Educational Leadership Commons^™

Reflections On A Vision For School Leadership, Thomas J. Neuhaus

Graduate Research Papers

When I reflect upon my vision for leading a school, I see a holistic nature to the areas of climate, shared decision making, community collaboration, and educational programming. These areas overlap one another as they provide the foundation on which I will lead. Community collaboration involves shared decision making, and shared decision making impacts climate. Educational programming, as I have described it, involves all of these areas. I feel what connects everything are the principles of relationships, resources, and relevancy. I believe the keys to success as a leader will be dependent upon the ability to create and nurture relationships, …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Lisa C. Loecher

Graduate Research Papers

Society will continue to change, and schools will have to meet the challenges of those changes. To meet these challenges, it will be vital to keep abreast of innovations and current trends in education. Motivating teachers to examine and reflect upon their teaching, and empowering them to implement their ideas and programs will be keys to a successful school.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Schools : A Reflective Essay, Vicki Mueller

Graduate Research Papers

Just as the role of the school is changing to fit the needs of our students and society, the role of the school administrator is changing to meet the needs of the school. The school administrator should be viewed as important liaison between the school and the community. More and more, their role is proactive as opposed to reactive, as it appears to have been years ago. If an administrator takes the time to make contacts and build relationships, the loyalty and commitment by students, parents, staff and community will help to assure success and prosperity for all.

Where Am I Going? Where Have I Been?, Teresa R. Coenen

Graduate Research Papers

The task of writing a reflective essay is to describe my educational philosophy and beliefs, how they were framed and formed, and how I hope to apply them in future applications. In order to understand my goals, one must first look at the path that has lead me to these goals. Before I can truly understand where I am going, I must first review where I have been. I have never – not even for one minute – regretted my decision to become an educator. In the last seven years, I have never wished to skip a single day of …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Joyce M. Bechtel

Graduate Research Papers

The term instructional leader encompasses many aspects. The instructional portion includes the knowledge base, the master teacher, the evaluator, the mediator, and the communicator with parents, community and teachers. The leader portion includes the perceptive director, the goal directed visionary, and the organizer with enthusiasm and energy.

Teachers depend on the principal to assist them in gaining instructional skills and utilizing curricular material that is necessary to teach effectively. The principal should be their master teacher and evaluator. As an evaluator, a principal will confer with and provide feedback to the staff, and will evaluate the education programs.

A Vision For The Administration Of A Secondary School : A Reflective Essay, Steve E. Dodge

Graduate Research Papers

In order to keep a school running smoothly today administrators must be able to perform a wide variety of jobs effectively. The key role that any principal must play is that of a leader. The ability to lead determines how effective an administrator will be in carrying out all of the other roles. The leadership of a school's instructional program is an area in which the principal has perhaps the greatest potential to influence the largest number of people. Through this role one impacts all programs of the school.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary/Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Brad E. Small

Graduate Research Papers

The success and future of our nation, if not the entire world, depends on educating our children. For this reason, I have decided to seek anew career in educational administration after serving as a teacher and coach for.the past twelve years.

As the building principal, you lead by example. What the principal does on a regular basis overtime, becomes the most important aspect of the school (D. Else, Personal. Communication, 1997). I really understood the power of that statement. When looking back at my former principals, I can see how their actions helped or hindered their leadership. Students and.staff will …

Educational Excellence For Administrating Schools : A Reflective Essay, Cynthia J. Lapel

Graduate Research Papers

A visionary leader must look at what the organization should be like to achieve educational excellence, and then be willing to undertake the necessary steps to achieve the vision. Educational excellence will take a strong-hold only when it evolves from a community commitment for excellence. This community consisting of students and teachers, as well as parents and the public, led by a visionary administrator, will develop a commonly held vision to achieve educational excellence for their school district.

