Issues that affect the use of performance indicators in managing educational quality are discussed in this paper. Recent changes in public-sector organizational management include the development of strategies for the management of change itself and the changing role of the public sector. A trend within the public sector is an increase in the…

Considering an organizational phenomenon from more than one theoretical perspective may be more fruitful than using a single rational approach. There is a danger that the restriction of information generation caused by the single approach may produce a false certainty engendered in part through the methodology itself. (Author/WM)

The primary cause of difficulties in the implementation phase of planned change in business organizations is the lack of a parallel communication plan to facilitate the changes implied by new strategy. Planners usually concentrate on content (the strategy itself) to the neglect of process (how the strategy should be developed and implemented).…

Intended as part of a larger study of the effects of anticipated or unanticipated changes in the chief executive officer (CEO) of a community college, a case study approach was taken to gather primary data from a multi-campus, urban community college that had recently experienced a CEO succession. The study focused on the effects of the CEO change…

A study examined the creation of a new division within an organization, where members of management were primarily from an "immigrant" or regulatory culture, to determine the effects on management and professional satisfaction. Data were elicited through both a survey instrument and in-depth interviews with 26 current employees and 12…

It is a premise of this Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) yearbook, that staff development will become a human Curriculum Development (ASCD) yearbook, that staff development will become a human resource development system designed to change the nature of schooling, the status of its personnel, and their relations with…

This paper explores the relationships among policy, structure, and culture of educational organizations, specifically, the relationships between policy-mandated educational change and the organizational variables of coupling and culture. A framework for research on policy implementation is presented, which illustrates the interactive relationships…

Educators have recently become more willing to realign the educational system. One approach is restructuring, which can take many forms. This study looks at three districts that restructured teaching, two with career ladders and one with shared governance. The reforms took two directions--professional and bureaucratic--which had important…

This report summarizes the preliminary results of Phase II of an evaluation of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national nonprofit lending and grantmaking institution founded in 1980 to draw private sector financial and technical resources into the development of deteriorated communities and neighborhoods. In this second phase…

The participatory planning process model developed by Peirce Junior College is described in this paper. First, the rationale for shifting from a traditional authoritarian style of institutional leadership to a participatory style which encourages a broader concern for the institution and lessens morale problems is offered. The development of a new…

This paper examines the concept of school climate as a key factor in the success of planned change in elementary schools. Beginning with a general review of the literature on organizational climate and using as its basis three major reviews that appeared in the mid-1970s, the paper defines climate, examines variables that have been used as part of…

Court intervention in special education systems and prisons has varied consequences. This paper comparatively reviews a series of case studies of court ordered prison and school reform. Several factors conspire to frustrate attempts to improve public services: the allocation of costs and benefits of the proposed change, the realities of the public…

Boundary spanning in colleges as evidenced through the activity of offices of institutional research was studied. Literature in organization theory suggests that those institutions that adapt most rapidly to changes in their external environment are those that establish formal structures (boundary spanning roles) for monitoring that environment.…

This collection of papers explores various aspects of strategic planning at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC). First, an overview is presented, clarifying what strategic planning is not and describing the strategic planning at LBCC and its objectives (i.e., to develop a plan utilizing community and internal assessments that can be developed…

Based on similar studies conducted in 1978 and 1983, this paper provides information on changes in state department of education (SEA) evaluation units over a 5-year period and an update on current conditions. In brief, there appears to have been substantial reductions in the size of SEA evaluation unit staffs. While the majority of studies…