Dinamiškos aplinkos reikalavimai įpareigoja švietimo institucijas nuolat keistis, persvarstyti ne tik naujus konceptualius veiklos principus, mokyklos narių naujų, neįprastų vaidmenų prisiėmimą (novatoriaus,kaitos iniciatoriaus,tarpininko,įgyvendintojo), bet ir diskutuoti apie optimalesnes valdymo strategijas,modelius, metodus. Todėl iš esmės turi būti kuriama nauja mokyklos veiklos erdvė. Visa tai lemia edukacinių novacijų ir jų diegimo procesų tyrimų poreikį, modernizuojant bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų veiklą. Tyrimo objektas: miesto ir rajono bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų veiklos modernizavimo ypatumų edukacinių novacijų kontekste vadovų ir pedagogų vertinimai. Tikslas: ištirti miesto ir rajono mokyklų veiklos modernizavimo ypatumus edukacinių novacijų kontekste, vadovų ir pedagogų požiūriu. Šiame darbe naudoti tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros, švietimo dokumentų analizė, nestandartizuota apklausa raštu, duomenų analizė ir interpretavimas. Tyrimo imtis. Tyrime dalyvavo 203 respondentai: 182 pedagogai, 21 vadovas iš Šiaulių ir Kelmės regionų mokyklų. Darbo teorinėje dalyje analizuojamos edukacinių novacijų sampratos ir raiškos teorinės interpretacijos; bendrojo lavinimo mokyklos veiklos modernizavimo procesas vadovų ir pedagogų veiklos kaitos procese.Empirinėje dalyje siekta identifikuoti miesto ir rajono mokyklų veiklos modernizavimo ypatumus edukacinių novacijų kontekste, vadovų ir pedagogų požiūriu; atlikti lyginamąją miesto ir rajono mokyklų pedagogų ir vadovų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Dynamic environmental conditions require the continuous change of educational institutions, a review of new conceptual operational principles and the assumption of novel unusual roles (those of novator, change initiator, mediator, implementer) by the school members, as well as a discussion of more optimal resources, management strategies, models, and methods. Therefore fundamentally new expanse of school activities should be developed. All this leads to the need for research into educational novations and their deployment in modernising the general education school activities. The subject of the research: The leadership and teacher assessment of the characteristics of city and district general education school activity modernization in the context of educational novations. The goal: A research into the characteristics of city and district general education school activity modernization in the context of educational novations from the leadership and teachers’ viewpoint. In the present paper, the following research methods were employed: the scientific literature and educational documentation analysis, a non-standardized written questionnaire survey, data analysis and interpretation. The research sample: 203 respondents participated in the research: 182 teachers and 21 heads of Šiauliai and Kelmė regional schools. The theoretical part of the paper provides the analysis of the theoretical interpretations, the classification, and the implementation of the concept and expression... [to full text]

Joe Louis Clark was the principal of Eastside High School (EHS) located in Paterson, New Jersey from 1982 to 1989. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to explore Mr. Clark’s leadership style as principal of EHS, and to investigate from the point of view of Mr. Clark’s former students, teachers, and administrators what, if any effect, his leadership style had at EHS, as well as on his students, teachers, and administrators’ lives during and subsequent to their time at EHS. I conducted this investigation by giving voice to my classmates, teachers, administrators and myself. I graduated from EHS during Mr. Clark’s tenure and I am a member of his first graduating class in 1986. When Mr. Clark arrived as principal, EHS was characterized by large numbers of students living at or below the poverty line, overcrowded classrooms, and outdated resources. Additionally, there were issues such as: high dropout rates, drugs, teenage pregnancy, violence towards students and teachers. In an attempt to raise the students’ Minimum Basic Skills Test scores and eliminate the violence at EHS, Mr. Clark was hired as the principal. Through face-to-face and telephone semi-structured, open ended in-depth interviews with twenty-two participants, I uncovered personal views of Mr. Clark’s leadership style. Mr. Clark used a leadership style that was characterized by the informants as autocratic, directive, charismatic and caring. The voices of his students, teachers, and administrators speak volumes about the strategies he developed that made an impact on their lives in addition to reforming EHS.

