Answers some hard questions, such as: Does real community control diminish the professional? Whose fault is it when community involvement fails? (Author)

Analysis of report to be published by the Urban Coalition.

This report discusses the role and function of pressure groups with regard to policy formation and implementation in Australian education. It is addressed to the scholar interested in gaining further insight into the structure and operation of the political and educational systems, as well as to those engaged or involved in the whole educational…

Facing declining enrollment, loss of state funds, and decreasing public confidence, the Salt Lake City Schools found several groups demanding a voice in the decision-making process. A plan for shared governance was implemented. Representatives of the teachers' association, the administrative association, and the classified employees' association…

A study was conducted to observe the potential conflict over control of education in order to hypothesize about the generality of system-community conflict phenomena. A questionnaire was administered to a randomly stratified sample of the community and to the total professional teaching population in a city school district (population 35,000) in…

Examines some evidence about public understanding of education policy, compares it to similar understandings of other public policy fields, and discusses some of the steps that may be taken to deal with the prevailing levels of understanding. (Author)

Deals with some problems in the operation of a school in a white middle-class Chicago community and the attempt by a segment of the community to influence the direction of their school. (Author/JM)

Written school board policies can demonstrate that boards welcome ideas from the people, that there are proper procedures for getting a hearing on complaints, and that staff and curriculum will be protected from pressure. The sample school board policies, administrative rules, and information statements in this kit are intended to facilitate the…

Guidelines are presented which emphasize that schools can best contribute to a pluralistic democracy by supporting each cultural group represented within them as well as introducing students to a range of cultures other than their own, including and extending beyond those represented by the school population. Special stress is placed on creating…

Asserts that community control is not an all-or-nothing situation, but that centralization can co-exist with decentralization. Argues for states to have the responsibility for insuring desegregation and equitable funding and for communities to have control of personnel, curriculum and budget priorities. (Author/AM)

This study sought to provide an empirical base for a theoretical and public policy analysis of the decentralization movement in urban education. This research includes an analysis of a large number of cities for which comparative demographic and political data could be found or developed as well as a manageable number of case studies.…

Reassesses the role of the school in the black community, concluding that the devaluation of the power of the school to politically, economically and culturally develop the community has hidden "the profound and pervasive influence of the school in shaping the lives of black Americans." (Author/JM)

Acceptance or rejection of school policy hinges on the role played by formal and informal groups within the community power structure. Kimbrough's research suggests that formal groups are subordinate to the informal power structure in establishing policy, though formal groups make important contributions to decision-making. Some researchers…

This study examined a school district before and after its school board changed from appointed status to elected status to determine if there were significant differences in the board's handling of constituent demands. School board minutes were examined and demands were analyzed for a six-month period under the appointed school board, then…

This paper proposes that local public schools assume the locus of responsibility for providing comprehensive health and mental health services for children and their families. Among the advantages of school based delivery systems are the universality of public education, the availability of physical and human resources, established funding…