George J Petersen

This exploratory case study focuses on the perceived and actual leadership characteristics and actions of district superintendents who focus on the core technology of education- curriculum and instruction. In-depth interviews were conducted with five district superintendents in California. The selection of superintendents for this study were guided by three criteria: Size of the school district, peer recognition as instructional leaders and aggregated increases in CAP (California Assessment Program) scores in grades 3, 3&6, and 3 6&8 for the academic years of 1986-87 to 1989-90. Interview responses indicated that superintendents in this study perceived four attributes to be essential in their ability to be successful instructional leaders. These attributes are: (I) Possession and articulation of an instructional vision: (2) the aeation of an organizational structure that supports their instructional vision and leadership: (3) assessment and evaluation of personnel and instructional ...

Abstract: For many disciplines, students are required to learn to work collaboratively in groups and to perform team-based activities such as brainstorming, collaborative problem solving, and cooperative decision-making. To support the learning of such team-based processes, many university courses require students to engage in short “group challenges. ” These challenges often comprise in-class experiences in which students form small teams and attempt to solve a simulated problem of practice. Upon completion of the challenge, students are usually asked to reflect upon their experiences and to evaluate their group dynamics, their collective time management, and other factors that might have contributed to the success and/or failure of the team effort. A common problem is students, like most people, are generally poor at self-reflection and have a difficult time objectively assessing their personal behavior as well as the behavior of their group. To address this problem, time-lapse vi...

The primary purpose of a UCEA Program Center is to work in a target area of interest over a substantial period of time through identifying and coalescing the interests and resources of UCEA-member and non-member institutions, school districts, and governmental agencies. Currently UCEA has eight program centers. Each of these centers has contributed greatly to UGEA's mission through their involvement of faculty in timely and significant work in focused areas of inquiry. The presence of these centers has also added, a vibrant dimension to their respective departmental academic activities. They have made substantial contributions to knowledge production and exchange of ideas in the field of educational administration and the varied organizations served by educational leaders. In this issue of the UCEA Review we want to share with our colleagues the names and institutions that house and support these centers as well as the focus of each center. We also want to remind you that at the...

A descriptive multiple regression approach was used to assess the job satisfaction of female and male public school superintendents taking part in a decennial survey conducted by AASA. Self-reported job satisfaction of public school superintendents was regressed on their affective reactions to specific job facets (supervision, co-workers, and compensation) and to contextual variables (type of school district, legislative mandates, and funding sources) purported to influence their job satisfaction. Results indicate that female and male superintendents were found to be similarly satisfied with their current job assignment but for different reasons as revealed by interaction terms addressed in the regression analyses.

Over the past decades several educational reform reports have underscored the importance of changing and enhancing educational leadership preparation (Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy, 1986; Holmes Group, 1986; NCEEA, 1987). These re­ ports clearly articulate the strategic role and importance of univer­ sity leadership programs and their impact on the quality of learn­ ing and development experienced by children in schools. Many of the leader preparation programs in the UCEA university consor­ tium have taken these reports seriously. They have re-examined what they do and made substantial strides in shaping their curricu­ lum and programs to meet the needs of their students and success­ fully prepare leaders and scholars for the new millennium. Sel­ dom are we presented with the opportunity to highlight the gains and achievements of our member institutions. In this and subse­ quent issues of the UCEA Review we will share with our colleagues the strengths and innovations o...

One of the major university program developments to emerge in response to societal, pedagogical, and economic pressures for change has been the cohort method of program delivery. Cohorts are touted for providing (a) clear program structure and course sequencing, (b) a supportive peer group, and (c) increased contact with instructors. Regardless of the claims, the literature reflects little research on the emergence, application, or efficacy of cohorts. We reviewed extant literature reporting the extensiveness with which cohort structures are used. We gathered data on the frequency of cohort usage as a focus of journal articles, papers, and dissertations between 1985–2000. For our analysis, we used dimensions of neo-institutional theory as a lens for exploring the processes by which cohorts have come to be scattered across the leadership preparation landscape. The neo-institutional theoretical perspective provides several approaches to exploring why and by what means a field converge...

Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/eda_fac_pub Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Economics Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Special Education Administration Commons, and the Urban Education Commons

Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/eda_fac_pub Part of the Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Economics Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Other Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Special Education Administration Commons, and the Urban Education Commons

participants then divided into small groups where work sessions focusing on the research being conducted by the graduate students would be discussed. Students gave detailed presentations of significant components of their studies and discussed challenges that their topic and approach posed. Each student received substantive feedback from peers and scholars. 24th David L. Clark Graduate Student Research Seminar Convenes in Chi~o George J. Petersen

For many disciplines, students are required to learn to work collaboratively in groups and to perform team-based activities such as brainstorming, collaborative problem solving, and cooperative decision-making. To support the learning of such team-based processes, many university courses require students to engage in short “group challenges.” These challenges often comprise in-class experiences in which students form small teams and attempt to solve a simulated problem of practice. Upon completion of the challenge, students are usually asked to reflect upon their experiences and to evaluate their group dynamics, their collective time management, and other factors that might have contributed to the success and/or failure of the team effort. A common problem is students, like most people, are generally poor at selfreflection and have a difficult time objectively assessing their personal behavior as well as the behavior of their group. To address this problem, time-lapse video has been...

This study investigated the criteria for admission to teacher education at 50 undergraduate universities accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). These universities varied in geographical location, public and private affiliation, and size of student enrollment. The study analyzed and evaluated admission criteria in light of recent educational reforms that call for higher standards and more qualified candidates, in order to ascertain whether the universities had actually implemented more demanding performance based criteria for teacher candidate selection. The study employed the qualitative and quantitative analysis of data drawn from university published materials, telephone inquiries, teacher-education and public school teacher interviews, and surveys of the dean, department chair, or director at the 50 universities. The study disclosed: (1) a general lack of consistency in requirements for admission to teacher candidate programs at the uni...

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has generated a significant amount of debate regarding its impact on education in the United States. At the heart of the issue we find the problematic relationship between external and internal control and the implication for organizational change and improvement. NCLB's reliance on data from annual student achievement scores to determine the future of schools, students and school personnel brings about a complicated and ominous challenge to the daily professional life of school superintendents. The demand for proven results, extensive evaluations, and data-driven decision-making has moved the role of the superintendent from the sideline to the frontline of supporting student achievement. As a result, superintendent preparation programs must also change. The requirements of NCLB push programs to develop candidates with the necessary knowledge, experiences and expertise to substantively address the new reform agenda. In this manuscript we discu...

This exploratory study focuses on the perceived and actual leadership characteristics and actions of five district superintendents in California who focused on the core technology of education - curriculum and instruction. In-depth interviews were conducted with these superintendents, their principals and members of their boards of education. The selection of superintendents for this study were guided by three criteria: peer recognition as instructional leaders, district demographics and aggregated increases in CAP (California Assessment Program) scores in grades 3, 3&6, and 3 6&8 for the academic years of 1986-87 to 1989-90. Interview responses indicated that superintendents in this study perceived four attributes to be essential in their ability to be successful instructional leaders. These attributes are: (1) Possession and articulation of an instructional vision; (2) the creation of an organizational structure that supports their instructional vision and leadership; (3) assessme...

This study examined the extent to which four independent variables (age, gender, education level, and district type) accounted for variability in superintendent community involvement. Two covariates associated with levels of community involvement (disposition toward community involvement and district enrollment) were infused to assess the impact of the independent variables. Analysis revealed that the model accounted for 8% of the variance as indicated both by R 2 and by adjusted R 2 . Given the number of respondents (1,867), this is considered a medium effect having practical implications in the applied setting. Among the four independent variables, only a single main effect (district type) was found.

