Contemporary School Administration

Book excerpt: This book addresses career-related questions commonly asked by students beginning the study of school administration. As an introductory text, it presents a broad overview of school administration as a specialized field of study and as an applied field of professional practice. Special attention is given to describing the social, political, and economic contexts of contemporary practice. Chapter titles reflect the book's content: (1) "Perspective of Educational Administration"; (2) "Administration Roles in Professional Education"; (3) "The Study of School Administration"; (4) "School Administration: Requirements and Opportunities "; (5) "Control and Authority in Public Education"; (6) "Social, Political, and Historical Context of Private Education"; (7) "Organizational Dimensions of Schools"; (8) "The Roles of School in Society"; (9) "Administrative Strategies and Styles"; (10) "Behavior, Decision Making, and Reflective Practice"; (11) "Important Aspects of Practice"; (12) "Demands for School Reform"; (13) "Responses to Student Needs and Public Dissatisfaction"; (14) "Transforming the School"; (15) "Women and Minorities in School Administration"; and (16) "Planning Your Career." Each chapter contains implications for practice, points for further discussion, suggested activities, and list of references. (Contains a subject index.) (WFA).