This work provides school change leaders with tools, techniques, tips, examples, illustrations, and stories about promoting school change. Tools provided include histograms, surveys, run charts, weighted voting, force-field analysis, decision matrices, and many others. Chapter 1, "Introduction," applies a matrix for asking questions…

This study examined teachers' attraction to school council service and factors that impacted that attraction. Participants were randomly selected public school teachers enrolled in graduate education courses at three Kentucky state universities. They performed three tasks. First, they completed a biographical form that yielded descriptive…

This article analyzes the effects of senior secondary-education reform in The Netherlands and the effects that these changes have exerted on teachers. It focuses on the way that changes, such as profiles, new exam programs, and alterations in "study house," interacted with and influenced teachers' tasks. The paper provides an overview of…

Historically, participation in school affairs gave rural people a working knowledge of how democracy functioned. In the late 19th century, power shifted from the voice of the many to the voice of a few, as "expert" opinion increasingly influenced state legislators, governors, and national political leaders. The push to consolidate…

Advocates community control of urban schools through the fair representation of minority and low income groups on local school boards. Holds that schools must reinforce and support the culture, values, and identities of minority children if they are to prepare these groups for success in the world. (GC)

Motivated by the increasing prevalence of shared decision making and distributed leadership in restructured schools, six teams of Canadian secondary teachers were interviewed to explore their collective learning and the conditions influencing it. Qualitative and quantitative evidence identified numerous conditions to explain across-team learning…

The common ground process is an ongoing effort for inviting, scrutinizing, debating, and selecting ideas or making decisions about improving schools. Superintendents should assign a full-time communications person to executive staff, create a communications team, conduct a full-scale communications audit, listen better, urge the silent majority to…

Describes the design and impact of an inquiry-oriented professional development course on South Carolina teachers' perspectives of homeless children and families. Notes that multiple perspectives, participant involvement in goal setting, and opportunities to apply knowledge in community and school settings led to changed attitudes toward the…

Describes five characteristics of community college administrators who have successful interpersonal relationships. Suggests that they exhibit positive thoughts about colleagues, develop openness in interpersonal relationships, use a team approach, employ a wide decision-making base, and are concerned about how things appear to others. (AJL)

The Tribal Issues Management System was adopted in 1990 by the Comanche tribe to end internal conflict and promote participative decision making by the tribal community. Such a return to community- and tribal-wide inclusive consideration of public concerns results in action, restores trust and harmonious relations, and recreates feelings of…

Describes the Missouri Accelerated Schools Project and offers information about each component, suggesting activities that teams could use to develop the skills necessary to establish a collaborative culture. Five key components are necessary for productive school teams: establishing trust, developing common beliefs and attitudes, empowering team…

The implementation of a shared decision making (SDM) project in a large public secondary school was studied for three years. Factors that enhanced the SDM process were the confidence stakeholders had in themselves, resource availability, creation of democratic rules and procedures, early and concrete accomplishments, and the principal's support.…

Reports on a study examining the power of the open classroom meeting. Participants indicated that open meetings increased the ability of students to relate to others, to listen, to communicate feelings, and to solve problems. Significant implications for the role of the school counselor in such meetings are explored. (RJM)

Describes the experience of a preschool teacher who allowed her students to create curriculum with her by sharing observations of natural phenomena and the learning process. Considers the importance of preparing the environment so that children feel they have ownership of the classroom and the materials, the role of both teacher and children as…

A study examined the value of six theoretical aspects of learning communities in rural New South Wales (Australia) preschools. Surveys of nine preschool directors indicated that they recognized the value of shared decision making, reflection, and delegating power, and that open communication was necessary for developing a learning environment…