The relationship between the superintendent and board of education has a significant impact on the quality of a district's educational program. This conceptual paper explores the implications of three distinct trends for that relationship: (1) changing demographics; (2) changes brought about by school reform; and (3) changes in superintendents themselves. The heart of this paper explores the impact of these trends on superintendent-board relationships in the future. After examining current research on superintendent-board relations, the paper considers recent demographic trends and speculates whether changing demographics would alter, in any substantive way, relations between superintendents and boards of education. In a similar vein, how do reforms such as the development of more comprehensive accountability systems (often tied to performance or merit pay for administrators) and changes in school governance models (such as the Chicago model) impact the relationship between supe...

The No Child Left Behind Act and its Influence on Current and Future District Leaders GEORGE J. PETERSEN* and MICHELLE D. YOUNG*: ABSTRACT The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has generated a sig-nificant amount of debate regarding its impact on education ...

The primary purpose of a UCEA Program Center is to work in a target area of interest over a substantial period of time through identifying and coalescing the interests and resources of UCEA-member and non-member institutions, school districts, and governmental agencies. Currently UCEA has eight program centers. Each of these centers has contributed greatly to UCEA’s mission through their involvement of faculty in timely and significant work in focused areas of inquiry. The presence of these centers has also added a vibrant dimension to their respective departmental academic activities. They have made substantial contributions to knowledge production and the exchange of ideas in the field of educational administration and the varied organizations served by educational leaders. In this issue of the UCEA Review we will share with our colleagues the focus, strengths, and contributions recently made by each of these centers.

Abstract: This study investigated the criteria for admission to teacher education at 50 undergraduate universities accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). These universities varied in geographical location, public and private ...

СорулдШ2002Ьу Sam Houston Press Education Leadership Rev¡ew 2002. Vol.3, No. 1,41-48 ISSN 1532-0723 Redesigning Leadership: An Ethical and Innovative Approach for Empowerment Federico J. Rodriguez California State University, Domínguez Hills The growing ...

The ability of the superintendent to communicate ethical leadership to the community and demonstrate a positive relationship with the board president and the board of education has considerable influence on communities' perceptions of the quality of educational programs and the ...

Elements of directed autonomy were visible in public education long before the concept had been defined in the scholarly literature on organizational management. Most notably, states established common curricula and adequacy standards and then held local school boards accountable for compliance. Civic engagement, a liberty-based process through which citizens exercise authority and power, was integral to this political arrangement (Cooper,

For the past two decades environmental research at the GKSS Research Centre has been concerned with airborne pollutants with adverse effects on human health. The research was mainly focused on investigating the dispersion and deposition of heavy metals like lead and mercury over Europe by means of numerical modelling frameworks. Lead, in particular, served as a model substance to study the relationship between emissions and human exposition. The major source of airborne lead in Germany was fuel combustion until the 1980ies when its use as gasoline additive declined due to political decisions. Since then, the concentration of lead in ambient air and the deposition rates decreased in the same way as the consumption of leaded fuel. These observations could further be related to the decrease of lead concentrations in human blood measured during medical studies in several German cities. Based on the experience with models for heavy metal transport and deposition we have now started to turn our research focus to organic substances, e.g. PAHs. PAHs have been recognized as significant air borne carcinogens for several decades. However, it is not yet possible to precisely quantify the risk of human exposure to those compounds. Physical and chemical data, known from literature, describing the partitioning of the compounds between particle and gas phase and their degradation in the gas phase are implemented in a tropospheric chemistry module. In this way, the fate of PAHs in the atmosphere due to different particle type and size and different meteorological conditions is tested before carrying out large-scale and long-time studies. First model runs have been carried out for Benzo(a)Pyrene as one of the principal carcinogenic PAHs. Up to now, nearly nothing is known about degradation reactions of particle bound BaP. Thus, they could not be taken into account in the model so far. On the other hand, the proportion of BaP in the gas phase has to be considered at higher ambient temperatures. The gaseous BaP is known to be subject to various degradation and metabolisation reactions caused by oxidants and sunlight. The model will be used to assess human exposure to various PAHs and their metabolites depending on different emission and weather scenarios either directly via PAHs in ambient air or by accumulation in the food chain when they are deposited over agricultural or fishing areas.