As a means of encouraging the formation of school-sponsored, citizen advisory committees, the Illinois Citizens Education Council embarked on a 3-year research and development project. This publication describes this project and thereby serves as a guide for organizing and using citizens' education advisory committees. Specific objectives of the…

A school district in Rosemont, Minnesota, cut 2.4 million dollars from its general fund budget in 1982-83, a cut of almost 10 percent. Instead of splitting the community, the district emerged from the process stronger than before. This was accomplished through a 4-month participatory management process involving staff, citizens, parents, and…

Research of 25 Michigan elementary and secondary public schools is used to test a model relating organizations' problem-solving adequacy to their available inputs or resources and to the appropriateness of their structures. Problems that all organizations must solve, to avoid disorganization or entropy, include (1) getting inputs and producing…

An analysis was undertaken of the self-perceived role of administrative office managers in participative management. The primary purpose of the study was to enable office educators to develop relevant instructional programs based on current practices found in the business world. Data were compiled from 132 usable questionnaire responses returned…

Argues that the students, the primary constituency of the schools, have been omitted from efforts at school reform. Urges that students become part of a partnership with administrators, teachers, and parents through an integrated thematic plan that would make the student the center of the school universe. (FMW)

Describes summer supplemental special education program of the Navajo Tribe's Chinle Agency. Program provided 57 exceptional students with instruction; trained teachers, aides, and parents in special education procedures; and provided university credit toward a degree or certification. Describes program evaluation techniques and results. (LFL)

A survey of 100 principals known for their successful programs for obtaining community support brought many effective techniques to light. These methods fall into four categories: written and oral communications, community involvement in decision making, use of school volunteers, and encouragement of parent-faculty organizations. (PGD)

"Can You Hear Me? The Right of Young Children to Participate in Decisions Affecting Them" emphasises that participation enhances children's self-esteem and confidence, promotes their overall capacities, produces better outcomes, strengthens understanding of and commitment to democratic processes and protects children more effectively.…

How do successful schools create meaningful change? How can stakeholders improve and impact final decisions in the change process? Lasting organizational improvement and effective leadership blossom in climates of compassion, trust, and productive relationships. The authors describe the key to true organizational transformation in the one-on-one…

The benefits of girls' education include increased family incomes, later marriages, reduced fertility rates, reduced infant and maternal mortality rates, better nourished families, and greater opportunities for women. However, ingrained attitudes towards women are difficult to change. Only when communities believe that the benefits of girls in…

The aim of school councils in New South Wales (Australia) is to ensure that the whole community is involved in all important decisions made by the school. The impetus for school councils began in 1990, and in 1995 the Department of School Education placed their formation on its priority agenda in response to their slow rate of establishment. Two…

Rural students face many challenges in gaining a sound education, but one of the advantages they have is that their schools are set in a community context that values a sense of place and offers a unique set of conditions for building social capital. A school-community partnership model of school renewal might be an appropriate means by which…

This is a critique of the current system of governance in public education. Chapters include: (1) "Statement of the Problem," which introduces the issues related to educational reform and provides some examples of previous successes and failures; (2) "The Non-Learning, Non-Self-Correcting System," in which the current system is…

An approach to assessment is described that allows students to understand and help decide the criteria for good work. It is called "negotiable contracting." Negotiable contracting consists of giving students shared ownership in their own learning. The teacher serves as a facilitator of discussion of the assessment process. Students and the…

Focusing on recent trends in Chinese Taipei, this paper analyzes ways in which adult education policies may be used to establish a successful and permanent foundation for lifelong learning. First, political, social, and educational dimensions of life in Chinese Taipei are examined, highlighting a major weakness in the field of adult education due…