An interview with Summerhill School's head describes how the independent boarding school challenged the British government's demands that it give compulsory lessons. A settlement required the school's philosophy to govern the government's approach to the school; recognized the pupils' voice in evaluations of the school; and acknowledged that…

Schools attempting to transform themselves by adopting desirable characteristics generally fail because they have skipped a long, difficult self-discovery process involved in becoming effective schools. Leadership may be as simple as knowing oneself, envisioning alternative realities, being persistent, and building everyday relationships. (MLH)

Middle schools can be developmentally responsive and meet requirements for high-stakes accountability. School cultures must change. The hope for highly implemented, successful programs lies in the principal's facilitation of comprehensive restructuring with broad-based involvement in establishing new visions of teaching and learning and…

Although democratic decision making offers the best hope for public support of schools, simple majority rule is not enough. Deliberation is needed for long-term community engagement. A Washington State elementary school's broad-based site leadership team sets school direction and handles issues influencing student learning. This team successfully…

Describes various strategies for directors of youth ministries, Catholic school principals, and pastors for managing change in the parish. Asserts that parish leaders should move away from control and direction and toward nurturing, sharing, collaborating, empowering, and networking. (JDI)

Students at Clovis (California) Unified School District are benefiting from GoalSHARING, a program growing out of the district's first annual education congress. Hundreds of educators, parents, and community leaders convened to determine better ways to run the schools. Parent teams now initiate changes at district and school levels. (MLH)

Using survey and interview responses, examines school members' perceptions of school autonomy over budget decisions, availability of budget information at the school level, and members' willingness to engage in shared decision making in Rochester, New York. Results suggest there are implementation barriers in Rochester pilot schools. Participants…

Describes the values and associated behaviors of seven school administrators who foster and sustain democratic practices in schools engaged in restructuring. These administrators reject the centrality of the principal's role and prominently display values supporting equity, inclusion, mutual influence, and candor. These administrators' behavior…

In Boston, City on a Hill Charter School's commitment to civic education challenges the notion that charter schools are inherently privatizing forces in public education reform. Through expanded choice, inclusive decision making, and localized accountability, charter schools can be a democratizing force that serves multiple publics, including…

The context of and the participatory strategic planning process at the University of Texas, El Paso, from 1993 to 1996 is described. The internal and external factors that influence the intensive interactive process are reviewed; the university's conceptual framework for strategic planning is described; and the role of the university's planning…

Kentucky's school-based decision-making councils now function in 66% of the state's schools. Since 1991-92, these schools have learned that their councils must represent their local constituencies, gain the support of local political structures, shun legalism, concentrate on substantive education issues, and develop a democratically based…

The Meeting School is a boarding high school in New Hampshire based on the principles of the Religious Society of Friends, which emphasize simplicity, honesty, the peaceful resolution of conflict, the dignity of physical labor, mutual trust, and care for each other and the earth. Describes how students and faculty participate fully in the life of…

Describes how co-mentoring functions in the administration of the Writing Program at Utah State University, where administrative responsibilities are shared by eight people. Outlines specific systemic roles held by those involved. Argues that co-mentoring administration is enhanced through communication and various electronic media. (SR)

Offers four perspectives on dynamic changes in the architecture of power and leadership in one university's large Freshman English writing program as it implemented a more collaborative approach in its administration, reforming a top-down administrative structure into a more egalitarian one. (SR)

Offers perspectives of 3 members of a 10-member coordinating committee that has collaborated in the administration of their university's first year writing program for the past 10 years. Discusses how such partnerships come to be created in a hierarchical university environment, how power is acquired, and how collaboration works on a daily basis.…