The article argues for the participation and involvement of students in developing learning spaces within higher education. In early childhood education there is a strong emphasis upon rights, democracy and planning learning through listening to young children. Taking inspiration from this, the study explores the use of participatory approaches in…

A national literacy effort built on participatory principles will require study of existing learner-centered theory and practice, resource development, research and development, training and networking, and careful planning. Literacy educators and learners must support each other to create a constituency for the participatory alternative. (Editor)

Describes a process for determining priorities within a university extension unit that involves pooling the judgment of extension programmers to produce a valid "average" judgment even where considerable diversity of opinion exists. (JOW)

The literature suggests collaborative planning is purely egalitarian, but this article identifies a form called "dialectical collaboration" providing situationally determined variations in the locus of control. One district's experience planning an administrators' inservice program illustrates dialectical collaboration. The authors urge…

Learner-centered literacy programs in the United States have developed a range of participatory practices for instructional and management purposes. Participation can occur on a number of levels; learner participation can serve any of three purposes: efficiency, personal development, or social change. (Editor)

When labor, management, and literacy educators collaborate to develop a learner-centered literacy program, literacy educators must be willing to learn about the work and lives of industrial workers. The Academy at Eastern Michigan University is an alternative to traditional adult basic education that engages adults in collaborative learning.…

Participatory approaches to assessment evolve from reflection on current practice and raise broad questions about literacy teaching and learning that have implications for program development. A collaborative action research project involving literacy program staff and university faculty uncovers the conflicting ideologies surrounding literacy…

This article delineates an organizational systems framework for exploring team utilization possibilities in schools and provides guidelines for deciding when and how teams might be utilized. (Author/PN)

This article proposes rules of thumb about the teacher education design process. The rules are grounded in the attempts at reforming teacher education at Washington University in the early 1970s, at a time during which a year-long, field-based alternative to the traditional elementary program was operated. (IAH)

Elements that the University of Akron, Furman University, and Wichita State University believe to be essential for mounting a successful program for change are identified: definition of institutional mission, top administrative support, leadership development, comprehensive change programs, emphasis on communication and process, and merging of…

A University of Tulsa project to improve campus leadership development focused on encouraging communication among nonacademic staff. From this experience came valuable proposals for institutional change, but the process itself was even more significant, empowering employees to accept a voice in campus governance. Some frustration has also…

The most significant finding of various commission reports is stakeholders' lack of involvement in the decisions affecting them. School board's major function is to develop processes that ensure stakeholder participation in developing and implementing a shared vision for education. Board should ensure that all competent administrators and teachers…

The functional and organizational activities of the Cooperative Extension Service in the United States can be an appropriate means for providing a new image and concept to the kind of extension service that is needed in developing nations and Sri Lanka in particular. The problems of the extension program in developing nations are inherited and…

Citizen participation in vocational education has two broad objectives: the development of individuals to the limit of their capacity, and the development of the community to improve the quality of life. Argues for a balance among administrators, school boards, and community participants based upon common interests, goals, and resources. (AF)

Examines school-based management as an effective strategy for optimizing the individual performance of teachers, students, and parents. Under school-based management, principals and teachers are given total responsibility for budgeting, selecting textbooks, scheduling, and hiring. This system provides flexibility in relationships with the broader…