This book illustrates how one school, George Westinghouse Vocational and Technical High School (Brooklyn, New York), has been applying the techniques of total quality management (TQM) to achieve educational change. Following the foreword and introduction, chapter 1 describes TQM, Deming's 14 points, and the challenges of applying TQM to education.…

This paper, by a parent of a child with severe mental and physical disabilities, discusses why parent/professional teaming is important to maximize benefits for children and youth with severe disabilities. It recounts the family's experience with the impact of disability. Strategies for effective parent/professional teaming are outlined, stressing…

There are two stories about political trends affecting nonmetropolitan America. The old story, which is the story of declining rural population and declining rural influence on public policy formation, has its roots in early deliberations about governance in this country. Jefferson's republicanism focused on direct citizen involvement in decision…

Initiatives to bring about school improvement usually involve certain teachers taking on leadership roles. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the experiences of a small group of teacher leaders in schools that have demonstrated successful school improvement. The schools participated in a school-improvement project in England,…

The instructional behaviors and related competencies of school superintendents and the contexts in which they occur are investigated in this qualitative study. Methodology involved grounded theory-based content analysis of indepth interviews with a reputationally identified sample of 48 Texas school superintendents. Analysis of behaviors produced…

A framework to analyze leadership with a focus on the concepts of commitment and vision is developed in this paper. Four sections discuss current views of reform concepts, leadership, vision, and commitment. A conclusion is that widespread, lasting school reform requires shared leadership, a collective vision based on organizational introspection,…

The 13 chapters of this book are written by scholars who have made significant contributions to school administration and to their own disciplines. After an introductory chapter on what research has to say about commitment, performance, and productivity, the discussion is presented in four parts: (1) empirical issues; (2) theoretical issues; (3)…

The move toward teacher empowerment in elementary schools with at-risk student populations is explored in this paper. Progress in addressing the needs of all students, especially those at risk, depends upon implementing teacher empowerment through participative decision-making. Methodology is based on experiences of the Accelerated Schools Program…

Results of a staff development program designed to enhance participative decision-making through improving the quality circle process are presented in this practicum report. Methodology was based on two sets of interviews--needs assessment and followup--with school leaders at two school sites and onsite observation. After identifying problems in…

Project LIRO (Leadership for Improved Restructuring Outcomes) was an attempt to influence student outcomes and school change through a year-long work experience and training of department chairs and administrators. The project used Teacher Collegial Groups (TCGs) to encourage collaboration between personnel from Institutions of Higher Education…

A structured questionnaire was mailed to the directors (n=124) of all of the academic libraries belonging to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to obtain information on the status of participative management for support staff groups in major research libraries. Thirty of the 69 library administrators responding to the survey report that…

The proceedings of a 3-day conference, discussing the relationship between government and the arts in the United States, are presented. Issues that will confront the arts in the 1990s were identified and policy recommendations were suggested. Six basic principles were reflected in many of the discussions: (1) a flourishing artistic life is in the…

A detailed analysis of how and why school-based curriculum development (SBCD) occurs is provided in this book. Case studies from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States are presented to show that despite different contexts, common patterns exist, especially in terms of participant motivation and processes. An innovations…

Implementation processes and outcomes at a junior high school of the Mastery in Learning Project, an NEA-sponsored national school transformation effort, are described in this paper. Based on the principle that a school's decisions should be made by its faculty, the project seeks to develop teachers' ability to creatively and cooperatively use…

The University of Southern Maine offers a Master's degree in Instructional Leadership designed to prepare educators for the demands of working with others to promote educational excellence. Two themes of the program focus on: problem finding--the disposition to scrutinize aims as well as means; and a valuing of and practical experience with action…