Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine a model linking school principals' strategic, interpersonal skills and teachers' participation in decision making (PDM) to predict teachers' skill flexibility (SF) during the implementation of educational reform. Design/methodology/approach: From 113 randomly selected elementary schools in Israel…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify, categorize, and describe practitioners' perspectives regarding factors that help and hinder sustainability of Tier I (universal) systems within School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS). Seventeen participants involved in sustaining Tier I SWPBIS over several years…

Purpose: This study investigated the relationship between principal leadership and variation in teachers' participation in a new literacy coaching program: Content-Focused Coaching[R] (CFC). Research design: Twenty-nine schools were randomly assigned to participate in the CFC program or to serve as a comparison. Interviews were conducted with…

The purpose of this Bulletin is to clarify the intent of shared decision making (SDM) and explore its benefits, drawbacks, and implementation. It looks at how the principal's role changes in SDM, stresses the need for training, examines conditions that affect successful implementation of SDM, and offers ideas on how schools can concentrate on…

A significant body of research from business and industry has generally confirmed the contribution of participative decision-making to improved organizational effectiveness and employee morale. Following a literature review, this paper explores the implementation of shared decision-making in the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Public Schools. The…

A shortened version of a more complete research report, this paper presents a study that attempted to identify factors important for the successful implementation of competency based education. First, literature on program implementation was reviewed and factors important to successful implementation were identified, such as administrative…

This article explores a case of shifting leadership responsibility for teacher evaluation. Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) formally involves teachers in the summative evaluation of other teachers--although the boundaries of the involvement are often vague. Since teacher evaluation has traditionally been the domain of school principals, involving…

Despite the fact that teacher evaluation has long been a factor in the areas of promotion and salary increase, the proposed statewide implementation of a teacher assessment plan (the Mississippi Teacher Assessment Instrument) has aroused anxiety in Mississippi's educational environment. It is therefore critical that principals actively promote a…

This paper synthesizes data from two studies of educational change to describe how school contextual factors influenced teacher involvement and how principals reduced those influences. The first study, involving 14 schools representing a mixture of levels and types of areas served, began in 1979 and spanned 3 school years; the second study, which…

This book describes the chain stretching from President Nixon's announcement of the Experimental Schools Program in 1969 to the midpoint of its implementation in the Butte-Angels Camp School District (pseudonym for a small mountainous district 400 miles from Denver) in 1976. The story is told in some detail to illustrate the complexities of the…

This paper reviews research on principals' and teachers' roles in site-based decision making (SBDM). Research examining teacher participation in SBDM is reviewed, finding that higher quality teaching behaviors and higher student academic attainment resulted from teacher participation. The review focuses on steps in implementing SBDM, means for…

This package is the ninth of twelve in the Skills for Adult Guidance Educators (SAGE) system, which provides instruction in a set of necessary competencies specifically designed for adult education counselors, teachers, and paraprofessionals. The materials provide a process for developing and implementing counseling and guidance programs unique to…

This report argues for the central involvement of faculty themselves in collaborative peer review for the improvement of college teaching. An early section makes the case for formative evaluation to improve teaching and argues that collaborative peer review is well suited to the formative evaluation task. The next section examines faculty roles in…

These guidelines are for individuals and school divisions contemplating or already integrating academic and vocational education. Section 1 discusses two goals for integration. Section 2 provides a justification for integration and discusses the contradiction in the skills obtained in school and those needed in the workplace. Section 3 defines the…