School site management, a decentralized approach to decision-making and school governance, is intended to help parents and teachers share increased accountability for student learning and provide a broadened leadership base through teacher empowerment. This approach involves a shift of decision-making responsibility from the school district to…

A chart presents details about school-based management systems in Chicago, Boston, Kentucky, Duluth, Dade County (Florida), and Texas, focusing on decision making, parent and community involvement, and structure. (SM)

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…

Describes the controversial but successful experience of a small Minnesota school district that turned over all school principal duties to a team of teachers and staff, called SHARE (Staff Helping Administer Responsible Education), to have site-based management, shared decision making, and teacher empowerment. (SM)

This report highlights recent legislation in Minnesota and California concerning charter schools, schools designed and run by teachers under contract with a public sponsor, and provides a brief overview of the issues involved in the establishment of charter schools as a strategy for improving public schools. In Minnesota, charter school…