects of principal leadership (professional interaction, participatory decision-making, individual support, intellectual stimulation and moral perspective) and four school climate factors (staff collegiality, goal consensus, work pressure, resource adequacy, and staff freedom). The participants included 604 Indonesian teachers drawn from 27 high schools. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results indicated statistically significant and positive relationships between leadership style, school climate, and teacher self-efficacy. With the exception of individual support, the relationships between principal leadership and teacher self-efficacy were largely indirect, mediated through staff collegiality and goal consensus.
Cultural Leadership in Schools for the Deaf: Leadership for Cultural and Language Diversity in the Context of Schools for the Deaf
Authors: O'Brien Catherine , Robinson Kerry K.
Published: January 2019

This study examined the variation in cultural competence among leaders in four different residential schools for the Deaf across the United States. The study explored where leaders fell on the cultural continuum, and how this was reflected in the schools in the way each perceived and validated Deaf culture as well as other cultures present in the schools. This qualitative multi-case ethnographic methodology utilized interviews as primary data sources which were video-taped in order to accurately transcribe them and to score concepts and themes for analysis by grounded theory methodology. The findings highlighted the complexities of culture and the ways that administrators embraced or knowingly or unknowingly overlooked the cultures that the students brought to the schools. Finally, the leadership decisions made by administrators were also tied to their own cultural proficiency.
Authentic and Social Justice Leadership: A Case Study of an Exemplary Principal along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Authors: Dematthews David E. , Izquierdo Elena
Published: January 2019

Few researchers have sought to merge authentic and social justice leadership or investigate how each can be applied together to address the current school reform and social justice challenges associated with high-stakes accountability. This article presents a qualitative case study of authentic and social justice leadership practices of one exemplary principal working along the U.S.–Mexico border and how she nurtured, inspired, and motivated teachers and families to create innovative and inclusive programs to meet the needs of all students, especially Mexican American English language learners (ELLs). Two micro-cases are presented to examine the principal's role in founding a gifted and talented dual language program for ELLs and a merger with a low-performing school. Additional findings describe how the principal developed strategic relationships and motivated families to advocate for social justice. In doing so, this article highlights areas where authentic and social justice leadership support effective practices and mitigate obstacles to adopting equity-oriented reforms. Implications are discussed which include new directions for future research and principal preparation programs.
“The Click-Clack of Her Heels and the Jingle of Her Keys”: Exploring the Tensions in the Leadership of a Successful Turnaround Principal
Authors: Reitzug Ulrich C. , Hewitt Kimberly Kappler
Published: January 2019

This qualitative case study explores the practices and tensions of being an effective principal in a turnaround school through an in-depth analysis of one principal who has been successful in several turnaround settings. Although principals have long been cited as foundational to a school's success, being the principal of a turnaround school is a significantly different enterprise than being a principal of a non-turnaround school. Newly appointed turnaround principals are expected not only to generate significant improvement in achievement in schools that have been low-achieving for many years, but to do so in a short period of time.

To gain insight into the leadership practices of a principal who was successful in accomplishing school turnaround, we conducted interviews with 21 of the principal's current and past colleagues, observed her in practice, analyzed documents related to her leadership, and interviewed her three times. In this report, we describe her leadership practice and conclude that it was characterized by four dynamic tensions that resulted in the turnaround of the schools she led:

• The tension between focusing on mission and focusing on personal connection;

• The tension between high expectations and high trust and respect;

• The tension between strong principal presence and strong staff presence; and

• The tension between disrupting complacency and continuity.

We conclude by arguing that a key to effective practice for turnaround principals lies in their creating ongoing dynamic tensions in their schools.
Public School Board Presidents’ and Superintendents’ Perceptions of the Characteristics of Effective Superintendents in a Midwestern State
Authors: Webner Steven , De Jong David , Campoli Ayana , Baron Mark
Published: January 2019

The expectation for strong superintendent leadership has increased due to a demand for greater student achievement and accountability. This study examined public school board presidents’ and superintendents’ perceptions of the characteristics superintendents must possess to effectively lead in today's complex educational system.

