Discusses characteristics of four common administrator evaluation procedures: management by objectives, traditional rating scales, self-evaluation, and administrator outcomes models. Outlines three broad responsibility areas for special-education administrators that warrant evaluation. Introduces a comprehensive, team-based model that begins with…

Study of five Catholic, four single-focus public, and four multifocus public magnet urban high schools show varying patterns of parental involvement and differing degrees of shared decision making among parents and teachers. Partnership was more evident in the Catholic schools and least apparent in the single-focus schools. (SLD)

A case study of a New Zealand primary school coprincipalship describes the impact of some intergroup misunderstandings and struggles over power. Concludes that building a democratic school community requires a set of considerations and practices different from those promoted within a market-managerial approach. (Contains 7 notes and 51…

A seventh-grade teacher's get-acquainted exercise (involving desirable character traits) led to signing a class constitution that governed rules of conduct for both teachers and students. While involved in this democratic process, children gained practice in creating the kind of culture in which they wished to live. (MLH)

Argues that professional development for early childhood educators should address the challenge of diversity in order to produce an optimal child and truly realize a participatory democracy. Outlines four professional development opportunities that will help acknowledge diversity and create a realistic context from which teachers can teach. (SD)

New Zealand and England's experience with decentralized decision making illustrates that achieving local control and accountability goals may be more elusive than initially envisioned. Additionally, there are problems with training, time management, and principals' professional/personal adjustments. Those advocating radical decentralization in…

Describes the restructuring process that Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan, underwent over an 18-month period. Describes establishing the need for change and getting the major players involved (the staff, parents and the community, students, and the central office and board of education). (RS)

Examines distinctive organizational and decision-making characteristics of models of school-based management found in Spain, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dade County (Florida). Models differ in original source of change and position on a decentralization continuum, ranging from deconcentration of workload to permanent devolution of authority.…

Describes the criteria a high school music teacher used to select music for a new non-traditional class titled "Pop Band." Lists criteria that each song must have: playability, special feature, popular appeal, variety, artist's qualification, and appropriateness. Students took an active role in the decision-making process. (GG)

Reviews the trends in scholarly publishing that are forcing many academic libraries to cancel subscriptions to high priced or seldom used titles. A strategy of librarian-faculty communications in which faculty awareness and support were enlisted during a periodicals cancellation effort at Idaho State University is described. (31 references) (CLB)

In a healthy organizational culture, the mission statement and guiding beliefs set the direction for planning and actions. Mapleton (Colorado) Public School District's approach to school management places decision-making as close to the implementation point as possible. District schools have become more caring and supportive learning communities.…

Teacher empowerment can be better appreciated if viewed as professionalization, rather than an exercise in worrying about who the boss is. This article discusses three guiding principles toward empowerment (status, knowledge, and access to decision-making), separate needs and vantage points of teachers and administrators, and teacher autonomy.…

For the U.S. to survive despite intensifying international competition, accelerating technological change, oppressive public and private debt, and demographic and work force changes, the learning enterprise must become far more productive. Two 1998 scenarios are presented: business-as-usual (favoring the rich) and a restructured system based on…

This article discusses the rationale for enhancing teacher involvement and presents a conceptual framework for analyzing teacher participation in school management. Also discussed are traditional and recent forms teacher participation has taken, examples of teacher organizations' activities to foster participation, and a prognosis of prospects for…

In response to changing school demography, a Phoenix, Arizona, elementary school district made community participation the centerpiece of a new strategic planning process. The superintendent and board set up a broadly representative planning team to identify critical issues in enrollment, funding, curriculum, and personnel. The process is…