Principals have a strong role to play in forming school cultures that encourage change. Changing a school's culture requires shared or distributed leadership and instructional leadership. A multiyear study found that three elements are necessary for a school culture that stimulates teachers to improve their instruction: 1) Teachers and…

To improve student achievement schools need the leadership of knowledgeable, highly skilled, and visionary principals and superintendents. Exemplary school leadership doesn't develop in isolation, however. Strong leadership grows from dynamic, collaborative, and intentional interactions between superintendents and their principals. These savvy…

The participative model of institutional budgeting is compared briefly with two other common models, and its rationale is discussed. An explanation of nine basic principles of participative budgeting uses examples from a variety of colleges and universities, and concludes with the author's reflections on the approach, based on his experience. (MSE)

Designing a school building on site at the school district, rather than in the architect's office, provides for input from administrators, students, and community members. Misunderstandings are prevented from escalating. (MLF)

This practical guidebook is designed for managers and leaders who have responsibility for the creation and success of teams. First, a team is described as a workgroup whose members are dependent upon one another for the completion of a given task, and whose members possess different but complementary skill sets. A team manages its own work within…

Contends that, in the culture of professional egalitarianism that often prevails in schools, teachers are likely to accord power only to expert principals. Asserts that this can lead to weak coordination and control of a school's instructional program. Reports on results of a study of 17 elementary schools that support this viewpoint. (CFR)

Experience shows that teamwork produces powerful results. Working in a team environment, however, presents its own set of challenges. This handbook provides U.S. Department of Education managers and employees with guidance to develop high-performing teams. Based on input from agency employees throughout the country, the handbook was designed to…

This publication examines the situations in which school-based management has worked and, conversely, those in which it failed to meet expectations. It attempts to identify exactly what school-based management (SBM) is and what it is not. Information was obtained from interviews with researchers and practitioners, a review of literature, and a…

A case study describes how a rural local education agency (Allegany County, Maryland) developed a comprehensive staff development system. It presents some contextual and theoretical background information, summarizes the problem as perceived by key actors, and then describes a series of activities resulting in the development of the comprehensive…

Three major factors contribute to the success of a college campus master plan: (1) engaging in strategic planning for the future; (2) involving user groups within each administrative unit and academic department to work with the architect/master-planner; and (3) hiring a planner who understands how colleges and universities work. (MSE)

The simultaneous presence of faculty growth and a sense of faculty community can help a good school really shine. This article explores ways in which a school environment supporting these two factors can be developed and maintained, using the private Sidwell Friends Lower School in Washington, D.C., as an example. (PGD)

Through early cooperation and participation of the architect with the educational facility planner and various school staff and community members, it is possible to design and construct schools that will meet the needs of the educational program. Responsibilities of the team members are listed. (Author/MLF)

In recognition of the limitations of isolated decision making, teamwork has emerged as a preferred approach for educating students both with and without disabilities. The Vermont Interdependent Services Team Approach (VISTA) process described in this manual offers ways to think about and implement many of the tenets of collaborative teamwork to…

Adversarial collective bargaining often leads to lingering resentments. Collaborative bargaining, conversely, is a problem-solving approach to contract negotiations based on common interests and mutual respect. Recognizing the interrelationship between trust at schools and trust at the bargaining table, a growing number of school districts are…

This paper summarizes a Master's project designed for principals who are interested in pursuing instructional leadership in their schools. The first part provides the principal with an overall understanding of, and rationale for, the role of the principal as instructional leader. The second part, written in the format of a handbook, describes the…