A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to collect data from public school board presidents and superintendents in a Midwestern state. Computation of item means indicated school board presidents perceived developing a close, positive, and productive relationship with the school board, developing a culture and climate which enhances teacher morale and student achievement, developing partnerships between school and community, developing budgets and manage fiscal matters, and visibility throughout the community and district as the most important characteristics of effective superintendents. Superintendents perceived developing a culture and climate which enhances teacher morale and student achievement, developing a close positive, and productive relationship with the school board, building a team atmosphere and coherence, developing budgets and manage fiscal matters, and communicating with stakeholders as the most important characteristics of effective superintendents. School board presidents considered involvement of stakeholders in collaborative goal-setting and monitoring as well as superintendent visibility throughout the community and district to be significantly more important than did superintendents. In contrast, superintendents believed recruiting, selecting, developing personnel, and implementing effective evaluation structures to be significantly more important than did the superintendents.

Independent sample t tests revealed that small district public school superintendents perceived recruiting, selecting, developing personnel, and implementing effective evaluation structures as significantly more important than small district school board presidents did ( p < .05). There was no statistically significant difference in perceptions for the 20 characteristics of effective superintendents between large district board presidents and superintendents, or between less experienced school board presidents and superintendents ( p < .05). More experienced school board members perceived involving stakeholders in collaborative goal-setting and monitoring to be statistically significantly more important than did more experienced superintendents ( p < .05).
Collaboration is not Meeting with the Enemy: An Analysis of a Successful University-School Districts’ Relationships
Authors: Bozemanp William C. , Rothberg Robert A.
Published: January 2019

Working with the enemy in war time is labeled “collaboration.” Too often, College of Education and school district relationships resemble a battlefield between “town and gown.” The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships developed and the significant programs that have resulted from a positive joint venture with one university and its surrounding school districts.
State Government Influence on Public Education: Tennessee's Project STAR
Authors: Achilles C. M. , Lintz M. Nan
Published: January 2019

Thirteen million should get attention! That is what Tennessee is investing in a major policy study. Do smaller classes increase student test scores? Tennessee is studying class-size issues via a state-wide experimental and longitudinal class-size project—STAR (Student-Teacher Achievement Ratio). The Tennessee legislature authorized and funded STAR (HB 544, May, 1985) to consider the effects of class size on pupils in primary (K-3) grades.

Researchers for Project STAR analyze pupil achievement and development in three class types: small (S), with an average of 15 pupils per teacher; regular (R), with an average of 23 pupils per teachers; and regular with a full-time aide (RA). Researchers follow a cohort of pupils from kindergarten (K) through grade three, starting in 1985–86 with K. STAR is funded and coordinated by the State Department of Education, but operated through a four-university consortium. Of considerable interest, however, is the state role. The state funded this study to provide information about class size in the state. The state, which has invested heavily in this cooperative endeavor, has asked the researchers for a thorough study.
Teacher Collegial Groups: A Structure for Promoting Professional Dialogue Conducive to Organization Change
Authors: Keedy John L. , Rogers Kathleen
Published: January 2019

To improve public education we first may need to change and improve the prevalent culture of schooling. Current assessments describe school culture as lacking intellectual depth—despite the fact that Ted Sizer, a prominent school reformer, contends that the students’ intellectual growth should be the main purpose of schooling. From the organization development perspective, we might identify structures conducive to promoting professional dialogue among administrators, teachers, and students. Teacher collegial groups (TCGs) may be such a structure. In this article the co-authors define TCGs; then the principal—based on her own experience—suggests how a TCG can be implemented. The authors conclude with the principal's observations on the effect of the TCG on a school's organization culture.
Principal Evaluation: A Definitive Process
Authors: Garrett W. Richard , Flanigan Jack L.
Published: January 2019

