Cites the rush to administrative decentralization and community participation. Suggests that controversy arises when school critics want to move to community control, a concept that has not yet accomplished what advocates claim for it. (JF)

Argues that the principal cause of failure has been due to a lack of sufficient power to overcome the opposition of groups who depended upon and actively defended the historically centralized and professionally dominated system. (Author/AM)

American Indian rejection of the assimilation process coupled with recent positive Office of Educational Opportunity (OEO) experiences have given birth to new Indian ideologies which encompass regeneration of the internal forces in the Indian community. Local control of education provides the key to regenerative action and total development,…

This document defines some concepts of decentralization and outlines a number of legal problems inherent in the process. According to this paper, decentralization covers the spectrum from distribution of administrative functions to local board assumption of power. Some legal problems involve method of finance, abolition of old positions, and…

Indian-controlled education programs may be evaluated by involving community members/leaders; administrators/teachers/students; federal-provincial education officers. The advantages include heightening community awareness of strengths/weaknesses in education programs, allowing community control over nature/duration of evaluation, providing ongoing…

This discussion is organized into four sections. In an introductory section, it is pointed out that the word "decentralization" appears to have many meanings. There is a need to clarify definitions, and to examine decentralization in a practical, working context. In Part 1, "Background and Issues", some of the major issues…

When local school board members in New York City assumed office on 31 local school boards in 1969, this should have resulted in more responsive local boards with sufficient power to control local policy; but this was not the actual result. Specific examination of the decentralization bill, the politics of the election, and the election procedures…

Discusses changes in education of Indian children in Alberta and Canada resulting from mobilization of Indian parents against integration of Indian children into public school systems. Changes include Indian control of local schools and parent involvement in school policies. Points out benefits of parent participation to schools, parents, and…

The ATS-6 Educational Satellite Communications Demonstration-Alaska (ESCD), was viewed as a way to give isolated population groups greater voice in their educational future, by bypassing bureaucratic levels and allowing the local people to have a direct say in the school curriculum and programs that were shown via satellite. This study focused on…

This document reviews the consequences of urban community involvement in school decision making. Areas concerning educational decisions, shared as goals by lay communities and school people, are considered to be: institutional responsiveness, affective and material community support to schools, educational achievement, and the democratic principle…

This study is focused on policy: How did the school decentralization law affect the recruitment and selection of board members? How did the legal matrix set the conditions for community boards to function? And how did these community boards pursue their policies in three key areas: personnel, budget, and curriculum? Social change requires a…

A review of the literature on school reform and successful restructuring efforts, with a focus on the decentralization of the Chicago public school system, is the purpose of this paper. Under new legislation, the Chicago Board of Education will be disbanded to encourage citizen control of schools, and will be replaced by a system of individual…

This transcript of a National Public Radio broadcast records the presentation and discussion of various issues concerning the role of community members in local school districts. Topics addressed include control of the schools by the poor, the middle class, teacher unions, parents, the PTA, and community groups; a parents' union in Philadelphia;…

A historical overview and analysis of the decentralization process in Victoria, Australia, is the purpose of this paper. The case study illustrates the impact of conflict between political and administrative agendas on attempts to implement the government-initiated policy decision. The current two-tiered system is composed of central and local…