Recounts the difficulties of establishing a shared decision-making model at an elementary school used to more authoritarian governance. In another school more familiar with participative methods, this principal deemphasized administrative perfectionism and maintained team management by acknowledging the value of controlled conflict and modeling…

This article, third in a series, discusses the last three phases of the creative problem solving process: idea-finding, solution-finding, and acceptance-finding. These phases focus on brainstorming to generate possibilities and alternatives to the problem, evaluating each idea's strengths and limitations, prioritizing the solutions, and developing…

In one Colorado school district, site-based management creates ownership for those responsible for implementing decisions by involving them directly in the decision-making process. This article summarizes the district's mistakes and accomplishments in defining terms and roles, providing support and training, resolving conflict, and managing…

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)

This model for promoting rural community development through adult education is particularly valuable for rural areas because these areas often lack adult education opportunities. There is a need for access to information in isolated areas, and changes in the rural economy require diversification. The model shows the necessity of nontraditional…

Presents conceptual model of group decision-making process that identifies essential factors and processes that impact upon group decisions. Integrates concepts from various academic disciplines to provide theoretical framework for research generation and to organize and synthesize past and future research findings in effort to establish…

As teachers, administrators, and community members move from a district curriculum management system to a school-based model and from an isolated, private teacher planning format to a collaborative forum for curriculum deliberations, participants will need new perspectives and skills for analyzing the new practices. This article provides this…

The everyday demands of the principalship compromise secondary principals' ability to fulfill their instructional leadership role. One solution is sharing instructional leadership with teachers. Some effective strategies include assigning teachers staff development responsibility, creating an instructional council and an instructional dean…

This article describes developments at Indiana University over the past two decades. Since 1985, two task forces have countered the Holmes Group Report and set up a unified teacher education program. (IAH). (IAH)

Examines differences between Japanese and North American personnel management philosophies. Considers to what extent practices of Japanese corporations have been transferred to subsidiaries in Canada, India, Malaysia, and Singapore, compared to locally owned firms. Shows how cultural factors affect styles of personnel management. (SK)

Good ethics are good business. Top management should be committed to a code of ethics based on a true participative process. The organization should be willing to commit resources for training to ensure proper implementation of the code. (SK)

Lee Etta Powell, the new superintendent in Cincinatti's (Ohio) schools, believes that teachers should participate in the issues affecting the running of schools. She expects her administrators to bring in teachers, parents, and other community members to advise and respond. (MLF)

By the year 2000, school decentralization could become another unfortunate, ineffectual pendulum swing. According to this article, a dynamic, ever-changing system of decentralization and centralization balances the benefits of local administrative autonomy with the pursuit of unified goals and helps each leadership level understand its…

Identifies five types of parent participation, including basic obligations of parents and schools and parental involvement at school, in home learning activities, and in governance and advocacy. These types occur in different places, require different materials and processes, and lead to different outcomes. No one model serves all purposes. (MLH)

Although many school districts may effectively use traditional industrial union bargaining, this approach is based on an adversarial posture emphasizing winners and losers. This article describes more mature industrial relations bargaining structures, such as meet-and-confer, win-win, and alternative approaches that transcend the legally mandated…