Skolor i Sverige ska kontinuerligt arbeta med skolutveckling. Enligt Skolverket är rektor ytterst ansvarig för att leda skolutvecklingsarbetet på respektive skolenhet. Skolutveckling innefattar många olika delar och innehåll där den inre organisationen på respektive skolenhet till viss del kan avgöra vilken inriktning utvecklingsarbetet bör ha. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka rektorers föreställningar om skolutveckling på den lokala skolenheten i relation till verksamhetsintegrerad grundlärarutbildning. Studiens ansats är kvalitativ, där det empiriska materialet utgörs av intervjuer med rektorer. Den  teoretiska utgångspunkten i denna studie grundar sig i ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv med en förståelsebaserad orientering. Resultatet av studien visar att skolutveckling bedrivs på många olika sätt. Exempel på skolutvecklingsarbete har utkristalliserats i olika teman såsom aktuell forskning, systematiskt kvalitetsarbete, samverkan och elevernas resultat. Den inre organisationen påverkar riktningen i detta utvecklingsarbete i form av den kultur som råder samt vilket utvecklingsområde det fokuseras på. I relation till skolutveckling upplever rektorerna den verksamhetsintegrerade grundlärarutbildningen positiv utifrån flera aspekter men framförallt att teori och praktik tillämpas vecka för vecka. Utbildningens utformning kan bidra till skapandet av gemensam kunskap och skolutveckling på arbetsplatserna. Dock har rektorerna en föreställning om att studenterna kommer bidra mer och mer  till skolutvecklingen under utbildningens gång. / Schools in Sweden should continuously work with school development. According to the National Agency for Education the principal is ultimately responsible for leading the work with school development. School development includes many different parts and content where the inner organization at the school units should prioritize the development work. The purpose of this study is to research principals’ notions around school development at the local school unit in relation to a work-integrated teacher education. The approach of the study is qualitative, where the empirical material consists of interviews with principals. The theoretical outset in this study is based on a social constructivism with understanding-based perspectives. The results show that school development is being carried out in many different ways. Themes that have emerged in the study in terms of school development are current research, systematic quality work, collaboration and the students’ results. The inner organization affects the development work by way of the existing culture as well as which area of development is being focused on. In relation to school development the principals experience the work-integrated teacher education in a positive way from several aspects but above all that theory and practice are carried out week by week. The formation of the education contributes in generating common knowledge and school development at the workplace. However, the principals have an idea that the students’ contribution to the school development increases during the education.

Student outcomes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is reported to be weak and empirical studies investigating the underlying causes have been called for. School organization is pointed out as essential, which highlights the role of school leaders in realizing ESD. This study aims to identify characteristic features of ESD active school organizations, by investigating how school leaders maintain high quality in their organizations. ESD is thus studied from an internal organizational perspective. Fourteen school leaders at ten upper secondary schools, active in ESD implementation, were interviewed and qualitative data quantified. A special focus was on school leaders’ transformative statements, in response to earlier criticism that ESD implementation has been too structural. Results consist of 26 identified quality criteria. By means of cluster analysis, the quality criteria were merged into four principal quality criteria: collaborative interaction and school development, student-centred education, cooperation with local society and proactive leadership and continuity. The school leaders’ quality strategies were identified through correlation analysis of their principal quality criteria. The quality strategies reveal a difference in the schools’ internal or external focus. An analysis of the school leaders’ quality statements in relation to their quality strategy implementation indicates that ESD to a large degree is introduced from a transformative perspective. One school in the study stands out as highly transformation-oriented, and has a quality strategy combining an internal and external focus, thus making it a possible benchmark for successful ESD-implementation. The study contributes a suggestion on how a progression of ESD implementation can take place and as well as possible obstacles. / Studier om implementering av Lärande för hållbar utveckling (LHU) visar att påverkan på elevers förståelse, attityder och agerande i frågan är liten. Det finns ett behov av att empiriskt undersöka hur skolans organisation kan underlätta en mer framgångsrik LHU implementering. Rektorernas roll pekas ut som central i det arbetet, men få studier har tidigare undersökt hur rektorer arbetar med skolorganisationen. I studien undersöks generella uttryck för kvalitet som rektorer anser viktiga i skolorganisationen för att åstadkomma en utbildning med hög kvalitet. Resultaten tolkas i ljuset av skolor som aktivt implementerar LHU. Studien söker svar på vad som utmärker de skolorganisationer som aktivt arbetar med LHU. 14 rektorer på 10 LHU-skolor har intervjuats. Kvalitativ data har kvantifierats i syfte att upptäcka mönster och sammanhang. Ett speciellt fokus har ägnats åt transforamtiva uttryck, som ett svar på tidigare kritik mot att LHU implementerats allt för strukturellt inom skolan. Resultaten redovisar kvalitetskriterier som rektorerna framhåller som viktiga samt specifika fokusområden för kvalitetsarbete. Skolor i studien med hög medvetenhet om transformativa uttryck inom skolans organisation utgör grund för en diskussion om hur strategier för LHU implementering kan utformas.

