Educational Leadership Commons^™

A Team Approach To Reaching Consensus And Making Decisions, Deon Senchina

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

A strong positive relationship between the board of education and the superintendent is crucial to consistently effective decisions. Likewise, an effective decision-making process is necessary to create and maintain a strong board of education/superintendent relationship. This inter-relationship is vital because while board level decisions are voted upon by the board, they are crafted by a team. This team is comprised of the board, the superintendent, and central office administrators. The relationships between team members can enhance or diminish the district's ability to make effective decisions. Team members need to be open with each other, have personal maturity, and excellent communication …

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

No abstract provided.

Strengthening Board Of Education And Superintendent Relationships, Jean Morgan

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

As schools today begin restructuring themselves into schools of the future, we will have to change the responsibilities and job descriptions for both school board members and superintendents. They will become the educational leaders for all the learners in their communities. Learners of the future will know that learning is a birth to death process. This philosophy will require board members and superintendents to be cooperative, openminded and future thinking educational partners.

Fundamental beliefs in this partnership are very important in forming a base for a good working relationship. These beliefs are the key elements that any good working relationship …

Changing A Vision Into An Education Reality, Gloria Hoffmann

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

“Where There is No Vision, the People Perish" (Proverbs 29:18). This ominous message points to "vision" as more than a buzz word for those involved in educating the citizens of the 21st century.

But, just what is meant by "vision?" One dictionary definition may have special implications for educators: The power of perceiving something not actually present to the eye, whether by supernatural insight, imagination, or clear thinking. Clear thinking leads to the realization that our focus must be on expectations and student outcomes that result in responsible and productive citizens. Teaching techniques, technology, and curriculum content, as important as …

Tale Of One School, Patricia R. Roach

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Once upon a time there was a school, a small school to be sure, that wandered aimlessly through the forests and cities of every educational idea. It would decide, rather randomly, that this idea sounded good, that one might be interesting, they would enjoy teaching that, a that the building would work well for this. It was a pleasant little school. Everyone was happy. The board of directors was happy. The superintendent was happy. The teachers were happy. The students were satisfied. Average was wonderful.

One day the happiness was shattered by cutbacks in state funds. There was talk of …

People Skills, Beverly S. Barr

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Communication, whether short-term or long-term, is obviously a two-way process. Both parties have to be able to listen as well as verbalize. Both have to be able to work with a variety of people. Therefore, to ensure communication between a superintendent and a board of education, or any other group or individual, training and continued growth are needed in how to work with different types of people and how to develop better people skills.

In talking to a variety of superintendents and board members, a mixture of key terms and ideas were repeated that they felt were necessary for good …

Cover - Front Matter - Table Of Contents

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

No abstract provided.

Where The Education Meets The Goal, Brad Rasmussen

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Recently we celebrated Martin Luther King's birthday and he had a dream-all people would be treated equally. I believe he wanted all to have advantages and chances to be successful. Arthur Ashe, also a leader for equal opportunities and having patience for all, knew each wild mistake is necessary for children to learn. However, I guess we have not learned this and probably never will. Facilitators have actually succeeded at raising the standards of all individuals and not just a select few. I really do not have time for the teachers who feel only a select few should enjoy the …

Issue Area Three: Impact Of Various Assessment Models On Students, Schools, And College Entrance, Cheryl Budlong

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Assessment can be defined as the broad process of collecting data used to make decisions about students or programs. Data may include quantitative (measurement) data, qualitative data, or both as a crucial aspect leading toward evaluation. Evaluation, the highest level of assessment, is the process of judging the value or worth of something. In education, this may refer to the quality of a student's performance or a program. As judgment, therefore, evaluation is predominantly a human activity, not a technical one (Boody).

Educational leaders are discussing assessment from a multidimensional perspective: norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, performance-based, authentic, alternative, and others (Phye). Frequently …

Authentic Assessment Breathes New Life Into Secondary Schools: A Practitioner's View, Sherry L. Dogruyusever

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

A visit to an elementary classroom will find students abuzz with excitement. Hands-on activities and cooperative learning are the basis of instruction. Students proudly display many examples of their work. The teacher works with each student, encouraging individual solutions to problems. As students progress through the system, however, more and more focus is on content and less and less on process. By the high school years students frequently spend hours on end listening, taking notes, completing worksheets, and answering simple recall questions. Many classes are not engaging, and students see little relevance in what they are studying. Some students are …

Issue Area Four: Assessing Readiness Of Students To Start School: How Do We Know When Kids Are Ready To Learn In A School Setting?, Kenneth L. Rigdon

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Assessment should be considered an information-gathering technique, used primarily to help students thrive. It is, at best, a momentary snap-shot. Presently, the purpose of screening students seems to be to determine their readiness to fit in our formal system, thus excluding certain children who do not meet some pre-determined level of criteria set by the school or district. Such an approach makes children "square pegs" to fit the "round hole" of the system. When discussing the idea of assessment, then, the question becomes "ready for what?" This issue group quickly reached consensus on the fact that any assessment of children …