The principal evaluation model described in this paper is the result of administrators attempting to fulfill both a state mandate and a local need. The model utilizes information obtained from teachers, parents, and district administrators who evaluate the effectiveness of practicing principals. The model has been tested and has provided beneficial, practical results that could be used by principals, district administrators, the community, and teachers.
Know Thyself: A Prerequisite for Educational Leaders
Authors: Whitaker Kathryn S. , Mcgrevin Carol , Granier Annette
Published: January 2019

Several recent reports point to the need to create more responsive leadership preparation programs to better prepare school leaders for the 21st century. This manuscript describes a beginning learning experience within the new administrator preparation program at the University of Northern Colorado. The new component is called “Understanding Self”; it is designed to assist future leaders in gaining a greater awareness of their values and beliefs as they relate to leadership. The importance of intrapersonal development and reflective practice, as well as specific activities used in the learning experience, is addressed.
Preparing Tomorrow's Educational Leaders: An Inquiry regarding the Wisdom of Utilizing the Position of Assistant Principal as an Internship or Apprenticeship to Prepare Future Principals
Authors: Golanda Eugene L.
Published: January 2019

For as long as the position has existed, the assistant principalship has been viewed as the logical and proper avenue to prepare aspiring leaders to be principals. In that sense, the position is seen as an apprenticeship or internship experience.

This article questions the wisdom of this assumption and suggests that the assistant principalship is poorly defined and structured; highly unsatisfactory for many, if not most, participants seeking to become a principal; and, perhaps, is actually quite disfunctional as a preparation activity.
Principals for America 2000
Authors: Thomson Scott D.
Published: January 2019

School leadership is essential to achieving the America 2000 goals outlined by President Bush. Current preparation programs, however, fail to provide principals with the knowledge and skills required to lead schools effectively amid a rapidly changing environment. Without effective school site leadership, schools cannot meet the challenge of improved outcomes.

Most current attempts to improve preparation programs reflect ad hoc adjustments and timidity, rather than a genuine redesign effort. They fail to develop the leadership skills, the understanding of instructional environments, and the group process competencies required of principals today.

The National Policy Board for Educational Administration, formed to design and disseminate new models for preparing school administrators, has developed a structure for preparing principals that responds to the new realities of the workplace. The framework, described in Principals for Our Changing Schools, focuses upon the leadership skills and understandings important to creating with teachers a good instructional environment, and the process and political skills essential to building family and community coalitions in support of this mission. Current Policy Board work includes the commission of writing teams to identify the core knowledge and skills, and the performance standards for the 21 “performance domains” in the framework.

The National Policy Board also is exploring the feasibility of a national certification process for principals, under the assumption that a nationwide, professional board could raise standards of practice, encourage universities and state licensure boards to reform programs, and provide incentives for aspiring and young principals to improve practice and become competitive in the national marketplace.
School Reform and Schools as Organizations
Authors: Willower Donald J.
Published: January 2019

The organizational characteristics of schools stack the deck against reform. Teacher norms and values put a premium on time, autonomy, and order, whereas student norms and values are oriented to peer rather than school concerns. These norms and values stem from the school's organizational characteristics.

Because most reforms make demands on teacher time, channel or reduce teacher autonomy, and disturb current routines, they are often unsuccessful. Chances for success will improve when context is taken into account or when reforms directly address organizational features that inhibit change.
Where is the Discussion of Diversity in Educational Administration Programs? Graduate Students’ Voices Addressing an Omission in their Preparation
Authors: Parker Laurence , Shapiro Joan Poliner
Published: January 2019

This paper describes an investigation of the needs of graduate students in educational administration preparation programs. The study raises questions focusing on what learning would be most valuable to school administrators who deal with diverse constituencies and cultures. To obtain appropriate information, the authors conducted in-depth interviews with older graduate students at three different locations in the U.S. In this study, the most salient finding that emerged was that graduate students learned far more through informal peer learning about diversity issues dealing with gender, race, ethnicity, social class and other areas of difference than they did in the formal educational administration classroom. Based on the analysis of interviews, the authors recommend a number of changes for program development under the category of diversity. Through these changes, it is hoped that educational administration faculty will better prepare graduate students to be educational leaders in the 21st century.
The Leadership Enigma is more than Semantics
Authors: Achilles Charles M.
Published: January 2019

