Research has shown that among the obstacles to success in implementing shared decision making is finding ways to negotiate the inherent power differentials and traditional role expectations among the various stakeholders. This paper describes the methods developed by district-level planning teams to "even the playing field" and to promote…

At Union County College, in New Jersey, faculty collective bargaining was established in 1975, in response to a sense among faculty that they were no longer adequately involved in decision making at the college. While the first few negotiations went smoothly, in 1979 and 1980 faculty went on strike over the administration's decision to increase…

Total Quality Management (TQM) is being adopted by many governmental entities, including public school districts. A basic tenet of quality improvement is that the customer, not the organization, defines quality. Other tenets are that the organization must satisfy the customer in order to best the competition; and that the organization must change…

This paper examines qualities of effective school leadership that are critical to successful educational change. The first part explores various definitions of leadership, discusses the concept of leadership versus management, and describes the challenges that school leaders face. The paper then draws on data collected from interviews with four…

Findings of a study that examined the implementation of school-based management in an elementary and a secondary school are presented in this paper. The study attempted to identify certain phenomena that might be directly linked to attitudes or perceptions generated specifically by the differences inherent in elementary-secondary school settings.…

This paper reports the findings of a case study that examined leadership as a shared phenomenon. Conducted during the 1991-92 school year at Cross Keys Middle School in Ferguson, Missouri, data were derived from informal interviews with staff members; observation; formal interviews with 19 teachers, 3 counselors, 3 administrators; and document…

Findings of a study that explored the impact of shared governance on the principal's role are presented in this paper. Methodology included two telephone interviews and one onsite observation with 15 principals from 10 elementary, 1 middle, and 4 high schools in rural and suburban communities in Georgia. The schools participated in shared…

In a previous book entitled "Zapp! The Lightening of Empowerment", a new system for motivating employees and improving productivity in a corporate setting was presented. This book adapts that empowerment guide to the classroom with workable, hands-on suggestions to help educators motivate their students and themselves. Empowerment in…

This report, part of a project called "Redesigning Higher Education", argues that a set of fundamental changes underlies the growing number of critical difficulties faced by higher education in the United States. It finds the governance structures of American higher education inadequate to deal with a changing and increasingly cost-conscious…

In December 1988 the Illinois State legislature passed the Chicago School Reform Act, which sought to replace traditional bureaucratic control of the schools with a complex system of decision making by local schools. The act promotes three distinct sites of power in school communities: (1) parent-dominated local school councils (LSCs); (2)…

Australia's Cairns Consortium of Schools includes four state primary schools in Cairns, North Queensland. It supports provision of quality education characterized by improved student outcomes enhanced by improved teacher competencies. It is based on espoused values of mutual trust and respect. Principals use collaborative decision making processes…

This research examines how department heads in (British) secondary schools perceive their management roles and their access to the real decision-making power that occurs outside departmental confines, but within schools. In structured interviews, 30 department heads from 21 schools were encouraged to reflect on opportunities for collegial…

A study of professional development intervention programs in which schools choose their own issues and action plans is presented in this report. "Intervention" refers to university introduction of new professional development models into the school. A 3-year program involving five schools in collaboration with university staff members and…

Findings of a study that examined the collaborative problem-solving processes used by superintendents are presented in this paper. Based on information processing theory, the study utilizes a model composed of the following components: interpretation; goals; principles and values; constraints; solution processes; and mood. Data were derived from…

This essay discusses broadcasting and telecommunication management curricula and makes an argument for including instruction in capital equipment purchases. The argument is based on recent changes in the role of the television station department managers who in economically competitive times are involved in decisions about equipment purchasing. In…