Organizational failure in Christian schools is a common phenomenon affecting millions of families in the United States. In the past 2 decades alone, more than 200 Christian schools closed each year; and many continued to struggle for survival. This trend presented significant challenge for the sustainability of faith-based schools that serve over 10% of grade-level students in the country. The purpose of this study was to examine internal and external factors impacting the performance of Christian schools and analyze existing theories of institutional effectiveness leading to the development of a sustainable framework. The research question addressed what type of organizational change and performance improvement model is suitable for Christian schools. A total of 32 participants from 5 schools with roles varying from students, alumni, parents, teachers, administrators, board members, and industry experts were interviewed using purposeful sampling method based on their demonstrated leadership capacities. Grounded theory was used for data analysis in categorizing responses using keywords, and synthesizing functional themes that lead to generate the theoretical framework. The result of the study was manifested as The CONCORD Model, featuring an integration of the core attributes of efficacy including academic excellence, visionary leadership, streamlined business processes, socio-cultural diversity, dynamic resource development, and community outreach and networking initiatives. The outcome of the study fills a void in existing literature by presenting a sustainable model for organizational leadership, strategic management, and efficient operations for Christian schools. The model can also be extended to serve transformational initiatives in related nonprofit institutions to impart positive social change and a brighter future for communities that value faith-based education and service for the common good.

Joe Louis Clark was the principal of Eastside High School (EHS) located in Paterson, New Jersey from 1982 to 1989. The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to explore Mr. Clark’s leadership style as principal of EHS, and to investigate from the point of view of Mr. Clark’s former students, teachers, and administrators what, if any effect, his leadership style had at EHS, as well as on his students, teachers, and administrators’ lives during and subsequent to their time at EHS. I conducted this investigation by giving voice to my classmates, teachers, administrators and myself. I graduated from EHS during Mr. Clark’s tenure and I am a member of his first graduating class in 1986. When Mr. Clark arrived as principal, EHS was characterized by large numbers of students living at or below the poverty line, overcrowded classrooms, and outdated resources. Additionally, there were issues such as: high dropout rates, drugs, teenage pregnancy, violence towards students and teachers. In an attempt to raise the students’ Minimum Basic Skills Test scores and eliminate the violence at EHS, Mr. Clark was hired as the principal. Through face-to-face and telephone semi-structured, open ended in-depth interviews with twenty-two participants, I uncovered personal views of Mr. Clark’s leadership style. Mr. Clark used a leadership style that was characterized by the informants as autocratic, directive, charismatic and caring. The voices of his students, teachers, and administrators speak volumes about the strategies he developed that made an impact on their lives in addition to reforming EHS.