The debate has long raged about the relative merits of leadership, management, and administration. This article does not advance the study of any of these terms, but questions the utility of valuing instructional leadership over management. An administrator wears both hats. Generally accepted definitions of these terms within a framework useful in research will help explain the “real world” and help the field advance. The paper describes one set of definitions and relationships that could remove some of the “value” associated with the terms and then frames a model for guiding analysis and description of relations among the terms.
The Power of Context
Authors: Erlandson David A.
Published: January 2019

Context proves to be a powerful tool for understanding educational organizations, for the professional development of the administrators who lead them, and in the preparation of future administrators. Specific strategies are available and should be expanded for harnessing that power in the analysis of educational settings, in transferring knowledge across settings (both spatially and temporally and in the development of skills appropriate to those settings.
Creating Partnerships in Developing School Leaders: Florida State University's Specialist Degree Program in Educational Leadership
Authors: Snyder William R.
Published: January 2019

During the decade of the 1980s, the Department of Educational Leadership at Florida State University became proactive in its orientation to legislative efforts to improve the quality of school-based leadership throughout the state of Florida. The department's early initiatives set the foundation for creating a variety of partnerships with school districts, other universities and national organizations that would refocus the department's vision for leadership development of school personnel. What might have been the onset of reduced credibility and influence for the department and the university, became instead a window of opportunity for productive collaboration and program restructuring. This paper presents an abridged documentation of the restructuring that has occurred in the department's program of Educational Administration during the late 1980s and early ‘90s. It describes from a faculty member's perspective the historical context for the department's initiatives, the creation of a variety of partnerships with other organizations and the installation of a new field-based specialist degree program in educational leadership. Finally, the paper addresses a few of the key lessons learned about collaboration during the evolution of partnerships and program.
Chaos, Topology, and Social Organization
Authors: Marion Russ
Published: January 2019

This paper attempts to apply chaos theory to social organization. It begins with a mathematical definition of chaos. Specifically, the geometric concept of attractor is explored; phase space and Poincaré maps are discussed and applied to the concept of attractor; and nonlinearity is conceptually defined. We then apply the mathematics of chaos to social systems by showing how a nonlinear equation might be used to describe organization and how data derived from a simple univariate equation can be converted into a multivariate Poincaré map. The conclusion section identifies three approaches to analyzing chaos in social organization: metaphorical analysis, mathematical modeling, and data collection. Finally, possible uses of chaos are explored, as are the shortcomings of such analysis.
The Ethical Reasoning of School Administrators
Authors: Kirby Peggy C. , Paradise Louis V. , Protti Russell
Published: January 2019

The nature of typical dilemmas confronted by educational administrators was assessed through a two-phase study of ethical conflicts of school principals. On the basis of analyses of principals’ level of ethical reasoning—using the Van Hoose and Paradise model—it was found that in cases of ethical dilemma, principals tend to weigh competing alternatives against societal norms in determining courses of action. Conversely, principals ascribe to others less elevated moral behavior. They reported that other administrators are more likely to act in strict accordance with institutional rules and norms of behavior. The authors suggest that administrators’ training in ethical reasoning might best be accomplished in district settings where a common moral philosophy can be developed and open debate encouraged, thereby demonstrating support for broader levels of ethical reasoning.
Team Teachers: The Importance of the Selection Process
Authors: Matranga Myrna
Published: January 2019

This article discusses the team teaching process developed in the Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada, which resulted from the Nevada Legislature's mandate to reduce class size in the primary grades to a ratio of 15:1. The study describes the nature of team relationships in the District and how teachers came to teach in a team situation. Teacher involvement in the selection of team partners and its relationship to perceived success is examined.
Beyond Direct Instruction: Educational Leadership in the Elementary School Classroom
Authors: Davidson George
Published: January 2019