Journal Of Pedagogy, Pluralism And Practice, Volume 1, Issue 2, Fall 1997 (Full Issue), Journal Staff

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

This issue of the Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism and Practice is dedicated to the memory of Paulo Freire who died on May 2, 1997 at the age of 75. Paulo Freire is the author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, The Politics of Education, Pedagogy of the City, Pedagogy of Hope and many other books that have created a radical discourse on liberatory education and have influenced teachers, theorists and cultural workers throughout the world. His last book, Pedagogia da Autonomia: Saberes necessários à prática educativa, is not yet translated in English, but is expected soon, possibly …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary/Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, James C. Cline

Graduate Research Papers

I have decided to become a principal based primarily.on what I have observed during my high school years and while teaching. I have witnessed administrators who did not do a very good job, and I have also observed and worked for administrators who do a superb job. Qualities that I have noticed in good administrators include: being fair; consistent; punctual; honest; a listener; and seen by the students, faculty and community. These administrators are also very good in public relations. These seven traits of good administrators are some goals I am trying to develop as I become an administrator.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Floyd Athay

Graduate Research Papers

I believe in being a proactive administrator. I do not want to be recognized simply as the authority figure in the school that is rarely seen. My door will always be open, and I will be seen in the classrooms as well as throughout the school. I want to be active in the teaching process.

My first year as a principal will be a time for me to become familiar with the school environment. I will not make any major changes the first year unless I am forced to do so. I believe that this time should be spent becoming …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, John Adam Barker Jr.

Graduate Research Papers

People have different goals, dreams and aspirations in life. Whereas some aspire to become doctors, lawyers and accountants, others long to serve as engineers, managers and politicians. One of my greatest missions in life is to serve as a school principal. The purpose of this paper is to share my beliefs, values, and vision on being a principal. Beginning with my experiences, it serves to highlight my vision, values, ethics, leadership style and technological plans I intend to implement.

The Roles Of The Secondary School Administrator : A Reflective Essay, Sara L. Oswald

Graduate Research Papers

A true leader must be able to do three things well: 1. Identify, What needs to be accomplished? 2. Be the world's best gopher. Support your staff by asking, How can I help you and support your program? and finally, 3. Say thank you to all who helped students achieve success along the way.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Kathleen F. Hartzler

Graduate Research Papers

As a future principal, there are four areas that I feel I will be doing the most work. Those four areas are: parental involvement, community involvement, leadership style and technology. The bottom line in all of this is student learning. We always ask, whether a teacher or administrator, what is best for children? I will reflect on leadership style, parent involvement, community involvement and technology all as part of improving our school system to achieve the best education our students can get.

Public Relations In Educational Organizations: Practice In An Age Of Information And Reform, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This collection of readings addresses the greatest demand being placed upon educational administrators in this, the Age of Information — using technology to create two-way communication systems within their organizations and between their organizations and their communities. The author integrates theories and techniques taken from a wide variety of leading theorists and practitioners in both public relations and educational administration to provide an interdisciplinary, contemporary foundation for practice.

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, …

An Analysis Of Local Response To State Initiated School Reform Legislation: Michigan Public Act 25, A. Bruce Watson

Dissertations

Educational reform has been a topic of interest to educators, politicians and tax payers for over a century. Michigan’s educational reform legislation, Public Act 25. enacted in 1990, is a shared-responsibility model where the state and local school district share responsibility for implementing four major educational reform components. These components are, core curriculum, annual educational report, school improvement planning and accreditation.

The study was designed to answer the following two research questions. Initially, do elementary principals in Michigan public elementary schools perceive educational reform indicators and conditions to be in enough strength to allow educational reform to continue under Public …

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 …

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

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 …

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 Affecting The Academic Success Of Students Transitioning From Middle School To High School, Garry Lee Newton

Theses and Dissertations

Expectations for students in middle school and students in high school differ. Administrators and teachers have a responsibility to insure that these students are prepared academically to succeed when leaving the eighth grade and entering the ninth grade. Currently this is not the case in many middle schools and junior high schools. In Pocomoke, Maryland the high school principal, Dr. James H. Vansciver, (Marshall, Scott & Sikes, 1993, p. Preface), claimed that just as isolationism was not successful in preventing the United States from becoming involved in a global conflict, neither is it a successful strategy for individual schools to …

