In 1988, the East Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Parish School System implemented an education reform plan to reduce mandatory busing by offering a controlled choice plan allowing educational options. Two years later, parent and community involvement in schools has improved and white enrollment has increased. To understand why a few schools have had…

Three basic questions form the focus for this inquiry into the educational decision making process. First, can community groups which are or have been involved in educational issues be identified within local school districts and can they be classified for further inquiry? Secondly, do these groups have influence in educational decisions which are…

The major problem of this study is that of identifying how schools function as both a determiner and a reflector of a society or community. It addresses three fundamental questions. First, access questions are dealt with, e.g. who participates--what is the position or social standing of community participants in schools. Second, process questions…