Assessing Readiness Of Students To Start School: Ready For What?, Dania S. Clark-Lempers

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

In assessing the readiness of students to start school, many facets must be considered. In the field of early childhood education, it has become a stock statement that "the school needs to be ready for the child," rather than, "The child needs to be ready for the school." However, as we look at the reality of what is possible in schools with limited resources, the questions become, "How can we meet the needs of the diverse group of children entering our schools?" and "What are the limitations in meeting those needs?" Only when we can answer these questions at each …

All Children Are Ready To Learn In A School Setting, Linda Gray Smith

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

All children are ready to learn in a school setting. The real question is-is the school ready for the child? Young children are natural learners. They are unique individuals who develop and learn at different rates, in different ways. They learn through sensory experiences; expressing and representing thoughts and feelings through a variety of media and forms. When they are secure and valued, young children learn best. They are curious, enthusiastic learners who want to know about the world around them. Young children learn through whole-body activities, active participation, and play. They construct knowledge; they continually act upon and organize …

Accountability: School And Community Acting In Concert, Celia R. Burger

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Accountability in education can be improved. However, that change can occur only if the public acts in concert with the schools by striving to improve the quality of life in the community. Higher standards of education cannot be achieved if the basic needs of students and their families are not met. The public must focus energies on investing more dollars in regular instruction, teachers' salaries, and professional development with equitable distribution across districts. This focus must include "jobs, health care, reduction of violence in families and in neighborhoods, and increased funding for day care, bilingual education, summer programs-for young people, …

A View From The Boardroom, Lametta Wynn

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Each director has her/his own reason for seeking a seat on the board. Perhaps a district conflict brought the person on the board, a particular agenda, or an axe to grind. No matter what the reason, we soon learn, if we don't already know, that as board members conflict is inevitable. For example, conflict may be among board members, between board and certain community members, or between board and district employees. A means of bringing a board together if conflict persists might be a workshop directed at sharpening listening skills, seeking alternative solutions, and stressing the importance of being certain …

Issue Area Six: Developing Positive Links With The Community, Wayne J. Lueders

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

This focus group first defined the structure within which positive links with the community take place. The following vision statement was developed:

The board, staff, and community exist in a dynamic entity encompassing the learner. The components of the entity expand and contract in relation to the world (society/environment) in which they exist.

A model was developed in an attempt to graphically represent the vision statement. The model consists of three overlapping circles surrounded by a fourth large circle. The smaller individual circles represent (a) the board, (b) the school staff, and (c) the community/parents. The larger circle which encompasses …

Service-Oriented, Student-Centered Approach Will Help Schools Gain Community Credibility, Thomas E. Davis

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

If educators are truly concerned about the future of schools, and education in general, we must recognize the importance of a positive relationship between a community and its schools. Each of us has a common interest in looking at school/community relations to improve education and the learning for students, to prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing world, and to ensure a bright future for our communities and our country.

To be successful, educators will need to shed the image of maintaining the status quo and waiting to see what happens. Instead, they will develop more innovative and proactive …

Executive Summary, Dave Else

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Since the Nation At Risk report was presented to the American public in 1983, there has been a combination of increasing demands for accountability and the desire to measure a variety of complex educational outcomes in elementary and secondary schools.

State standards, national standards, natural assessment, performance assessment, authentic assessment, evaluation, standardized tests, norm- referenced tests, and outcomes-based education are just a few of the euphemisms that swirl around educators as they address the intricacies of school transformation (Biemer, 1993).

While many voices call for a variety of changes in education, the primary challenges have been deciding what it is …

Contemporary Testing And Assessment: Critical Issues In Context, Peggy A. Pruisner

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Envision the distress of a patient suffering from an extremely high fever. Imagine, too, the physician's inappropriate response, "This is a serious illness. We must rush to design a better thermometer!" Analogous to this medical faux pas is our approach to contemporary assessment problems in American education: refining testing and assessment is important to the continual improvement of our system, but it is certainly not the panacea to all of our educational ills.

Prerequisite to improving wide-range accountability to high standards through assessment is the facilitation of educational transformation and change. We are painfully aware that our traditional system is …

Issue Area Two: Use Of Technology In Assessment, Monitoring, And Reporting: What Are The Implications Of Total Learning Management Systems For Classrooms And School Districts?, Floyd Winter

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The topic of this conference, "Challenges Facing Student Assessment in the '90s," highlights one of the most interesting areas of education today. The continuing discussion and dialogue at the local, state, and national levels on the assessment of student achievement has generated many questions.

