In communities as diverse as those in Montgomery County, Maryland, and the state of Kentucky, school staffs have shown reluctance to opt into shared decision-making programs. Teachers have often declined, and, in Montgomery County, the principals' bargaining unit went on record in opposition to a proposed policy of participatory decision making.…

Discusses the decentralization of educational administration in Victoria. Examines the change from central to local selection of principals as a possible example of more democratic structures where greater collaboration and participation have been incorporated into the decision-making process. (53 references) (MLF)

Site-based management (SBM) is an increasingly popular approach to school restructuring. SBM aims to transfer authority from state agencies and school districts to committees based at schools. To garner a consensus supporting reform, these committees are to be representative of educational and community members. SBM plans are characterized by: (1)…

The Yosemite Community College District's comprehensive planning process involves a year-round cycle of activities. The cycle begins in September after the budget for the current year has been approved, the prior year's activity has been closed out, and the primary planning document, "The Atlas," has been completed. The district…

A district coordinator of gifted education in a site-based managed school system relates the learning experiences which helped define her role as an administrator and an advocate of gifted education. Her role has involved collaborating, serving as a resource, sharing program ownership, and encouraging program differentiation across the district.…

Klein's conceptual framework of curriculum decision making is applied to the site-based decision making process in a suburban California school district. The model is composed of two interacting dimensions: participants at different levels and curriculum elements. Three levels of decision making--formal, institutional, and instructional--are…

The entire concept of shared decision making can be accommodated into collective bargaining if the parties involved begin by building trust and deal with matters outside of the contract. Community Consolidated School District No. 34 in Glenview, Illinois, has had apparent positive results in shared decision making. (MLF)

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…

This pamphlet summarizes the recommendations of a task force of educational administrators who have experience in school-based management, a process of decentralization of authority based on the beliefs that those most closely affected by decisions ought to play a significant role in making those decisions, and that educational reform efforts will…

Superintendents, a principal, a teacher, and representatives of the National Education Association describe how they are attempting to resolve the question of establishing parameters in shared decision-making programs. Also lists 12 principles necessary for effective decision making to commence and 12 effective practices in shared decision making.…

A nationwide random sample of 1,500 superintendents was asked questions about power: a wish list and a reality list. Responses from 423 (28%) superintendents suggest that students' achievement test scores are higher in school districts that share decision making, while a more authoritarian approach to management seems linked to lower student…

Factors that influence the perceptions held by school site council members and others about the quality of site-based management (SBM) are examined in this study. Specifically, the relationships among a group's assessment of SBM, perceived level of influence on council decision making, perceived level of support from other groups, and perceived…

The real-life drama 25 years ago when Apollo 13 was rescued through a collaborative team of colleagues provides a model for changes in many public schools. In Texas, the state code specifies that site-based decision making address planning, budgeting, curriculum staffing patterns, staff development, and school organization. (MLF)

This paper describes outcomes of a partnership between the Rochester City School District (New York) and the Kodak 21st Century Learning Challenge consulting program for improving school-based planning team (S-BPT) operations. The purpose of the school-based planning team is to involve the entire school community in improving school effectiveness.…

Principals want to be part of the decision-making process regarding business operational procedures. Principals want responsibility accompanied by the necessary authority along with having budgeting and other operational information readily available, technical assistance, evidence of equity, and immediate feedback. (MLF)