Jerry W. Valentine

Creating Professional Communities in Schools through Organizational Learning: An Evaluation of a School Improvement Process

This article presents an analysis of the potential for a school improvement process to foster professional community in three rural middle schools through the processes of organizational learning. The findings of this 2-year qualitative case study demonstrate the tensions schools must negotiate between bureaucracy and professional community and suggest that four organizational factors influence the establishment of professional community: principal leadership, organizational history, organizational priorities, and organization of teacher work. The findings further suggest that double-loop learning is invaluable to sustain professional community.

Instructional, Transformational, and Managerial Leadership and Student Achievement: High School Principals Make a Difference

This statewide study examined the relationships between principal managerial, instructional, and transformational leadership and student achievement in public high schools. Differences in student achievement were found when schools were grouped according to principal leadership factors. Principal leadership behaviors promoting instructional and curriculum improvement were linked to achievement. Within transformational leadership, the principal’s ability to identify a vision and provide an appropriate model had the greatest relationship to achievement. Principal educational level also positively correlated with each leadership factor.

Beyond Interdisciplinary Teaming: Findings and Implications of the NASSP National Middle Level Study

This article reports trends and implications of interdisciplinary teaming practices in middle level schools, based on findingsfrom a national survey. Noting that nearly 80% of schools currently implement teaming the authors challenge principals and teachers to move beyond the simple formation of teams to the creation of an infrastructure that supports highperforming teams and thereby promotes improved student achievement.

Effective Principal, Effective School: Does Research Support the Assumption?.

How do principals of schools selected for the Department of Educations School Recognition Program compare with principals of schools lacking such recognition? Not surprisingly, these researchers determined that more effective schools are administered by more effective principals.

Audit of Principal Effectiveness: A Method for Self-Improvement.

The principal must constantly strive to obtain feedback data that can be translated into improvement strategies. To that end, these writers have developed an effectiveness audit.

Middle School Programmatic Practices and Student Satisfaction With School

The middle level school is a major educational response to the wide range of needs of young adolescents. Significant research supports various middle level education programmatic practices. It is important for researchers, middle school personnel, parents, and communities to know if implementing these middle school programmatic practices will, in fact, affect students.

Strategies for Faculty Nvolvement in Ffective Schools

By involving faculty members in setting school goals and implementing programs to reach those goals, principals demonstrate their role as instructional leader and promote better education. Three strategies for faculty involvement are offered here.

Assistant Principals Can Be Effective Counselors, Mediators

The key to improving ones effectiveness as a disciplinarian is to recognize that students are people too. Thats what this school administrator advises as he describes how assistant principals must function as both counselors and mediators if they hope to succeed in mollifying disruptive students.

Preparing Your Assistant for the Principalship.

Principals have an obligation to groom and help develop their assistants for the principalship, says this writer, who goes on to explain why, all too often, this does not happen.

What You Say Does Make a Difference

Verbal interaction with the various segments of school and community is the principals most time consuming and important activity. This article reports a study of how verbal expression can affect a schools climate.