Local school board, epitome of representative U.S. governance, is undergoing profound changes as to vision, focus, service approach, and structure. Local school boards can spark development of educational programs to prepare youngsters for increasingly competitive, technological, and dangerous world. To achieve needed reforms requires federal and…

Leader authenticity, which affects principals' willingness to share leadership roles, has been associated with more open school climates. This article summarizes a study examining the relationship between principal authenticity and faculty empowerment in 30 high schools. One aspect of teacher empowerment (expanding teacher knowledge) was…

The NASSP Taking the Initiative program was created to help principals and school leadership teams develop essential skills, such as the ability to give meaningful feedback, think creatively, function as a team member, gather resources, deal with resistance to change, and launch an initiative. This article describes the program's success in a…

A year-long, intensive case study of a Los Angeles school involved in school-based management (SBM) showed that four commitments drove successful reform: a learning imperative, strong sense of community, staff and parent leadership, and a capacity-building imperative. SBM facilitated individuals' actions without influencing decision-making…

Examined the influence of four empowerment dimensions (decision latitude, job responsibility, job involvement, and enabling environment) on work-related outcome behaviors (e.g., intrinsic motivation, job satisfaction, intention to turnover, commitment, and job frustration) among Maltese teachers. Job involvement contributed significantly to nearly…

A former National Teacher of the Year discusses leadership's joys and difficulties. Teacher leaders must speak up about conditions limiting their effectiveness and policies restraining their positive momentum. This means engaging in continuous professional development and comporting themselves as professional educators who know what is best for…

Lawrence (Kansas) Public Schools has discovered that four components--clear expectations, focus on results, effective support systems, and good modeling--have substantially helped staff keep pace with constant societal and educational changes. The program's success may be attributed to six components: a professional development council,…

Teachers at a central California high school operate the school according to a strict, progressive set of principles. The Anzar communication guidelines specify teachers' commitment to communicating well, collective ownership of problems and problem solving, tolerance of differing ideas, individual accountability, dedication to helping and…

The evaluation of Minnesota's Early Childhood Family Education program is described, and a dialog between one of the evaluators and an editor of this journal provides further insight into the evaluation process. Noteworthy in this evaluation, called exemplary by the American Evaluation Association, was highly motivated collaboration of evaluation…

Shared governance by instructors, college presidents, and boards of trustees result in empowerment, improved morale, communication, and diversity. As the situation at Fullerton Community College (California) shows, however, it can also diminish efficiency, slow decision making, and hamper effective management. (JOW)

The Data in a Day self-study program has numerous distinguishing features to help schools strengthen their capacity as learning communities. The program focuses on teaching and learning, involves the entire school community, emphasizes student voice, leads to insights translating into action, affirms strengths, and identifies areas needing…

After a brief review of the history of research with individuals with mental retardation, this article examines critical ethical issues related to informed consent and surrogate decision-making. It then discusses ways to facilitate the research decision-making process for individuals with mental retardation and their families, including enhancing…

Although shared decision making wasn't always Harold Boyden's first priority during his 30 years as a Vermont district leader, he always sought out his staff's ideas. Boyden believes in picking his fights, knowing when to compromise, and delegating when appropriate. He prefers to spread out budgeting ownership, responsibility, and commitment. (MLH)

Delegating decision making to those closest to implementation can result in better decisions, more support for improvement initiatives, and increased student performance. Shared decision making depends on capable school leadership, a professional community, instructional guidance mechanisms, knowledge and skills, information sharing, power, and…

Summarizes recent findings from a meta-analysis on the use and effectiveness of medication as a treatment for ADHD. Expresses concern that teachers and parents may not fully realize that stimulants are still a crucial part of the overall treatment for these children. Concludes that psychological intervention can be complemented with intervention…