By enabling students to mediate their own disputes, educators may be synthesizing the finest potential in the school--the creative, constructive dynamic inherent in conflict. This article describes a mediated dispute resolution program used in several schools and offers implementation advice. (MLH)

Offers administrators 15 guidelines for effective delegation, descriptions of 6 participatory decision making methods, and 5 procedures for problem solving. Discusses advantages and disadvantages of delegation and participation. (LFL)

This article, third in a series, discusses the last three phases of the creative problem solving process: idea-finding, solution-finding, and acceptance-finding. These phases focus on brainstorming to generate possibilities and alternatives to the problem, evaluating each idea's strengths and limitations, prioritizing the solutions, and developing…

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)

Suggests combining the Delphi technique and the nominal group process technique to improve the collective decision-making of school curriculum and other committees. Both methods require group members to respond in writing. A five-step agenda with sample questions illustrates the approach. (MLF)

This presentation introduces the methods of negotiation and mediation in transdisciplinary decision-making, and applies the methods specifically to the educational needs and placements of students with disabilities. Four stages of mediation are described: problem identification, generation of problem-solving options, evaluation of options, and…

Specifically designed for teachers, administrators, and other school decision-makers, this monograph outlines ways quality circles can be used to improve educational planning and decision-making. The first of four sections defines quality circles as a group of workers who identify, analyze, and propose solutions to problems within their scope of…

By acting as a facilitator and working for a consensual solution, a superintendent can begin developing widespread support toward a reasonable solution. Offers guidelines that include respecting board members' expertise and using board committees. (MLF)

Teachers frequently need assistance in meeting the needs of students with behavior and learning problems. Contacts with peers and other staff usually are informal and do not allow thorough analysis of the problem. The Building Support System model used in some North Dakota schools provides prompt, accessible support to teachers through peer…

Stressing that in order for quality circles to work, members must believe that their participation makes a difference, the author outlines procedures for setting up quality circles within schools and school districts and describes their successful operation. (MJL)

Most campus building projects are high-stakes ventures that, if not correctly planned, may be accompanied by cost overruns, schedule delays, unhappy stakeholders, diminished political goodwill, delays in new programs, or even the forfeiture of a donor gift. The key to managing complexity, reducing risk, and saving time and money lies in one…

This paper summarizes knowledge about team building acquired from participation in a Michigan Adult Education Practitioners Inquiry Project. The first step in team building is to understand the dynamics of the entire group and to identify the unique traits of each member. The paper describes techniques and activities for enhancing communication,…

Describes use of quality circles (QC)--small groups of employees who meet regularly and voluntarily to identify, solve, and implement solutions to work-related problems--as a form of participative decision making, highlighting QC concept, establishing a QC, introduction process, management support, benefits, evaluation, and shortcomings. Thirteen…

Successful in Japan and in American industry, quality circles are a specific way to involve staff members in solving organization problems. A growing number of school administrators are examining this technique to see if it can reduce the costs of education and improve morale. (Author/JM)

Designing staff development activities that incorporate four elements of reflective practice helps develop participants' reflective abilities. The article discusses focusing on real problems and concerns; changing the nature of the problem; process-oriented staff development; and promoting collaborative partnerships. (SM)