Although there is a recurrent call for substantive reform in graduate programs in educational leadership, little has been written from the perspective of the new principal. This article reports the results of a survey of first-, second-, and third-year principals and assistant principals in which participants were asked to identify the knowledge and skill areas they perceived to be important to their initial success. The results suggest that principal preparation programs and district induction programs evaluate their individual areas of emphasis and make adjustments as appropriate.

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.

This article examines and compares teachers in a national sample of middle level schools to those in a selected group of highly successful middle level schools. The context within which they work, their preparation, their level of implementation of middle level best practices, and their involvement as teacher leaders are discussed. Results show some similarities, as well as some distinct and important differences in the two sets of teachers. Recommendations are made for teacher preparation programs as well as inservice professional development programs which can increase teacher effectiveness and are consistent with the expectations of No Child Left Behind.

An online survey of more than 1,400 middle level leaders (grades 5-9) was conducted as part of a national study. This article reports the findings; compares the results with previous studies conducted in 1965, 1980, and 1992; and discusses the implications and recommendations for recruiting initial training, and continuing professional development offuture middle level principals.

Vicki Nord Petzko is principal at Shakopee (Minn.) Junior High School. Recent major innovations in technology to monitor attendance, an increase in attendance policies that limit the number of acceptable absences, and more severe penalties for unexcused absences do not seem to have actually improved student attendance.In addition, only a small amount of investigation has been done into the multitude of other school characteristics that might be related to their attendance rates. The actual relationship between attendance and other school issues remains unidentified.The purpose of this study was to identify variables related to school attendance rates. Information about the community, characteristics of the school, and elements of the school attendance policy were identified and analyzed to determine if they could be used to predict the attendance rates of both the total school population and specific grade levels. The study did not examine characteristics of individual students. The intent was to determine, given other characteristics of a school, whether attendance policies make a difference in student attendance. The StudyFifty-nine public high schools in the seven county metropolitan area of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., were studied. The size of the schools ranged from 2,795 to 668 students.Demographic (community) variables were those over which the administrator had little or no influence ; that is, they were largely determined by family values, culture, or community economy. They included: The percent of students receiving free or reduced lunchThe percent of minority studentsThe size of the school Whether or not the school was experiencing declining enrollment The percent of students attending four-year colleges The percent of students attending two-year colleges. Organizational variables included those variables over which the administrator and school program had some influence. They had to do with program, allocation of funds,