Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS, www.nationalforum.com (Founded 1982)

1. NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION & SUPERVISION JOURNAL
VOLUME 31, NUMBER 1, 2013
FOREWORD
NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND
SUPERVISION JOURNAL
w
ith this issue, we complete our 31 st year of publishing the
NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS. All journals are national
refereed, blind-reviewed, peer-evaluated, juried professional
periodicals. Other articles are published on our national and world-wide
website: www.nationalforum.com. Since 1982, the NFEAS JOURNAL has
published the scholarly contributions of exactly 1,365 colleagues with
exactly 988 titles – far surpassing any other modern day journal in
administration, both nationally and internationally. With each issue, the
NFEAS JOURNAL reaches professionals world-wide.
I want to thank all our colleagues who have served with distinction
as national referees. Thank you for providing input coupled with financial
support in helping to continue to build and strengthen the NFEAS
JOURNAL. You have my deepest appreciation for your honesty, wisdom,
advice, and monetary support.
NFEAS JOURNAL – THE NATION’S BEST
INCREASING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
The printed copies of the family of NATIONAL FORUM
JOURNALS are distributed throughout the United States and abroad. All of
our journals are distributed to our colleagues in Africa, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, China, Denmark, Germany,
Finland, France, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, South
Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. We
believe the copies published and distributed nationally and internationally
will afford others the opportunity to read and implement the scholarly
contributions of colleagues in order to help improve administration and
supervision in schools for the ultimate benefit of students. The NFEAS
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NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION & SUPERVISION JOURNAL
JOURNALS will persist in an effort to provide the venue for dissemination
of research that has the potential to provide the momentum for positive
change that leads to improvement in student learning and achievement.
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS
www.nationalforum.com
THE NEW NORMAL IN PUBLIC EDUCATION:
CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT
James D. Laub
Invited Guest Editor
This edition of the National FORUM of Educational
Administration and Supervision Journal examines the importance on
improvement, both in the classroom and in school leadership. Public
education in America is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that is funded almost
exclusively by tax dollars. As such, accountability issues have emerged as
the guiding principle in public education. With accountability comes
improvement, the two issues cannot be separated. The status quo in public
education must always be examined and questioned; after all, we are
responsible for the greatest asset in this country, our children.
In order to implement changes leading to school improvement, a
climate of trust and cooperation must be established between faculty and
administration. The adage “people support what they help to create” is an
excellent precept to introducing change on a campus and in a school district.
Without a doubt, the Principal is the person primarily responsible for
setting the climate on their campus. Principals must be thoroughly trained in
both best practices, as well as the theoretical foundations of educational
administration, in order to understand the importance of climate and change.
In the first article of this edition, the need for greater emphasis on principal
preparation is addressed by Eddins, Kirk, Hooten, and Russell. They
examine a comprehensive 360 degree model for data
assessment into principal improvement.

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In addition to the overall climate on a campus, the climate of a
classroom has a direct impact on student performance and success. The
classroom is where the majority of interactions between teacher and student
take place – where the “rubber meets the road”. In the second article,
Kearney and Peters compare student and teacher perceptions of classroom
climate, attempting to identify factors that enhance or detract from student
performance and success.
The Superintendent is responsible for the overall climate of the
district. A well-qualified, well-compensated Superintendent may have more
incentive in creating a positive climate in the district and implementing
change; more so than less-qualified, less-compensated Superintendents. In
the third article, Burkman and Lester examine the equality of pay between
Superintendents in Texas, and possible solutions to the issue.
In the concluding article, Fred C. Lunenburg discusses school
reform and the why reform efforts have failed. Lunenburg expertly argues
that in order for school reform efforts to be successful, a set of core
principles must be followed.
In summary, the contributors to this journal have considered the new
normalcies in education and are proposing new solutions worthy of
consideration.
I wish to thank all the writers who have contributed to this issue of
the NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL. Finally, I would like to personally thank
William Allan Kritsonis for providing this publishing and editorial
opportunity as we further advance in our quest for excellence in education.
James D. Laub
Invited Guest Editor
NFEAS Journal
Dedication

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NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION & SUPERVISION JOURNAL
It is with a heavy heart that I humbly dedicate this issue of the
NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND
SUPERVISION JOURNAL to Ben C. DeSpain, EdD, a dear friend,
mentor, educator, and colleague. Sadly, Ben passed away in February 2013,
after a lifetime of dedication to students, stakeholders, and the field of
education. He served as a College President, Dean, Department Chair and
Professor for various colleges and universities. Prior to entering higher
education, Ben served public schools as a Superintendent, Principal, Teacher,
and Coach.
James D. Laub