What do principals discuss when they get together to "talk shop?" This paper offers some answers and discusses implications for the preparation and professional development of school leaders. The activities reported in the paper were undertaken as part of the Cognitive Approaches to School Leadership (CASL) Project. In the broadest terms…

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…

Approaches to managing conflict in the collaborative process are discussed, along with the need for collaboration in schools. Collaboration by teachers, administrators, parents, and others can help identify problems, consider relevant data, plan and implement interventions, and evaluate results. However, the knowledge, experience, and values of…

In developing a vision of schools capable of responding effectively to their challenges to change, futurists and reformers must solve two closely linked problems inherent in their positions. One problem is the risky business of predicting the future social and economic consequences of present trends; the other is the improbability of accurately…

Findings of a study that examined the collaborative problem-solving processes used by superintendents are presented in this paper. Based on information processing theory, the study utilizes a model composed of the following components: interpretation; goals; principles and values; constraints; solution processes; and mood. Data were derived from…

The most outstanding characteristic of the American College Health Association is its propensity for a ceaseless and continuing altercation. This paper stresses the importance of teamwork within the medical profession. (JN)

An historical perspective of the American College Health Association emphasizes the importance of teamwork among health personnel. The current trend in litigation toward health care professionals and the regulatory role of government has resulted in an apparent increase in legal activity, and necessitates teamwork between doctors and lawyers. (JN)

To assess the potential for linking American teacher centers in a national information and resource sharing network, leaders of 44 teacher centers and teacher-education programs identified with the open-education movement were interviewed. Interviewees were asked if they would value an agency to increase their information and talent sharing, and…

Ten management problems for chairs of small departments in small colleges are discussed, along with problem-solving strategies for these administrators. Serious disagreements within a small and intimate department may create a country club culture in which differences are smoothed over and the personal idiosyncrasies of individual members are…

The rationale and philosophy for multidisciplinary activities by school psychologists and educators are presented with an emphasis on the acquisition of information on the social context of children's behavior and needs. Multidisciplinary training teams (MDTT) established over an eight-year period in elementary schools in Nashville, Kentucky, are…

Collaborative research can contribute to teachers' personal growth and professional development as well as to the coordination of instructional approaches and goals throughout the school. Collaborative research in teaching can be defined as research conducted inside the classroom by two or more individuals with different role orientations and…

Issues concerning the college as a community of inquiry, scholarship, and learning are considered, based on a 1982 conference at Colgate University. The conference addressed the problem of non-community in the academy, along with different conceptions of solving this problem. Conference participants described both typical experiences of academic…

Periods of executive change provide an ideal time for the development of planning efforts for public school systems and for self-examination of the system's strengths, weaknesses, and long-range needs. In the anonymous school system under study, the new superintendent's application of general systems theory to school district management entailed a…