Policymakers and researchers often talk about "autonomous schools" as if there's a single, agreed-upon definition of what that means. In reality, there's no standard design for autonomous school policies, and school autonomy can mean a lot of different things. The policies that states have enacted vary widely in terms of their goals, the…

Policymakers and researchers often talk about "autonomous schools" as if there's a single, agreed-upon definition of what that means. In reality, there's no standard design for autonomous school policies, and school autonomy can mean a lot of different things. The policies that states have enacted vary widely in terms of their goals, the…

Across the United States, a movement to create a new kind of public school--"autonomous district schools"--is giving districts the freedoms charter schools receive. Like charter schools, autonomous district schools are freed from innovation-inhibiting state and district policies, allowing talented educators to make academic and…

Boston Public Schools is at a crossroads. Nearly one-third of the system's schools operate under one of several "autonomy" structures, where school leaders have increased flexibility regarding staffing and other resources, and choice data indicate parents are far more likely to prefer these schools over so-called "traditional"…

When policymakers begin to think of ways to help schools improve, they often settle on the idea of giving individual schools greater independence. This led to the "site-based management" movement of the 1990s. Today, granting schools autonomy from some or all rules remains a popular strategy for reform. With expanded autonomy, districts…

A Pilot School is a public school in the Boston Public School district with teachers who are members of the Boston Teachers Union. A Horace Mann Charter School is a public school under a Massachusetts state charter that operates within a regular school district and serves the students and families enrolled in that district. An Innovation School, a…

Perspectives of principal leadership behavior contribute to how principals and other school leaders understand the role of the principal in an era of significant educational reforms. A Q methodology was used with 30 principals, assistant principals, and other educational administrators working in a variety of roles and different types of districts…

School reformers hope that converting comprehensive high schools into collections of small schools will produce results similar to those realized in freestanding small schools. Three themes--personalization, professional community, and shared decision making--exemplify the early successes in conversions. But the challenge of sustaining these gains…

The media play a major role in the construction of popular cultural "texts," such as films and television programs. These media forms are conceptualized as "public pedagogies"--i.e., as texts that have great potential to teach the public about a wide range of educational issues. This article focuses attention on the…

A Bedford, Massachusetts, middle school lived through a series of critical incidents while moving into site-based management. Flaps developed over minute-taking responsibilities in faculty meetings and a student exchange arrangement with an inner-city middle school. A "pyramiding" process to close the communication gap helped maintain…

This booklet documents the 1990 colloquium for Massachusetts superintendents, Leading the Way. The colloquium program is one of several initiatives of the School-Based Improvement Project (SBIP), which is a partnership between the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and the Office of Community Education of the Massachusetts…

Chapter 5 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter presents the case for school-based management, stressing the principal's central role. In site management, the school is the primary decision-making unit. Decisions concerning expenditures, curricula, and personnel are made by school site staff, with help from parents, students, and…

The School-Based Improvement Project (SBIP) is a cooperative venture between the Office of Community Education of the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS). SBIP is a multiyear professional-development initiative designed to improve the leadership of superintendents who are engaged…

The City School is a K-8 magnet school in Lowell, Massachusetts. Student, teacher, and parent participation in the school's curriculum and governance have resulted in a strong sense of ownership and an effective and exciting educational environment. (GC)

This paper examines the balance between autonomy and accountability in education from the perspective of Massachusetts and Texas charter schools and their state authorizers. By analyzing national survey data, interviews with key policymakers, and case studies of six low, medium, and high performing schools, the paper examines the organizational…