This document describes a program in District 742 Community Schools in St. Cloud, Minnesota, called Differentiated Career Opportunities for Teachers. This multifaceted program empowers selected teachers with the authority to make decisions and plan programs for their district and individual schools and, at the same time, to renew their…

Discusses three basic conditions necessary for a school district that wants a strong sense of professional and personal commitment from all employees, a high degree of job satisfaction and productivity, and a cooperative and nonadversary relationship between students, teachers, administrators, classified personnel, and board members. (Author/RK)

Presents suggestions to introduce computer technology and make the change process easier for teachers: identify a purpose for computers in the school; involve teachers in the decision-making process; provide ongoing staff development; recognize the pitfalls of the change process; do not mandate the use of computers; and be involved with the change…

In this discussion of teacher empowerment, areas related to teacher sense of impact or efficacy are examined. These areas include: (1) administrative support; (2) responsibility for meaningful tasks; (3) control/decision making related to curriculum; (4) decisions on teaching assignments; (5) input on policies and procedures; and (6) choice in and…

Effective staff development programs are the primary vehicle for improving schools and increasing student learning. Such programs would be school-based, be designed to meet the needs of both school and staff, use both internal and external resources, and be shaped by the needs of the participants at the school site. (JN)

This book offers the premise that staff development plans are often based on politically naive assumptions about authority prerogatives. Three sources of authority: the public trust, the bureaucracy, and colleagues, are traced from colonial times through the progressive era. An analysis is given of the forces that have had an impact on educational…

The involvement of teaching and administrative staff in a decision making procedure that focuses upon their perceived needs has been recognized as central to the success of a staff development program. This concept was the premise upon which the University of Alabama/Livingston Teacher In-Service Center conducted a needs assessment and planned its…

Examines the implications for educators of the "Motivation-Hygiene Theory" proposed by Frederick Herzberg. Suggests increasing staff opportunities for goal setting, decision making, and expanded professional competence as strategies for developing staff motivation. (Author/MLF)

School decision making opportunities available to teachers were identified, and possible reasons for the existence of so little teacher decision making authority in the public schools were explored. While there was some evidence that many teachers may not desire increased involvement, the question was raised of whether or not such involvement…

A review and analysis of a report on school practitioner involvement in improvement of educational practice is presented with additional inferences on the ability of schools of education to foster practitioner involvement. In the first section, research is reviewed in three areas of educational practice in which teachers may be involved: (1)…

The progress of the Staff Development for School Improvement (SDSI) program, developed by Eastern Michigan University, is reviewed and evaluated in this monograph. The primary emphasis of SDSI is to improve the quality of schooling through shared decision making at the school building level. Ownership of the change process by those participating…

The component parts of a successful cooperative governance structure designed to facilitate staff development in elementary and secondary urban schools are described. Headed by a Staff Development Policy Board, the governance organization combines teaching and administrative staffs as a decision making body. A maximum amount of staff input and…

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is in the second year of a pilot program in individual school management in eleven elementary schools, three intermediate schools, and one high school to bring a measurable improvement of learning with existent resources. This is an individual school management system that places educational decision-making…

For this overview of the extent and feasibility of practitioner involvement in professional improvement, practitioners are defined as school-based professionals--teachers, aides, resource specialists, and administrators. Current thought on the need for these individuals to play major roles as decision makers in developing inservice programs is…

The purpose of this handbook is to orient staff to the many facets of the Alternative Learning Project, a community based public high school that provides an opportunity for its students to forge a new relationship between their education and the city in which they live. The project was established as an educational setting for the many students…