Describes how New York City's African Free School became a focal point of Black community aspirations in the early 1800s and how the Black community struggled, with limited success, to maintain a role in determination of educational policies in the school. (CMG)

The paper draws on findings from three case studies on the changing role of Local Education Authorities (LEAs) in England and explores the degree of LEA effectiveness, their contribution to school improvement, and the nature of their leadership. The context for the study is one in which, over the years, the powers and responsibilities of LEAs have…

Although 1951-1966 marked 15 of the most dynamic, hectic, painful, and questionable years of Iowa school district reorganization, 28 school district reorganizations have come about in the succeeding 15 years without a state law or Department of Public Instruction regulation mandating the elimination of certain kinds or sizes of local school…

Reports findings of a 12-school district study examining differences in local perceptions about influences on their systems: Federal policies; State legislation; demographic trends; the local community; central offices. Presents case studies of three districts and recommendations for strengthening local capacity and sense of priorities. (KH)

Analyzes the debate over closure of a rural Pennsylvania high school and consolidation with a much larger school in the state's geographically largest school district. Discusses parent survey results, which highlight the enduring social tension between the centralizing efforts of governing bodies and the interests of local communities in…

The Chicago Public Schools have experienced major reforms since the late 1980s. This has resulted in increased power to local school communities and the creation of local school councils (LSCs) that employ its principals. This paper presents findings of a study that examined principals' perceptions of their changing roles under Chicago's school…

This ethnographic account of community development relates the successful efforts of Shiloh County (a pseudonym for a small, rural political subdivision in the American South) to achieve local autonomy while using external resources to meet local needs. The study describes the political influences of family, religion, neighborhood, community and…

This study examined the views of students, parents, and teachers in three urban middle schools and one elementary school regarding important elements of the school counseling function. Respondents completed a questionnaire with a Likert-type scale, ranging from 0 to 7, on which they rated the importance of several counseling functions such as:…

This report describes a British local government's role in the provision of schooling. It identifies the benefits and limitations of that involvement, and draws out the implications for South Africa. The document focuses on the Birmingham City Council, its committees, departments, and services, and their current role in the city's schools. It is…

Examines Colombia's efforts to halt escalating violence and social destruction through political and educational decentralization aimed at bolstering participatory democracy. Discusses the efficiency and anticorruption goals of centralization policies of the 1970s. Describes lack of shared vision and other national and local barriers to…

The movement for community control of schools allowed for the participation of parents in educational policy with regard to their local schools. This movement was aimed at increasing the participation of inner city parents in the schools. This movement has currently slowed down. In large metropolitan areas, the size of the educational system has…

Acceptance or rejection of school policy hinges on the role played by formal and informal groups within the community power structure. Kimbrough's research suggests that formal groups are subordinate to the informal power structure in establishing policy, though formal groups make important contributions to decision-making. Some researchers…

In 1985, Illinois adopted state legislation supporting school district mergers. In one rural district studied, local opposition to consolidation was based on self-interest, ideologies of localism and traditionalism, and (to a lesser extent) research information. Implications for policymakers and the complexity of the "local control"…

Faced with a legal mandate to equalize educational resources available to its public elementary schools, can the Board of Education of the District of Columbia respond effectively to the public pressure for decentralization of its decision-making systems? The answer may be determined through the responses to two further questions: to what extent…

This study examined a school district before and after its school board changed from appointed status to elected status to determine if there were significant differences in the board's handling of constituent demands. School board minutes were examined and demands were analyzed for a six-month period under the appointed school board, then…