This paper reviews the pathologies of school bureaucratic structures especially evident in large urban school systems like New York City's, and it suggests some remedies to these problems. Bureaucratic organization has severe disadvantages when applied to a function like education in a society that purports to be democratic. Large educational…

This paper attempts to develop a conceptual framework for describing the school as an organization. In the first chapter, after a review of organizational theory and research on the school, it is concluded that the school organization as a whole can be described in terms of bureaucracy and professionalism. In the second chapter, two basic…

Using participant observation, interviews, and other ethnographic methods, the author examined organizational structures and administrative processes and behavior in an innovative senior high school located in a large urban area and known for its implementation of individually guided education. Data analysis yielded theories grounded in the…

The results of a study of five midwestern school districts suggest that the abandonment of program innovations or revisions may be related to a lack of understanding of how schools work as social systems and how political processes influence change efforts, as well as a failure to appreciate the many dilemmas facing those who attempt to facilitate…

Taking the view that principals play a key role in providing a solid educational foundation for students, this review of the literature is designed to better inform administrators, teachers, parents, and the general public about the principal's role and responsibilities. The review focuses on the elementary school principal and includes research…

This synthesis of research and literature related to the education of the early adolescent involved analysis of 83 documents. These documents were analyzed to answer the following key questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the early adolescent? (2) What are the learning theories most applicable to the early adolescent and what do these…

Howard University's School of Medicine is evaluated in this report, in fulfillment of the United States Congress's requirement that the Office of Education annually evaluate one aspect of the Howard University educational program. Evaluation teams, comprised mostly of Office of Education professionals, spent several days at the University meeting…

The 11 items in this annotated bibliography on school-based management provide information on the pros and cons of the decentralization of budgeting, the administrative role, site management, and decision-making. Also discussed are the autonomy of schools, principals as educators with managerial skills, and education vouchers. The publications…

This explorative essay considers some new developments in open-system theories of organizational interaction with relevant environments that might be useful for educational historians. The authors explore ways in which changes in the social meaning of the American high school may have led to structural and functional changes. Three dimensions of…

Growth of administrative components in 43 K-12 public school districts in the Saint Louis metropolitan area is reported for 1968-76. Increases in absolute numbers and ratios of administrators to teachers occurred in school districts with increasing as well as declining enrollments. Statistical analysis of public records and interviews with…

In a study of the effects of school structure on heterosexual behavior, self-report data on heterosexual behavior were collected from more than 2,000 sixth through tenth graders in 1978 when their district had a 6-3-3 school structure and in 1979 after the district had changed to a 6-2-2-2 structure. The district was located in a medium-size,…

The organization of a college of education is discussed in terms of the problem of structure, task, and continuity. Structure is seen as a description of relationships and the behavior that characterizes relationships among people. Relationships exist and develop in organizations only according to the tasks that must be performed in the…

This extensive assessment project report focuses on the Rural Secondary Schools (RSS) Project in Thailand. The background, design, rationale and objectives of the assessment are described, as are the eight phases of the study: reconnaissance; proposals; basic planning and pre-testing; data collection; analysis; academic review; final report; and…

DESPITE THE AMERICAN CREDO OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, "UNEQUAL EDUCATION" MAY BE NEEDED TO ENABLE EVERY CHILD TO DEVELOP HIS POTENTIAL TO "COMPETE ON FAIR TERMS" WITH THE REST OF SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE HANDICAPPED BY DISADVANTAGEMENT AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. BUT COMPENSATORY EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR THIS GROUP WILL NOT BE…