The instructional imperatives of the principalship demand a knowledge of more than the direct instruction model. Changing the role of the direct instruction model from an instructional methodology to a planning tool permits the principal to introduce additional instructional methods based upon the characteristics of the school and the classroom. The article presents a set of frames for the implementation of instructional methods and strategies.
Lessons from the Power Company
Authors: Dagley Dave
Published: January 2019

Empowerment as a means of school reform is a term rich with metaphor. A number of studies have used the metaphor of power in the physical science sense to describe power in the organizational sense. In this paper, school as an electrical distribution system is offered as a metaphor for describing how power operates in schools. Eight lessons for school administrators are offered to increase the likelihood that empowerment will produce positive results in the school setting.
Potential Problems (and Solutions) of Mentoring in the Preparation of School Administrators
Authors: Muse Ivan D. , Thomas Gloria Jean , Del Wasden F.
Published: January 2019

In a few university administrator preparation programs, experienced principals are being used effectively as mentors to aspiring principals. The mentoring relationship has been found to be more positive and beneficial if the practicum experience is long term and the mentor is seen as an important member of the university training effort. Under the best of circumstances problems may occur that affect the value of mentoring. The article discusses twelve common pitfalls of mentoring and provides suggestions for their resolution.
The Bridge between Policy and Practice: Implementors’ Belief Systems
Authors: Mcgrevin Carol Z. , Rusher Anne Spidell
Published: January 2019

The belief system of teachers and principals regarding what constitutes sound educational practices for educating young children is a key ingredient in implementing successful early childhood educational programs. This fact must be taken into consideration by policy makers at the state and district level as they formulate policies affecting the education of our nation's young children.
Educational Administration Research, Practice, and Preparation: Lessons from Woodworking and American Indian Philosophy
Authors: Place A. William , Reitzug Ulrich C.
Published: January 2019

There has been a continuing debate in scholarly circles about appropriate modes of inquiry. The traditionally dominant mode of inquiry, the quantitative paradigm, has in recent years been challenged by an alternative mode of inquiry, the qualitative paradigm. This paper does not rehash the scholarly debate in which previous scholars have engaged, but rather (a) presents an alternative philosophical framework, that of the American Indian, through which to view the quantitative-qualitative debate, (b) discusses practical considerations of the debate, and (c) examines implications for research, practice, and educational administration preparation programs.
The Relationship between Teacher Job Satisfaction and Principal Leadership Style
Authors: Heller H. William , Clay Rex , Perkins Cline
Published: January 2019

This study made use of Hersey and Blanchard's concept of situational leadership to investigate the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and the leadership behaviors of “telling,” “selling,” “participating,” and “delegating.” Questionnaires were mailed to a sample of 520 teachers, stratified by gender and school type. Three hundred and thirty-nine usable responses were returned (65 percent) and analyzed by correlation and analysis of variance procedures.

About 42 percent of the respondents were either “very dissatisfied” or “dissatisfied.” Teachers were least satisfied with the financial aspects of teaching and most satisfied with their co-workers. There were no differences in satisfaction by teacher gender, principal gender, experience, or school type.

Additionally, job satisfaction was not significantly related to leadership style. Suggestions for further research speak to the need to take into account the “consideration” aspect of leadership style and to measure job satisfaction in specific task areas such as curriculum development, faculty evaluation, staff development, and instructional organization.

Policy implications of the findings were discussed.
Meeting the Needs of Beginning School Administrators: Report of a Professional Induction Project
Authors: Holifield Mitch , King Dan L.
Published: January 2019

With the implementation of the redesigned NCATE standards in 1985, schools, colleges, and departments of education became responsible for providing assistance to beginning educational professionals. Much attention has been given to identifying and providing activities that facilitate the entrance of new teacher education graduates into the teaching profession. Less attention has been given to issues related to the professional induction of other beginning educational professionals, especially school administrators. This article summarizes some of the pertinent background regarding the professional induction needs of beginning school administrators and describes a professional induction project initiated by Arkansas State University.
Extending the Essential Schools Metaphor: Principal as Enabler
Authors: Prestine Nona A.
Published: January 2019

