Comparison of Literacy Volunteers of America's participatory model of small group instruction with a Connecticut affiliate showed the national program emphasizes students' role in shaping the learning environment. The local program, based on Dewey's concept of growth as enhancement of experience through critical intelligence, focuses on…

Examines a moderately sized Washington school district's efforts to move beyond strategic planning as a segregated activity toward thinking strategically about long-term plans to govern both tactical operations and the district's future. Top management grew to recognize the legitimacy of multiple external and internal constituent claims. (25…

Describes the impact of an open, participatory, consensus-based planning process with faculty and staff at Parkland College in Illinois. Indicates that the planning process has been enthusiastically endorsed by both faculty and staff and has resulted in an increase in the number of full-time teaching positions and a decrease in the number of…

Describes how Youth for Oakland United is working for positive alternatives to crime and incarceration. It argues for a critical need for safe common spaces for teens and cites preventive measures in cities across America. It documents how research on Oakland recreation centers resulted in a successful citizen ballot initiative for youth…

Examines the Fort Worth Independent School District's decentralized decision-making system through three lenses: a review of site-based decision-making procedures at several schools; an examination of who participates; and stakeholders' perceptions. Some schools operated democratically, significantly including teachers, parents, and community…

Summarizes results of surveys and interviews of community members from 29 New York City schools involved in school-level budgeting during 1995-96. Analyzes respondents' knowledge about school budgets, ideas about resource decision making, perceptions of budgetary power, and suggestions. Fully 80% of respondents supported a participatory process.…

Surveyed teachers in traditional public and charter schools in Colorado and Michigan to examine differences in their perceptions of empowerment (specifically, decision making and autonomy). Results found no significant differences between the groups in perceptions of autonomy. Teachers in traditional schools believed they had more opportunities to…

Analyzes data emerging from a study that examined membership criteria for school teams. Six midwestern urban schools were followed for six months during the process of selecting and initiating parental and community involvement on advisory councils. Participation and attendance rates among minority participants were lower than for nonminority…

In a recent study, 18 Iowa and South Dakota elementary principals said the major reasons for developing a site council are to build broad-based accountability, create a results-oriented improvement agenda, and enhance a sense of community. Lack of adequate time and collaborative leadership training are obstacles to success. (MLH)

Accountability policy research relies on systems theory, objectivism, and logical empiricism to identify learning performance indicators. Policy knowledge production should permit a more holistic, causally interdependent view of teaching, learning, and leadership services. Presents an accountability policy methodology stressing formative…

Teacher involvement in decisions may detract from teaching. This article presents three case studies (concerning a teacher-owned program, teacher involvement in selecting a new principal, and an autocratic principal's failed experiment with participation) that examine pitfalls. Sunset clauses, a good centralization/empowerment balance, and an…

Vermont's town meeting tradition is flourishing and will help determine the future of curriculum development for the state's half-million residents. The Vermont Common Core, a compact with rigorous expectations for educational planners, faces two challenges: remaining open to new ideas and reigniting grass-roots involvement. (MLH)

Collaborative organizations can fall prey to bureaucratic evasions and ethical pitfalls, such as self-protection, self-righteousness, and self-deception. Superintendents must actively work to improve children's conditions and embody ethical practices. They should demonstrate trust and openness, define what is ethical, examine agendas, share…

Uses case-study approach to illuminate how a retired military officer serving as the principal of a south Tel-Aviv high school engages in the deliberative process (a communal experimental process designed to examine the consequences of actions under consideration) to solve a significant problem of a rising level of violence. (Contains 26…

Outlines findings from study funded by the National College for School Leadership that explored effective leadership in a group of secondary schools in challenging circumstances. Highlights the key characteristics and features of leadership approaches adopted, and argues that the heads in the study operated a shared or distributed model of…