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Full-Text Articles in Education
School District Restructuring: An Evaluation Process To Determine Effectiveness, Carolyn Ridenour, Thomas J. Matczynski, C. Daniel Raisch
School District Restructuring: An Evaluation Process To Determine Effectiveness, Carolyn Ridenour, Thomas J. Matczynski, C. Daniel Raisch
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
Much has been written concerning the need for schools to restructure. In scores of books and journals on school restructuring, suggestions have centered around such concepts as: decentralization, school-based management, and collaborative decision-making. Although these models have been utilized over a number of years, there is limited evidence relating to their effectiveness.
Almost no research studies have concluded that such restructuring models have impacted the academic lives of students. The purpose of this article is to describe a program evaluation process utilized in conducting a study of school restructuring in a mid-sized, urban school district. The strategies used, results obtained, …
Administrators' Understanding Of The Federal Special Education Mandate: Individuals With Disabilities Education Act., William R. Nelson, Carolyn Ridenour
Administrators' Understanding Of The Federal Special Education Mandate: Individuals With Disabilities Education Act., William R. Nelson, Carolyn Ridenour
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
With the passage of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) in 1975, the United States Congress sought to provide educational opportunity to all children. In 1990, with added amendments, the law was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Turnbull reported in 1993 that Congress had found approximately one-half of the nation's eight million children with disabilities were not receiving an appropriate education and about one million were receiving no education at all. Clearly, in the past two decades since the passage of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act school administrators have, on a daily …
Chasing The Wolves From The Schoolhouse Door, Theodore J. Kowalski
Chasing The Wolves From The Schoolhouse Door, Theodore J. Kowalski
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
Interestingly, warnings about the deterioration of America's schoolhouses have generated only limited public reaction. State legislators, governors, federal officials, and corporate executives — all of whom were exceedingly eager to react to earlier education reports such as A Nation at Risk- have been amazingly silent. Where are the legislative proposals to eradicate this problem? Where are the creative ideas from managers in private industry? Where are the calls for establishing a national commission to address this crisis? The most likely response to these questions is that the cost of solving the problem is simply too great. Accordingly, neither those who …
Preparing Teachers To Be Leaders: Barriers In The Workplace, Theodore J. Kowalski
Preparing Teachers To Be Leaders: Barriers In The Workplace, Theodore J. Kowalski
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
Efforts to prepare teachers to be leaders are often impeded by a number of barriers in society and schools. Obstacles in the workplace are largely products of organizational cultures and climates that place teachers in subordinate roles. The argument is made that consideration of these barriers must be incorporated into revisions of teacher education curricula.
Factors Underlying Effective College Teaching: What Students Tell Us, Carolyn Ridenour, Stephen J. Blatt
Factors Underlying Effective College Teaching: What Students Tell Us, Carolyn Ridenour, Stephen J. Blatt
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
The researchers analyzed 28,000 student evaluations of faculty across 46 departments for one academic term. A 27-item instrument on which students rated faculty was used. One global item assessing overall instructor effectiveness was predicted most strongly by three items: namely, students' perception that the instructor was prepared, presented subject matter clearly, and was interesting. The predictors of students, perceiving that they "learned a lot" were the ratings on three items: the instructor was interesting, the course met the objectives, and the instructor was well-prepared. Being prepared and being interesting seem to be critical characteristics for university faculty in the classroom.
Keepers Of The Flame: Contemporary Urban Superintendents, Theodore J. Kowalski
Keepers Of The Flame: Contemporary Urban Superintendents, Theodore J. Kowalski
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
A wealth of qualitative data concerning urban districts and their school superintendents in the United States is contained in this book. Theodore J Kowalski examines the lives of 17 urban school superintendents focusing on their problems and aspirations. Of particular significance is the discussion of how factors such as community environment, organizational change and culture, and the person in the job combine to influence decision-making and administrative behaviour.
Case Studies On Educational Administration, Theodore J. Kowalski
Case Studies On Educational Administration, Theodore J. Kowalski
Educational Leadership Faculty Publications
This book immerses prospective administrators in the realities of practice and decision-making through the use of a wide range of open-ended case studies. Effective practice in school administration involves making decisions about management of schools and reform, including state deregulation, district decentralization, and school restructuring. Leaders need to think beyond management and consider how to affect school culture, professional development, and changing populations. The cases in this book will help leaders address those issues by honing three key skills: (1) How to identify and solve problems; (2) How to develop and evaluate alternative solutions; (3) How to continuously refine professional …