Review of \u3ci\u3eLeaders Who Dare: Pushing the Boundaries\u3c/i\u3e by L. L. Lyman, D. E. Ashby, & J. S. Tripses

Leaders Who Dare provides anecdotal and analytical accounts of leadership by outstanding women educators in Illinois. Initially an ambitious passionate project ... to tell the stories of Illinois\u27 outstanding women educators, many who have been honored at Dare to Be Great conferences (p. xi), the book documents the work of women honored annually by the Illinois Women Administrators (IWA) organization for daring ... to lead themselves and others to new possibilities (p. xv). The book\u27s purpose is to describe the how and why of the leadership practices of outstanding Illinois leaders .... (p. 3). These stories of leaders within one state highlight the importance of understanding and, at times, challenging local and state organizational, political, and social contexts in the practice of educational leadership

Slow Path to the Superintendency: Women\u27s Social Networks and Negotiation Skills

Women superintendents in one Midwestern state participated in this study of their personal demographics, professional qualifications and career paths, and demographics of districts and boards of education that hired them. Participants identified characteristics, skills, and barriers to women seeking superintendencies. Thirty-one of 36 women superintendents completed a survey, with six participating in follow-up interviews. Initial analysis supports existing research on women superintendents. A second analysis of interview data using Babcock and Laschever\u27s (2003) research on women\u27s negotiation skills and social networks as a theoretical framework suggests implications to train and support women aspiring to the superintendency. Historically underrepresented in school leadership, women have struggled to gain access to top administrative positions dominated by white males (Blount, 1998; Brunner & Grogan, 2007; Grogan & Brunner, 2005; Marshall, 2004; Shakeshaft, 1999; Tallerico & Blount, 2004). The superintendency is the most male-dominated executive position in any profession in the United States (Dobie & Hummel, 2001). Engrained cultural and social norms have perpetuated men\u27s overrepresentation (Grady, 1992, 1995; Shakeshaft, 1989, 1999), yet, firm explanations for the under representation [of women in superintendencies] continue to elude us (Banks, 2001, p.77). This study describes women superintendents in one Midwestern state. Women superintendents described personal demographics and career paths, demographics of school districts and boards of education that hired them, and skills, characteristics, and barriers they thought were important in their selection. Thirty-five acting women superintendents were asked to complete a mail survey. Six women provided detailed insights about their experiences in follow-up interviews with the first author, the remaining woman superintendent in the state

Challenges balancing collaboration and independence in home-school relationships: Analysis of parents’ perceptions in one district

Abstract Research has documented the important role that parental involvement plays in children's learning. Yet, it can be challenging for schools to establish appropriate relationships with parents. Is there an optimal balance of collaborative and separate relationships between parents and schools? Twenty parents in one K-12 public school district in the U.S. participated in semi-structured interviews to share their perceptions of ways in which their children's schools encouraged their involvement or created barriers that discouraged them from taking an active role through communication, volunteering, and other schoolsponsored activities. Parents who had both positive and negative experiences with schools shared their opinions. This study is organized around themes from parents' comments: types of involvement that parents found meaningful; ability of all parents to contribute to schools; parents' involvement in decisions about student learning, curriculum, and classroom policies; and home-school relationships. Epstein's (2001) six types of parental involvement and the theories of social networking and influence provide a framework to explain the different experiences of parents who were satisfied and those who were dissatisfied. Satisfied parents' involvement focused on school activities and policy decisions, and they tended to have networks that led to greater influence of school practices, while parents who were dissatisfied with home-school communications valued involvement with their children at home. Implications for greater involvement of parents is discussed. THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY JOURNAL 16

Development of a skin-directed scoring system for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and epidermal necrolysis: a Delphi consensus exercise

Importance Scoring systems for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and epidermal necrolysis (EN) only estimate patient prognosis and are weighted toward comorbidities and systemic features; morphologic terminology for EN lesions is inconsistent.Objectives To establish consensus among expert dermatologists on EN terminology, morphologic progression, and most-affected sites, and to build a framework for developing a skin-directed scoring system for EN.Evidence Review A Delphi consensus using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness criteria was initiated with a core group from the Society of Dermatology Hospitalists to establish agreement on the optimal design for an EN cutaneous scoring instrument, terminology, morphologic traits, and sites of involvement.Findings In round 1, the 54 participating dermatology hospitalists reached consensus on all 49 statements (30 appropriate, 3 inappropriate, 16 uncertain). In round 2, they agreed on another 15 statements (8 appropriate, 7 uncertain). There was consistent agreement on the need for a skin-specific instrument; on the most-often affected skin sites (head and neck, chest, upper back, ocular mucosa, oral mucosa); and that blanching erythema, dusky erythema, targetoid erythema, vesicles/bullae, desquamation, and erosions comprise the morphologic traits of EN and can be consistently differentiated.Conclusions and Relevance This consensus exercise confirmed the need for an EN skin-directed scoring system, nomenclature, and differentiation of specific morphologic traits, and identified the sites most affected. It also established a baseline consensus for a standardized EN instrument with consistent terminology