The papers in this section address the use of technology in the overall transformation of American education. Participants explored many facets of student assessment, emphasizing on the use of technology in assessment, monitoring, and reporting. Questions also developed on the implications of total learning management systems for classrooms and school districts in reporting student achievement. Participants …

Assessing Readiness Of Students To Start School: How Do We Know When Kids Are Ready To Learn In A School Setting?, Bruce C. Amendt

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

I believe the questions for this issue on readiness should be: Should we assess and screen children from school attendance based on the results of readiness testing? Should schools accept all age eligible children?

I believe readiness testing should not be utilized to deny access to children. Schools should be prepared to provide an appropriate education to all age eligible children. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) stated it best in their appropriate practice statement:

In public schools, there is a place for every child of legal entry age, regardless of the developmental level of the …

Gesell And Vygotsky: Alternative Approaches To Readiness, Melissa L. Heston

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The concept of "readiness" has a long history within the realm of developmental psychology and an almost equally long history within the realm of education. This concept can be traced to the early work of Arnold Gesell and his colleagues who collected extensive data on the developmental advances of children (Gesell & Ilg, 1949). Gesell placed heavy emphasis on the role of biological factors including genetics in determining the rate at which individual children progressed through a universal and hierarchical set of developmental milestones. The environment, provided it fell within the extremely wide range of normal environments, played little role …

No Single Accountability, Linda A. Fernandez

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Requirements for public school accountability have increased dramatically in the decade since the publication of the A Nation at Risk report. Schools have risen to the demands of accountability through a multitude of methods such as instituting and institutionalizing standardized tests; and tracking statistics of attendance, drop-outs, and credits earned; systematically informing and educating the public in understanding measures of student achievement. In spite of, or perhaps related to, increasing communication about education to the public, the demand for school reform has increased in urgency in recent years. Accountability does not guarantee approval.

Executive Summary, David Else

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

It is not surprising that the relationship between superintendents and boards of education has become frayed. ''The current pressures to improve schools and increase their accountability to the public have been one of this century's longest and most sustained periods of national attention," according to Stanford professor, Larry Cuban (cited in Goldstein, 1992, p. 15). He further noted the attention has been all negative. Often boards of education and superintendents are viewed as the persons responsible for American education that does not fare well in world comparisons, higher taxes, a struggling economy, and a host of other educational ills. The …

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 …

Nova University Graduate Education Module (Gem) Master's And Educational Specialist Degrees: Educational Leadership Program In Florida 1993, Nova University

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive

No abstract provided.

Academic Leadership In Advancement Activities: A Dimension Of The Dean's Role In American Higher Education, Frank Cortez Flores Jr.

CGU Theses & Dissertations

In an atmosphere of declining support, rising costs, and an increasing emphasis on quality education, the need for effective fund-raising is important to American higher education. During the past decade, institutions of higher education, both public and private, faced difficult financial problems with no apparent end in sight. A growing number of colleges and universities have been threatened by the unstable economy and shrinking applicant pools and are faltering under this threat. Private higher education seems to be especially vulnerable to financial difficulty and has been historically dependent upon philanthropic support to complement traditional revenues in an effort to remain …

Academic Achievement Of Administratively Placed Students, Donna D. Goodson

Theses and Dissertations

In an attempt to curb the dropout rate, Troup County School System has developed several programs that focus on students identified as at-risk. A characteristic associated closely with many at-risk youth is having been retained in grade. A policy in the middle schools in Troup County is designed to identify students who have been retained in grade two years and assign them to a higher grade in an attempt to place them with others closer to their own age. This study is an attempt to follow-up on the progress of seventeen students who participated in the program in 1989.

This …

A Handbook For Investigative Science Projects Including An Introduction To Statistical Analysis, George E. Averill

Theses and Dissertations

A Handbook for Investigative Science Projects: Including an Introduction to Statistical Analysis provides a step-by-step procedure from how to select a project to displaying the finished product. The handbook fills the gap in the literature between guidance for elementary students and graduate level research. Both middle and secondary teachers may wish to use the handbook as a resource guide when planning remedial instruction. Advanced students at the secondary level should be able to read and understand the handbook on their own. It includes specific instructions for keeping a professional logbook, budgeting time, researching the literature, evaluating the results, and writing …

A Design For Implementing A Simulation For Training School Principals In Decision-Making Utilizing Videodisc Technology, Robert Henry Wright

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to design a simulation using a personal computer-based authoring system that could serve as a vehicle for investigating decision-making styles of educational administrators. The program was designed to be used at the graduate level for students seeking advanced degrees in educational leadership. The simulation makes use of simulation techniques for controlling presentation of material and data collection for subsequent analysis about information search and utilization procedures of administrators. The study was undertaken to demonstrate that nontechnical personnel using state-of-the-art technology could develop affordable and effective multimedia simulations. The study was also designed to demonstrate …