To succeed in college, career and life in the 21st century, students must be supported in mastering both content and skills. This Implementation Guide presents state leaders, policymakers and/or district and school leaders with assessment tactics and examples to assist in statewide 21st century skills initiatives. The Partnership for 21st Century…

Site-based management cannot work without the school board's active involvement and determined support. Suggestions are offered from School District 12, Adams County, Colorado, which has been moving away from a centralized administrative system to shared decision-making. (MLF)

This booklet reviews decision-making, an important part of administrative processes, from the perspective of school teachers and other educators. The two most commonly used processes are the rational decision-making process (identify the problem, evaluate the problem, collect information, identify alternative solutions, select and implement…

The concept of the quality circle (QC) is outlined and a brief history given of its use in Japan and eventual migration to the United States in 1974. The leaders and participants in QC's are trained in communication and problem-solving skills. The essential techniques used in the QC are brainstorming, consensus, cause and effect analysis, data…

The goals of any aspect of collective bargaining are to arrive at a fair and equitable agreement, and to use a continuing consensus process as the best means of arriving at agreement. Describes the features of consensus bargaining and lists some simple dos and don'ts. (MLF)

Millions of students are attending classes in substandard schools, a condition that is becoming a major concern for many public school parents, teachers, students, and administrators. This report is the result of research investigating school facility issues, assessing the scope of the problem, and making recommendations to the membership of the…

A school board meeting serves several purposes. It is important that school boards be successful and effective governing bodies. This means becoming more efficient in conducting routine business; improving their ability to reach constructive decisions and to solve problems; making their meetings a source of good will among members, students, and…

The key to an employee-supported evaluation system is involving a significant majority of those affected in the planning process. This article describes the development of a new evaluation system for 200 administrators and supervisiors based on attitude surveys and a large administrator-dominated steering committee. (MLH)

After acknowledging the complexity and importance of curriculum change, this document offers suggestions for involving students, parents, board members, and graduates in curriculum review. Information on empowering teachers, promoting growth in all adults, and encouraging collaboration is provided as well as necessary steps in curriculum review.…

Six major areas of part-time college faculty employment practices are discussed that illustrate how current practice can be detrimental to part-time faculty performance. Attention is directed to appointment, support services, communication with peers, participation in governance, compensation, and job security. The following areas that require…

A school district in Rosemont, Minnesota, cut 2.4 million dollars from its general fund budget in 1982-83, a cut of almost 10 percent. Instead of splitting the community, the district emerged from the process stronger than before. This was accomplished through a 4-month participatory management process involving staff, citizens, parents, and…

In response to pervasive problems of low income, anticipated loss of employment in the textile industry, high dropout rates, high crime rates, and poor relationships among municipalities, Gaston County, North Carolina, has developed an innovative set of processes for promoting cooperation and facilitating leadership techniques. The Gaston System…

This textbook is designed for use: (1) as a text in college classes in curriculum and instruction, educational administration, public policy, school counseling, school psychology, and the social psychology of education; and (2) as a resource for inservice training of school administrators, staff personnel, and teachers. The book focuses on…

The following considerations are of major importance to the persons who act as technical assisters for the Long Range Plan for School Improvement (LRPSI) in Pennsylvania: (1) long-range planning should be viewed as a deliberative and participative process; its steps should not be considered in isolation from each other; (2) comprehensive needs…

This report describes a problem-solving approach to grievance settling and negotiations developed in the Brighton, Michigan, school district and inspired by the book, "Getting To Yes," by Roger Fisher and William Ury. In this approach teachers and administrators come to the table not with fixed positions but with problems both sides want…