Case Studies on Educational Administration » (5th Edition)

This book immerses prospective administrators in the realities of practice. Problem solving and decision-making skills are addressed through the use of open-ended case studies.

Effective practice in school administration requires both leadership and management. In today’s reform-minded, information-based society, practitioners must be able to frame problems correctly and then make effective decisions to ameliorate them. As leaders, district and school-level administrators are expected to focus on what should be done to improve schools; as managers; they are expected to focus on how to do things successfully. The cases in this book are designed to make students think about common problems of practice by encouraging them to bridge theory and practice. More precisely, the cases are intended to hone four essential practitioner skills:

1. The ability to frame a problem correctly

2. The ability to develop and evaluate alternative solutions to a defined problem

3. The ability to use data and other facts to counter the influence of politics and emotion in decision making

4. The ability to grow professionally by engaging in reflective practice

Booknews

Kowalski (educational administration, U. of Dayton, Ohio) uses 24 case studies to train the reader in the issues and dilemmas that face an administrator. The case studies are grouped by topic<-->such as lounge talk, using committees to make key decisions, the principal changes some valued rules, and different perceptions of effective teaching<-->and, following background on the topic, the case study is laid out in detail, with the end result suppressed and replaced by a list of key issues and questions to provoke thought and discussion in the classroom. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)