The author explains how the traditional (hierarchical and bureaucratic) school district model inhibits citizen participation, and he describes the effects on citizen participation of two other models -- a decentralized model or a community control model. Chicago's experience with a decentralized model and New York City's experience with a…

Describes several administrative-community alternatives for governing metropolitan schools: (1) administrative decentralization, (2) community participation, and (3) community control. (CT)

Discusses the problems of providing a uniform educational system that would enable children of the rural Yukon to move into other Canadian school systems with minimal difficulty. States that northern communities increasingly desire more control over local education. Argues that schools must address both local and national issues to adequately…

There are two basic reasons why the black educator finds it difficult, at best, to be an agent of change in the black school. First, he was trained by the very system he is expected to change, and secondly, he is a certified agent of that system. (Author)

A study was conducted to observe the potential conflict over control of education in order to hypothesize about the generality of system-community conflict phenomena. A questionnaire was administered to a randomly stratified sample of the community and to the total professional teaching population in a city school district (population 35,000) in…

Responses from inquiries to the superintendents of 32 urban school systems across the country provided the basis for classifying and evaluating modes of decentralization and extent of community control. Main features of the school systems' operations are reported under nine categories: (1) decentralized decision making with centralized…

This research describes "how" and "when" the separate schools in nineteenth-century Boston were organized and the role of the black community in the establishment of a system of segregated education. (Editor/RK)

Deals with some problems in the operation of a school in a white middle-class Chicago community and the attempt by a segment of the community to influence the direction of their school. (Author/JM)

Reviews books which emphasize the modicum of influence exercised by the public on educational policy. Data were obtained on community-school interaction in 17 communities. Control of educational policy was demonstrated to be in the hands of administrators, with tacit consent of the public. (Author/DB)

If participation does not include an openness to the issues that are of real concern to the community and an opportunity to influence policy relating to those issues, it becomes an empty public relations gesture fostering apathy, disinterest, resistance, or counter-organization. (MB)

The article examines the Buffalo, New York, experiment of community control at the local school level and why it succeeded when other similar experiments failed. (MF)

Suggestions for developing procedures prior to the implementation of local school control plans were discussed. (Author/RK)

In spring 1974, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) embarked on a specific project related to Indian control of schools. The objective was to have, by the end of FY 75, at least 1/4 (50) of the bureau schools operating under a management system chosen by those served by the schools. This report reflects progress on the project, covering June, July,…

Describes the views of A. S. Neill on democracy in school administration. Explains the reasoning behind Neill's arrangement of community-based decision making. Questions how democratic England's Summerhill School was in view of Neill's authority. Suggests giving children the right to participate in community government as an educationally…