This article examines the role of the principal in school restructuring using essential school precepts. Based on qualitative data from a longitudinal study covering two and one-half years, the results indicate that the principal must assume a more inclusive and prominent role in schools attempting such restructuring efforts. It is argued that the basic essential schools’ philosophy expressed in the Nine Common Principles must be extended to include the other significant player in school change efforts, the principal. Thus, the metaphor of “student as worker, teacher as coach,” must now be extended to include “principal as enabler.”
University Culture and Educational Administration Reform: Friends or Foes?
Authors: Calabrese Raymond L.
Published: January 2019

Educational administration programs are in desperate need of change. However, substantive change is unlikely given the rigidity of the university culture and its dysfunctional nature. The demand to change American universities has existed for over a century with little effect. However, faculty resistance, wrapped in a rigid culture, rejects competing ideologies. A new paradigm is needed if university preparation of school administrators is to be credible. One alternative paradigm is based on the relationship between the teacher and learner. In this paradigm, leadership is discovered rather than taught. It is a personal journey for the faculty member and student. The relationship between the teacher and student creates an opportunity for the discovery of different structures grounded in existential theory.
Educational Administrators’ and Teachers’ Knowledge of Classroom Assessment
Authors: Impara James C. , Plake Barbara S. , Fager Jennifer J.
Published: January 2019

A national sample of administrators and teachers was administered a test of their knowledge of classroom assessment. The results indicated that administrators, on average, were more knowledgeable than teachers, and that both groups demonstrated considerable knowledge in certain areas. In other areas, however, both administrators and teachers were deficient in their knowledge of classroom assessment practices. Implications for training administrators and teachers are drawn.
Teacher Job Satisfaction in a Quality School: Implications for Educational Leaders
Authors: Ruhl-Smith Connie , Smith James M.
Published: January 2019

This article examines the relationship between the existing research and theoretical writings dealing with general job satisfaction, teacher job satisfaction, and William Glasser's concept of the quality school. While interrelationships between all three notions are clearly identified, implications for administrative action are also provided. Theoretical concepts are provided with the intent of drawing parallel assumptions for the world of practice.
The Management Profile: Identification of the Management and Leadership Skills of School Administrators
Authors: Atkinson Nancy J. , Wilmore B. Elaine
Published: January 2019

This article focuses on two major steps by which the Management Profile has been refined as a tool for assessing the leadership and management skills that school administrators display on the job. The first step, the identification of criteria for standards of principal performance, was accomplished by the Texas A&M University Principals’ Center at the request of the NASSP Commission on Standards for the Principalship. The second step, also performed by the TAMU Principals’ Center, was the standardization of decision rules for assessing performance of the Management Profile and the completion of the initial edition of an assessor's manual.
The Administrative Role in an Accountability Network: A Developmental Conceptualization
Authors: Demoulin Donald F. , Kendall Robbie
Published: January 2019

Americans have always viewed education as an instrument for the common good as well as for individual enhancement. Today, with chronically low student achievement scores, this view has been questioned by the populace. School leaders have come under close scrutiny concerning district and/or building operations Local citizens have not only called for teacher accountability in the classroom, but have also increased the accountability call for administration as they demand evidence of school excellence amidst increased property taxes. Although educators have received the brunt of the accountability exchanges, basically a function of increasing educational expenditures and decreasing student achievement scores, responsibility for educational success or failure does not rest solely on the shoulders of educators. Citizens need to acquire a true understanding of accountability and become part of an effective accountability network. The administration must then assume the critical role in establishing a workable accountability network to initiate continuity of operations leading to school success. The questions then become: (1) What is accountability in education? (2) What is an effective accountability network? (3) What leadership role does the principal play in the accountability process?
The Assistant Principal: Neglected Actor in Practitioner Leadership Literature
Authors: Hartzell Gary N.
Published: January 2019

Both principals and assistant principals are site level administrators, and both are charged with leadership responsibilities in the school. Nonetheless, the organizational contexts in which they each attempt to fulfill those responsibilities differ in substantial and important ways. There are at least three reasons for this: (1) principals and their assistants are at different levels in the hierarchy; (2) they perform different duties; and (3) they are perceived differently by their subordinates. Because they work in differing contexts, principals and assistant principals face different leadership challenges.

