Examines how children in a Milan (Italy) district involved themselves in urban planning when a new freeway was planned near their school. It describes the children's work with architects experienced in environmental education to research the issues, create maps and models of local streets, and present their findings to the community and the mayor.…

A review of research on innovative school reform for urban minority students is presented with a focus on school-based management (SBM). Through participation in SBM minority parents can improve the education and success levels of their children. Their involvement can be enhanced with the assistance of properly prepared principals. (MMU)

Reports on a method of curriculum design which allows student empowerment while simultaneously promoting essential literacy skills in a developmental-education course. States that students designed their own curriculum through the use of collaborative groups and peer decision making. Finds students continued to sharpen literacy skills throughout…

Presents relational and structural conditions necessary to successful collaboration between college faculty and administrators. Relational conditions include "refuse to play zero-sum games" and "the most important power in a college is the power to persuade." Structural conditions include "clarify the roles of players" and "prefer a matrix…

Asserts that academic freedom requires a governance system in which faculty expertise--often residing in an individual, but also expressed at times in a collective fashion--is the determining factor in institutional decisions affecting academic matters. Discusses why faculty governance is especially important in protecting liberal education…

The key to successful junior high to middle school transitions is participatory planning that involves all school-community members. This article discusses essential questions, describes the Howard County (Maryland) Public Schools' model approach, and stresses the importance of securing teacher commitment and know-how and evaluating the planning…

In 1997, former Edmonton (Alberta) school superintendent Michael Strembitsky instituted school-based management in seven schools. Although the district retained policymaking responsibility, schools could decide matters such as class organization, number of teachers, and budgeting for learning resources and equipment. Giving schools control over…

Describes Bi-Polar Situational Leadership as a model for educational administration. Discusses problem solving and leadership styles, the importance of trust and concern, a balance of authority-based leading and participation-style decision making, collaboration, leader values and development, and improvement of the learning environment. (AEF)

Over time, Bellevue, Washington, Public Schools will be able to renovate each of its 27 schools every 20 years. Site-based input for modernization worked in the district's most recent project. At Eastgate Elementary School a team was composed of the entire staff of 20 teachers, plus the principal and support personnel. A center room was created by…

The increasing complexity of the principal's job makes distributing leadership (among teachers, coaches, and literacy specialists) a survival tactic and a sound organizational strategy. Distributive leadership benefits principals who generally lack time to commit to particular initiatives and the content/instructional expertise to implement…

Ten suggestions for having a successful principalship include: focus on instruction; build a community of learners; share decision making; sustain the basics; leverage time; support ongoing professional development for all staff; assess and redirect resources necessary to support a multifaceted school plan; have integrity; remain competent; and…

Describes programs of the National College for School Leadership (NCSL). Introduces three articles dealing with leadership in urban schools and those with challenging circumstances that emerged from work supported by NCSL. All three articles explore the concept of distributed leadership. (PKP)

Examines site-based management's effects on schools, using a Canadian framework and drawing on research from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. As branches carrying the "corporate line," schools still lack local decision-making flexibility. Principals' workload is more demanding, and student learning outcomes have not…

Presents descriptive and conceptual findings about shared-governance leadership from the perspective of 45 effective principals affiliated with the Georgia-based League of Professional Schools. Discusses contributing socialization factors and strategies (building trust, initiating facilitative structures, setting limits, encouraging group…

Neglected in educational literature, assistant principals can nonetheless help principals by acting as vision codesigners, teacher coaches and evaluators, master schedule designers, program developers, instructional managers, and communicators. Shared instructional leadership allows for greater job control, flexibility, initiative, collegial…