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)

A small Texas school district initiated a shared governance plan that involves teachers in decisions and innovations at each school. Cites some successful accomplishments along with problems inherent in time limits and the committee structure itself. (MLF)

A nationwide random sample of 1,500 superintendents was asked questions about power: a wish list and a reality list. Responses from 423 (28%) superintendents suggest that students' achievement test scores are higher in school districts that share decision making, while a more authoritarian approach to management seems linked to lower student…

The process for establishing a climate and a framework that promote school-based reform is complex. Describes the steps a typical but fictitious district takes to build support for change. (MLF)

The Dade County, Florida, school system selected 32 schools to participate in a pilot program for shared decision making. Evaluators found similar problems and solutions in a variety of school settings and classified them into 9 categories. (MLF)

In Austin, Texas, an urban district where more than half the students come from low-income families, the annual dropout rate has gone down, and the scores on statewide standardized tests have gone up. A key element in the turnaround is state-mandated, site-based management, a system that decentralizes decision making and involves strong leadership…