Secondary school educators are concerned with increasing parental involvement; raising attendance levels, grades, and test scores; reducing behavior problems; and improving the community's perceptions of the schools. This document is comprised of two brief articles. The first describes how to establish an Academic Booster Club to help accomplish…

Research has shown that organizations differ on the basis of their willingness to change and the strategies they use to manage change. For this paper, data were gathered through a review of the literature and through nonstandard interviews with persons in two identified organizations who handle grievance procedures. The analysis identifies the…

Effective government relations is the key to meeting the fiscal and legislative needs of public education. This fastback is designed to help educators establish an effective government-relations program. It offers suggestions for identifying legislative priorities; forming internal and external networks and coalitions in support of the legislative…

If they are to be effective, organizations must acquire and create new knowledge in order to achieve their goals. Service organizations, such as schools, must employ the concept of organizational learning. Organizational learning is an intentional process directed at improving organizational effectiveness. The process involves four…

A growing number of schools and districts are considering using teams to handle all types of decision making and advisory activities. The term "teams" can be applied to a wide spectrum of groups with various purposes or powers. This bulletin was designed to assist those who want to create efficient, successful teams. It provides…

The plan to implement a professional portfolio policy in the Seven Oaks School Division, Winnipeg, Canada, will be perceived and lived by teachers in various ways. Their experiences will be colored by their understandings of the theories behind the use of portfolios as an alternative form of evaluation, their interpretations of the change, and…

Using a brief experiential group activity called "Choosing a Color Exercise" as an introductory measure, this paper explains the basics of group dynamics and reviews the major theoretical relationships between the group's structure, the dynamics of maintenance and task behaviors, and effective individual performances. The types of functional and…

Attempting to account for criticisms of earlier studies, a study investigated whether behavioral objectives improved student learning. Subjects, 43 undergraduate students enrolled in a business and professional communication course at a large mid-western university, were randomly divided into two groups. One group stayed in class and received…

This handbook aids in planning for effective crisis communication at institutions of higher education. The book opens with a behind-the-scenes look at a particular crisis--the 1990 murders of five students at the University of Florida. This first section offers tested advice from a campus communicator, an account of the crisis and the…

The first chapter of this handbook on communication for alcohol and drug (AOD) use prevention coordinators describes why this book is labelled "unauthorized." Four reasons are given; the book: discusses frankly the difficulty of enlisting supervisors in the cause; minces few words about interacting with colleagues or kids; describes what ought to…

This paper presents findings of a study that documented the initiation and early implementation of 22 projects participating in the Educational Partnerships Program, which is sponsored by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). This study of the first year in a proposed 5-year program, sought to identify partnership structures…

Blumberg and Greenfield (1986) identified a key element of leadership associated with school effectiveness--the principal's "vision" for his or her school. Using a 14-item instrument developed to measure the extent to which teachers in a given school know, share, and work toward realization of their principal's vision, this paper offers…

Findings of a study that explored the micropolitical elements inherent in interactions between either prospective or practicing supervisors and teachers in successful instructional conferences are presented in this paper. Micropolitics refers to the use of formal and informal power by individuals and groups to achieve their organizational goals.…

This paper describes the processes and outcomes experienced by the Marshalltown Community School District (Iowa) as it implemented a shared decision-making, school-improvement program. A district Shared Decision Making (SDM) Team and School Improvement Program (SIP) teams were trained to facilitate greater staff participation in the…

Predicated on the knowledge that effective communication among medical personnel and patients is fundamental to the achievement of successful health care delivery, this paper addresses the practice of chaplain intervention on behalf of the patient in primary care to enhance physician-patient interaction. First the paper defines culture (in the…