Magistro baigiamajame darbe ištirtos lyderystės teorijų ir praktinio jų įgyvendinimo sąsajos bendrojo ugdymo mokykloje. Įvade yra aprašomas temos aktualumas ir ištirtumas, nurodoma problemas, iškeliamas tyrimo tikslas ir uždaviniai. Pirmojoje darbo dalyje analizuojama lyderystės sanmprata bei transakcinės, transformacinės ir pasidalytosios lyderystės teorijos bei jų taikymas bendrojo ugdymo mokykloje. Antrojoje dalyje analizuojama lyderystė bendrojo ugdymo mokykloje, lydersystė mokyklos vadovo ir mokytojų veikloje, lyderystės galimybių raiška teisiniuose švietimo dokumentuose. Trečiasis skyrius skirtas lyderystės teorijos ir praktikos sąsajų bendrojo ugdymo mokykloje tyrimo metodikos ir rezultatų aprašymui bei analizavimui. Išvadose pateikti apibendrinti tyrimo rezultatai, pateiktos rekomendacijos mokytojams, mokyklų vadovams ir švietimo politikams. / In Master's thesis was examined the interfaces of leadership theories and their practical implementation in general education school. The introduction describes the revelance and study of topic, indicates a problem, in the introduction is raised the goal and objectives of the investigation. The first part analyzes the conception of leadership and transactional, transformational and distributed leadership theories and their application in general education school. The second part analyzes leadership and its significance in general education school, leadership in school principals and teachers work, the expression of leadership opportunities in legal education documents. The third chapter is devoted to analyze the mothodology and results of leadership theory and practice interfaces in general school investigation. In the conclusions are summarized the results of investigation, submited recommendations for teachers, school principals and education policymakers.

This investigative study focused on challenges experienced by novice principals in executing their mandated leadership and management duties. A case study was conducted on four novice principals in the Pinetown District. Two headed a rural primary and high school respectively and the other two, an urban primary and high school respectively. The study investigated challenges experienced by novice principals, how they coped with these challenges and how they enacted themselves as assets to their schools. This qualitative study was located in the interpretive paradigm. Documents review, observations and semi-structured interviews constitute the research instruments for date generation. The study was framed by the distributive theory and the asset-based approach. Local and international scholastic works, on the research topic, were interrogated to seek insights into the progress so far made and determine the agenda to the explored. The analysis and discussion of the generated and presented data led to findings that demystified the world of novice principals. Clearly, they require pre-service induction or orientation, mentoring and coaching should accompany the in-service workshops for contextualisation of the theory learnt and informal networking to glean from the experience of peers. Higher stakeholder involvement and learning should be enhanced through the adoption of distributive leadership and the asset-based approach. The findings were utilised as the basis of making conclusions. It was concluded that capacity building initiatives are key to development even if novice principals are appropriately qualified, possessed accumulated experiences in leadership position as the Head of Department or Deputy principal and prior knowledge. It was also concluded that for the effective and efficient entrenchment of thee DoE’s legislated vision and direction of the democratic system of education, leadership should be shared or distributed. Individual capabilities should be determined and employed in the asset-based approach. Recommendations, informed by the conclusions were presented to facilitate how each theoretical conclusion can be translated into a workable practice in running schools effectively and efficiently. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

The introduction of the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) provided both opportunities and challenges to schools. As teaching and learning has continued to evolve and develop in accordance with new research, technological innovations and changing school populations so too has curriculum. The curriculum was designed to initiate a transformation in values, principles, and key competencies that are needed for learners to successfully participate in schooling and society. The New Zealand government introduced a new curriculum in 2007 with the intention of it being implemented into schools by 2010. The content of curriculum was guided by pedagogical understandings supported by research. This included an emphasis on schools having ownership of their curriculum. The 2007 curriculum also had a larger focus on educating the whole child not just on learning objectives. This research investigates how three schools have undertaken the implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum (2007), and the effects this implementation has had on teaching and learning. Using semi-structured interviews, the descriptive narratives of each teacher’s and school’s experience and understanding has been explored. The results indicated that the participating schools are embracing the new curriculum and that changes made due to professional development, teacher collaboration and curriculum implementation are directly affecting learning for children in a positive way.

Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-98).