Van E. Cooley

School Accountability and Professional Job Responsibilities: A Perspective From Secondary Principals

This article reports how secondary principals perceive the status of the accountability movement and their professional job responsibilities in the context of accountability. The data were collected frm a nationally representative sample of secondary principals during the Schools and Staffing Survey 1999-2000. Respondents reported that there were specific incentives or corrective measures for meeting performance goals, that numerous responsibilities were added to their traditional roles, that they paid substantial attention to instructional leadership, and that management tasks still occupied more time and energy than leadership initiatives.

Critical issues in using data for decision‐making

Based on their experience of direct work with 16 principals in a midwest state in the USA, collaborative work with the state department of education and the major state‐level professional associations and universities in the same state, and other state‐level initiatives across the USA, the authors discuss eight critical issues concerning data‐informed decision‐making: (a) an overemphasis on achievement data based on standardized tests, (b) data ‘of’ learning vs ‘for’ learning, (c) the need to intersect student achievement data with other streams of data, (d) the need to improve the technological infrastructure for data analysis in school districts, (e) the politics of data, (f) the role of university teacher education and administrator preparation programs in the movement of data‐informed decision‐making, (g) the function and role of data in the educational process, and (h) the limitations of data‐informed decision‐making in improving the educational system.

Perspectives on factors influencing application for the principalship: a comparative study of teachers, principals and superintendents

There has been a shortage of qualified applicants for principalship positions in the USA. We conducted a study to inquire into the factors influencing the application for principalship as perceived by teachers, principals, and superintendents. Analysing the data collected from 198 teachers, 306 principals, and 370 superintendents via factor analysis, ANOVA and post‐hoc comparison, rank order correlation, and discriminant function analysis, we found: (a) that a variety of factors influence the application for principalship; (b) that there are differences among teachers, principals, and superintendents in their perceptions; (c) that the factors are more related to ‘extrinsic rewards’ than ‘intrinsic rewards’; and (d) that teachers need to know more about what the principalship entails. The findings lead to a discussion about policy implications such as: (a) addressing the principalship shortage as a multi‐faceted policy issue; (b) redefining the principalship; (c) balancing the perspectives when developing policy to address principalship shortage; and (d) strengthening the leadership preparation programs for those teachers who aspire to be principals.

Who Will Lead? The Top 10 Factors That Influence Teachers Moving into Administration

The top 10 factors that influence teachers who are applying for an administrative position describe a complex list of “wants and needs” for this new generation of school leaders. A study strongly suggests that organizational relationships, more than any other factors, affect a teachers willingness to seek an administrative position in a particular district.

Data-Informed Decision Making on High-Impact Strategies: Developing and Validating an Instrument for Principals.

In this study, the authors connect 3 streams of literature to develop an instrument for measuring the degree to which principals engage in data-informed decision making on high-impact strategies that are empirically associated with higher student achievement. The 3 literature streams are (a) the importance of data-informed decision making, (b) the role of principals in school effectiveness, and (c) high-impact strategies for raising student achievement. The authors used Marzanos (2003) 11 high-impact strategies as a framework to develop items and collected data from 256 principals in Michigan to test the reliability (internal consistency) and (construct and factorial) validities of the instrument. The instrument, “Data-Informed Decision-Making on High-Impact Strategies: An Inventory for Principals,” demonstrates good psychometric properties. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Entering and leaving school administrative positions

By analysing survey data collected from 457 students in 29 school administration programmes across the United States, this study examines (a) the relative importance of factors related to deciding to enter and to potentially leave school administration and (b) the canonical correlation between reasons for entering and leaving administration. It is found that the respondents decided to enter administration primarily for self-actualization, esteem, and affiliation purposes. However, ‘hygiene’ factors, such as salary, would play an important role in staying in administration. It was also found there were statistically significant canonical correlations between reasons for entering and leaving administration. Implications for recruiting and retaining school administrators are discussed.

Gender differences in reasons for entering and leaving education administration: discriminant function analyses.

Using discriminant function analyses on survey data collected from 457 students in 29 education administration programs across the United States, the authors inquired into whether men and women decide to enter and possibly leave education administration for different reasons. There were statistically significant functions separating men and women in their reasons for entering and leaving education administration. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Quality and Impact of Educational Leadership Programs: A National Study:

Executive Summary A national sample of 417 students from 29 U.S. colleges and universities was surveyed on the quality and impact of their educational leadership programs. The results indicated that the participants were positive about the quality of the programs and that they developed a more comprehensive understanding of educational goals and schooling functions after entering the programs. However, the participants indicated that the programs should be changed to accommodate their preference for skill- and practice-oriented courses, and that it is still possible for someone who knows education to be a reasonably good administrator without going through a leadership program. Challenges for educators of school leaders were discussed in the light of the findings.

Tips for Implementing a Student Assistance Program.

Heres how two neighboring school districts combined resources to develop a program for at-risk students. The program proved successful and now operates countywide.

Improvement in Leadership, Curriculum, Staff Development Can Lead to Long-Term Gains.

Pressures mount to apply bandaid solutions to educations prob lems, observe these educators, who caution administrators against cosmetic approaches if schools are to become truly effec tive.