Administrative Evaluation : What Will It Take To Succeed?, Steven J. Cose

Graduate Research Papers

What is a leader? According to Guthrie and Reed (1991), " A leader is an individual who accepts the authoritative expectations of others to responsibly guide the activities and enhance the performance of an organization." As education changes, the leadership role is taking on new dimensions. What will it take for me to become an effective educational administrator? As I look back on my coursework, the one issue that continuously appeared was the idea of establishing a vision. The key point made in each class was that to be an effective leader, an administrator needed to develop both short and …

Case Studies Of Beginning Teachers, Theodore J. Kowalski, Roy A. Weaver, Kenneth T. Henson

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Case Studies of Beginning Teachers offers a collection of 35 case studies of first-year teaching experiences — a mixture of true dilemmas and best solution scenarios — that bridge educational theory and practice to shed light on actual problems and challenges new teachers most often confront.

Contemporary School Administration: An Introduction, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Contemporary School Administration presents a pragmatic approach to school administration as a career choice, offering a broad, comprehensive overview of educational leadership in both public and private schools.

The initial chapters provide a foundation for understanding leadership and management, the primary components of administration. Common questions students ask regarding academic study, licensure, job opportunities, income, and career development are featured in the early chapters. The text is also unique in that it covers critical topics ignored in most other introductory books. Examples of these topics include private schools, women and minorities in administration, and communication. Content does not overlap with …

The Relationship Of Leadership, Socioeconomic Status, And School Size In Developing School Culture: A Study Of Elementary School Principals, Janice Marie Ott

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Schools are being called upon to restructure, to make fundamental systemic changes which require a change in the culture of schooling. Little is known about how school culture develops. What role do leaders play in shaping culture? What influences do building size and the socioeconomic status of the students have on the culture?

The purpose of this study was to explore these relationships and to cluster and describe the culture profiles among Iowa elementary schools. A survey of a random sample of 250 Iowa elementary principals provided perceptual data from 214 respondents.

Based on the Competing Values theoretical model, four …

Case Studies On Teaching, Theodore J. Kowalski, Roy A. Weaver, Kenneth T. Henson

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Case Studies on Teaching is a unique book designed to infuse reality into the process of preparing teachers. The contents are based on real issues and needs faced by new teachers at they commence their professional careers in elementary and secondary school classrooms. The thirty-six cases offer myriad opportunities for utilizing the case method of instruction. This method has received acclaim in law, medicine, and business curricula. Regardless of the professional context, case studies create interactions that mandate active learning.

An Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of The Dual Principal As An Instructional Leader, Alan L. Jones

Masters Theses

This field experience investigated the effects of assigning multiple buildings to one principal. This study investigated the perceptions of the dual principals' effectiveness as instructional leaders and the impact of the dual principalship on job functions. In 1985 the state of Illinois passed school reform legislation stating that 51 percent of an administrators' time must be dedicated to instructional leadership. By developing a survey instrument to collect data from principals in Illinois serving in the capicity of multiple building principals information containing demographics of the districts, buildings, principals and perceptions of principals was tabulated. Even though the Illinois school reform …

Planning And Managing School Facilities, Theodore J. Kowalski

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Theodore Kowalski addresses the administrative procedures associated with planning and managing school facilities. Practitioner interest in school facilities has been growing rapidly in recent years because decades of neglect, poor planning, and cost cutting have created a situation in which large numbers of America's school buildings are in need of major repair or replacement.

At the same time, the realization that costs related to repair and replacement have escalated significantly has fueled a new concern among school facility planning and management.

Writing for school administrators, superintendents, and board members as well as graduate students in education, Kowalski discusses planning from …

Teacher Perceptions Of And Satisfaction With The Power Base Uses Of Elementary And Secondary Principals, John P. Franzoia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was (1) to determine how elementary and secondary teachers in a large North Dakota school district perceived the power base use of their principals and (2) to determine how satisfied these teachers were with the power base use.

The researcher administered the Power Perception Profile- Perception of Other and a brief questionnaire to the teachers to study the relationship between satisfaction and background variables. Of 544 teachers in the district, 410 participated resulting in 379 usable responses, a total of 69.7% of all teachers in the district. Interviews were conducted with principals after results were …