Effective leadership is on everyone's mind this presidential election year as the country's citizens look for a strong candidate to guide them through the next four years. Effective leadership is just as critical in the nation's school districts where people prepare their young people to be the global citizens of tomorrow. In most school…

Everyone--board members, parents, and staff--loves small schools, bur it's no secret that small schools cost more to operate, particularly if administrative and teaching staff cannot be assigned efficiently. If there is a silver lining in this dark contextual cloud, it's that political support for consolidating schools has rarely been better. The…

Outlines a procedure that accomplishes the major goals of an accounting system in a manner a small school district can handle. (Author/MLF)

Reviews school-facility challenges and design principles described in 2000 U.S. Department of Education report on school planning and design. Describes additional school-facility design challenges and planning principles. Describes five critical facility-planning issues for the 21st Century. (Contains 14 references.) (PKP)

A 1970s research summary concluded that student participation decreases with increasing institutional size and that a school should be sufficiently small to need all of its students for its enterprises. Engaged students attend regularly, whereas marginalized students drift away. K-8 schools should not enroll more than 500 students. (Contains 12…

Small school district administrators can use microcomputers to improve their management abilities and productivity through computerized accounting, electronic mail and online subscription services, and the use of integrated software programs. (MD)

The first in a series of three articles reviews research dealing with the size of elementary schools. (Author/MLF)

The national trend toward consolidating schools has been driven by numerous factors, including fascination with economies of scale. Although small schools can claim advantages arising from a more intimate, caring atmosphere, large schools can boast specialized faculty teaching more sophisticated curricula. There is no optimal school size.…

Reviews literature on small schools and school size. Describes the strengths of small schools, optimum school size, the impact of technology, relation to student achievement, public and educator concerns about school size, financial incentives for small schools, costs and benefits of constructing small schools, and administrative costs associated…

Describes the management advantages computers can bring to small school districts. Advises purchasers to select quality software first, then purchase a computer that can handle the software. (MLF)

A small school system can plan and install an effective computer system by developing a comprehensive plan; involving the personnel who will use the system; relying on vendors with proven records; and recognizing that training is an ongoing process. (MLF)

Summarizes responses from 263 districts from 37 states drawn from a sample of districts with student enrollment of less than 800. The study found there is an overwhelming inability of local districts to fund capital outlay at levels needed to keep their buildings adequate, safe, and accessible. (MLF)