Governing boards have the authority to make many decisions for colleges and universities, but authority itself is built on trust and respect, and those two attributes can be established only over time and through human interaction. In this article, the authors describe shared governance at Colby College, and how it has helped to promote mutual…

Asset mapping is an effective tool for understanding the wealth of talent and resources that exists in each community--even those with small populations or suffering from poverty and economic distress. The long-term development of a community rests on its ability to uncover and build on the strengths and assets of its people, institutions, and…

We utilized a Delphi technique to explore roles and competencies as identified and ranked by 106 upper level graduate students specializing in distance education. Student responses were compared to two previous studies utilizing distance education practitioner/scholar respondents. Although the roles identified were similar to previous studies, the…

Theoretically, schools that practice school-based management (SBM) should be more effective. However, researchers do not agree whether the effects of SBM are negative or positive. This paper discusses how the practice of a self-management framework (in which key actors practice self-management cycles at the school, group, and teacher levels) could…

Numerous attempts have been made to improve the effectiveness of decision-making in organizational settings. Some of the historical and contemporary organizational trends regarding these efforts, both in business and in school settings, are presented in this paper. The focus is on the related expectations and outcomes that are evident in diverse…

The lack of research on college students' involvement in the management and decision-making in a department led to an information search on these issues. Specifically, the researcher looked at whether or not it was a good idea to involve students in a department of psychology's decisions. Student involvement requires both student and faculty time.…

This longitudinal study examined elementary teachers' perceptions of the collaborative planning and decision-making process and their role in it. Nine teachers participated in grade- level teaming. Teachers ranged in experience from 1-9 years, with 3 teachers new to the team and 5 in their first or second year of teaching. Participants completed…

This paper examines the current state of parental involvement in site-based management (SBM) councils. It defines SBM as a formal alteration of the governance structure and as a form of decentralization that identifies the school as the primary unit of improvement. To assess SBM councils, surveys were mailed to 600 principals representing urban,…

This paper examines the philosophical foundation of common adventure and proposes a definition and practical model of the concept. Sixteen values are listed that provide the philosophical foundation of common adventure. Based on this foundation, a possible definition of common adventure would be two or more individuals working cooperatively on an…

Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Social Studies provide direction for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development. The standards identify eras and themes in Wisconsin history. Many of these standards can be taught using content related to the study of Wisconsin. The sample lessons included in this document identify…

This guide describes how to include employees and school customers in decision making. It stresses the belief that inclusion results in better decisions than those made by individuals or by a specific group. The volume is directed to two audiences: practitioners and citizens who are responsible for making decisions related to a school's human…

This paper examines whether the delegating of whole-school decision making reaches to, involves, and empowers the middle-management level. It looks for evidence of alternative models of management for decision making and identifies commonalities between the perceptions and the practices of headteachers and middle managers. The research for the…

This report presents information from a study of teachers of the year regarding their personal experiences with teacher leadership. It highlights: reasons to promote leadership (e.g., teachers have the most expertise and knowledge of how to improve education for students and can form a critical mass with their peers for positive or negative change…

This study examined the extent of teacher participation in school management. Participants were 260 teachers and 40 principals from random samples of schools in each of three education districts in South Africa. Researchers administered a closed questionnaire that asked the teachers and principals to indicate their actual and desired participation…

This book is part of a series of case studies that present better ways to educate Ohio's students. The case study is part of the Transforming Learning Communities (TLC) Project, designed to support significant school-reform efforts among Ohio's elementary, middle, and high schools. The text describes the transformation of a small high school in…