Economic forces and educational equity issues have combined to heighten calls for improved education for all students. Systemic reform calls for education to be reconceptualized from the ground up, beginning with the nature of teaching and learning, educational relationships, and school-community relationships. One of the assumptions made by…

The 1988 School Reform Act (Illinois PA 85-1418) mandated that Chicago's public schools be managed locally by school-based management councils. Principals in Chicago public schools work with their local school councils (LSCs) to effect plans concerning school management, budgeting, school improvement, staffing, and curricular concerns. This report…

This paper presents findings of a study that: (1) identified the most salient organization, personal, and professional factors contributing to administrator burnout; and (2) determined the relationship among these variables to each of the three dimensions of burnout. Data were obtained from a survey of 1,000 school administrators--169 elementary…

A survey was conducted of 114 (a 62.6% response rate) academic deans of predominantly IIA institutions (Carnegie Classification) to gather information concerning the equitable and fair treatment of department heads at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The survey revealed that the duties of department heads included teaching/research;…

Developing and pursuing a "vision" for school success is a crucial part of effective educational leadership. This document explores theoretical models of vision for school success and leadership forces in education; discusses principals as visionary leaders; offers practical advice on developing, implementing, and maintaining a vision for one's…

The school district decentralization process is described in this guidebook, which focuses on the administrator's role in implementation. Three chapters are organized around the three phases of decentralization--exploration, trial, and commitment. Each phase is examined in terms of the real-life experiences of administrators and other…

Ways in which participants in the educational system can improve school climate are presented in this paper. A model of organizational climate is described in terms of a functional relationship based on the functions and contributions of various groups. Specific recommendations are made for parents, teachers, principals, students, superintendents,…

The rate of the change now occurring outside of community colleges has made long-range planning an especially difficult task. Futures research, which attempts to forecast future scenarios by studying societal, economic, and demographic trends, can be used effectively to facilitate the institutional planning process by anticipating both internal…

Designed as a resource for the development of an employment contract between a community college board of trustees and its chief executive officer (CEO), this "idea book" addresses diverse contractual concerns, such as liability and due process, and discusses the benefits of the contract for both the board and CEO. Drawing on comparative…

Working conditions of school leaders in Sweden are influenced by the state and various interest groups. Results of a study to compare teachers' perceptions of school leaders' work with their formally designated tasks are reported in this paper. Reasons for school leaders' working conditions are also discussed. A mailed questionnaire was completed…

Cooperative learning processes have been rediscovered and are being used throughout the country on every level. The basic elements of cooperative goal structure are positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, and cooperative skills. The teacher's role in structuring cooperative learning situations involves…

This paper examines the effectiveness of field-based preparation programs for school administrators. It reviews research in the field, pointing out that leadership, decision-making, and role performance have been the major interest areas. Outlining current theory in field-based program design, the author describes general systems theory as the…

The inherent political conflict between the professional decision-maker and citizen participation in those decisions is explored in the perceptions of city managers, planning directors, and school superintendents responding to a national mail poll. From the sample of 750 administrators, there were 406 (54 percent) returns, distributed almost…

A study attempted to: (1) identify principals' perceptions of their occupational responsibilities and their academic preparation to function in these areas; (2) determine significant relationships between perceptions of preparation and perceptions of difficulty; and (3) determine significant differences among the perceptions of groups of…

This first volume of a six-volume study details the historical context of a particular school district (code-named "Milford") in order to examine the genesis and evolution of American education. The study's key research documents were the district school board's official minutes; additional modes of inquiry included participant…