While there clearly are leadership consistencies to be found across contexts, there are also significant differences to be discerned between them. An examination of the principal's position as a first-level leader in contrast to the assistant principal's position as a second-level leader points to these differences, and supports the notion that it is in the best interests of both research and practice to address them. These contextual differences have implications for educational leadership researchers, for beginning administrator training programs, and for the development of principals as first-level leaders.
Linking School Level Innovations with an Urban School District's Central Office
Authors: Bogotch Ira E. , Brooks Cormell R.
Published: January 2019

This descriptive study of school principal-central office relations is framed within the context of school restructuring. It specifically looks at leadership perceptions of school level innovations and reports the level of awareness and support by job functions and location given to such innovations by an urban school system central office. The findings indicate that awareness and involvement were limited to just two specific departments: area superintendents and educational programs. The former has direct supervisory responsibilities over principals; the latter seeks to bring innovative ideas to the school district. Both departments are located as satellite offices of the central office Other central office administrators did not demonstrate the levels of value reorientation needed for school system restructuring.
Principals who Empower Teachers
Authors: Kirby Peggy C. , Colbert Robert
Published: January 2019

Efforts to restructure schools typically include broadening decisionmaking arenas to include teacher input. Principals, however, have not been prepared to share leadership roles with their faculties, nor have researchers examined the characteristics of principals who are willing and able to empower teachers.

Leader authenticity has been associated with more open climates in schools. In this study, the authors examined the relationship between principal authenticity and faculty empowerment in 30 high schools. One aspect of teacher empowerment—expanding teacher knowledge—was significantly related to leader authenticity. Implications for principal and teacher preparation programs as well as principal selection are discussed.
Tying Paulo Freire's Concepts to Restructuring
Authors: Wesson Linda Hampton , Holman David , Vanatta Judy
Published: January 2019

The nature of restructuring requires that leadership have new frameworks for interpreting the actions of teachers and participants, as well as for interpreting their own behavior. Paulo Freire has defined characteristics of people as they move towards higher levels of thinking and grow in their ability to become part of the decision-making structure. Combining the thoughts of Freire with restructuring provides a conceptual model that allows leaders to interpret the organizational environment so that higher cognitive abilities are recognized and participant decision making is enhanced.
“… and justice for all:” Critical Perspectives on Outcomes-Based Education in the Context of Secondary School Restructuring
Authors: Capper Colleen A.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine a high school significantly involved in school restructuring to determine if and to what extent restructuring serves particular values and interests and silences others. The conceptual framework for the study was a combination of critical and poststructural theories which examine how power is exercised and the potential for change via the interactions and contradictions among subjectivity, power, language, and unquestioned, underlying assumptions. The design of this study was based on qualitative inquiry, and procedures included interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis within one small rural high school. Perhaps the most disconcerting aspect of this restructuring was the lack of consideration given to social power issues and student identity (subjectivity), both in terms of “structural power'— students, parents, and community—and “social power”—such as social class, gender, race, and other areas of difference. The basic elements of the school's restructuring work—outcomes, success, all students—were embraced without discussion concerning power issues and their obligation to students for their participation in a democratic society. This aspect of restructuring represented the largest gap between the school's socialization of their students into American culture via such routines as the morning pledge to the flag, their motto of “success for all,” and their actual practices.
Women's Perceptions of the Superintendency
Authors: Grady Marilyn L. , Ourada-Sieb Theresa , Wesson Linda H.
Published: January 2019

The majority of students enrolled in graduate programs in educational administration are women. However, few of these students aspire to be superintendents. This study was undertaken to identify the sources of job satisfaction, the benefits of the job, the sources of self-fulfillment, and the personal strengths that women bring to the superintendent's role. The study results are based on interviews with 51 women superintendents from rural and urban settings. For individuals considering assuming a superintendent's position, the findings offer a positive portrait of the superintendency from the perspectives of the women interviewed.