Charged with overhauling the state's educational system, the Kentucky General Assembly last spring devised a landmark reform scheme that mandates site-based management, abolishes the existing state board of education, and institutes an ambitious system of rewards and sanctions aimed at holding schools accountable for student performance. A sidebar…

Bureaucratic inefficiency aside, Chicago public schools are failing dismally in their basic educational mission. A new school reform plan promises to turn systemwide failure into success by weakening the central bureaucracy's power and turning the ignition key over to 541 school-based councils. A sidebar claims that courts could determine the real…

Site-based management cannot work without the school board's active involvement and determined support. Suggestions are offered from School District 12, Adams County, Colorado, which has been moving away from a centralized administrative system to shared decision-making. (MLF)

An acclaimed former New York City principal says small school size is an absolute prerequisite for school reform. Smallness, to be effective, must be accompanied by control over budget, staffing, scheduling, and the specifics of curriculum and assessment. (MLF)

School restructuring means forging a collaborative relationship between the central office and local schools. Outlines the differences between a traditional and a restructured central office. (MLF)

Although the District of Columbia school board requested additional study on student performance in schools where private firms currently have contracts, the superintendent explains his rationale for requesting private management for some 10 to 15 schools. (MLF)

Corporate America is changing the shape of school-business partnership. Offers tips to board members on how to open the door to two-way partnerships with the business community. Summarizes a number of existing programs and describes a proposed computerized information system--"Wordlink"--that reports student achievements to employers. (MLF)

A small Texas school district initiated a shared governance plan that involves teachers in decisions and innovations at each school. Cites some successful accomplishments along with problems inherent in time limits and the committee structure itself. (MLF)

Schools and their communities in Dallas (Texas) develop and implement a comprehensive plan to improve student achievement, provide training for staff members, and evaluate and modify the program as it progresses. The goal is to bring the whole school and community together to create a climate that helps children achieve. (MLF)

The National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are attempting to secure a role for teachers in decision making at the building level. Talks between the two unions at the state and local levels are aimed at increasing teachers' overall political clout. (MLF)

A nationwide random sample of 1,500 superintendents was asked questions about power: a wish list and a reality list. Responses from 423 (28%) superintendents suggest that students' achievement test scores are higher in school districts that share decision making, while a more authoritarian approach to management seems linked to lower student…

An Indiana school board achieves success in site-based management by fair consideration of decisions made by school planning teams. Advises boards contemplating school-based management to (1) be a team player; (2) develop trust; (3) not bend to interest groups; (4) have patience; (5) set criteria for proposals; and (6) grant waivers to district…

Among the current crop of business leadership manuals, the six reviewed are applicable for school leaders as well. Themes of effective employee management and motivation, personal responsibility, and having the ability to initiate and implement constructive change are among the common threads running through the books. Information on ordering the…

Based on a study of five major school systems, concludes following about site-based management: it is a reform of entire system; it will lead to real changes only if it is basic reform strategy; it will evolve over time and develop distinctive characters, goals, operating styles; it requires rethinking of accountability; parental choice is…

Survey forms were sent to 6,000 school board members who subscribe to "The American School Board Journal" in an attempt to discover what reform efforts are being utilized and which ones are working best in schools. A total of 1,347 readers (22.5%) responded. Curricular and instructional reforms were cited by 91% of the respondents, and 70% said…