This paper provides an introduction to a particular systems-theoretical approach to problem-solving in the management of education usually referred to as soft-systems methodology (SSM), developed by Peter Checkland in the 1970s. SSM should provide a powerful tool for managers in education at any level who have a strategic role because it can be…

This discussion draft of a conceptual framework for monitoring children's services was prepared by Peat, Marwick and Co. for the Children's Services Monitoring Transfer Consortium (CFMCS), an organization spanning five states: California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. The primary purpose of this conceptual framework was to…

This review of the literature briefly outlines the history of management by objectives (MBO), describing the Madison, Wisconsin, school district's application of this systems approach to school management, as well as alternatives to the Madison MBO plan developed by other districts across the country. Although there are many variations of MBO and…

Rational decision making by leaders in higher education and similar institutions suffers from both a lack of relevant data and the failure to use data when it is available. The purpose of this paper is to describe a process which when applied seems to facilitate the rational decision making processes of an institution's leadership. The process…

Completion of a four-month study of Oakland University's administrative systems needs is reported. It is recommended that the university undertake a major developmental effort to design and install new systems, with particular emphasis on payroll/personnel, general accounting, and student records. Following the development of these systems, a new…

The evaluation of administrative and supervisory personnel is receiving increasing attention by State legislatures, the public at large, and the education profession. At least nine States now mandate periodic, formal evaluations of administrative and supervisory personnel in their public schools. As a result of these State mandates and the…

The University of Massachusetts has recently developed and implemented a new student opinion survey system. The concept was based on the perceived need of various university decisionmakers for information on student opinion in making various decisions. The purposes of the project were (1) to develop and provide a system whereby a rapid response…

A comprehensive school planning tool is available from General Learning Corporation and the Center for the Advanced Study of Educational Administration at the University of Oregon. This School Planning, Evaluation and Communication System (SPECS) provides a deliverable system of training, implementation strategies and materials and technical…

This pamphlet presents a general description of the systems approach as applied to education, and gives verbal and mathematical model examples of its application in educational administration. The basic aims of the systems approach are to (1) identify major objectives of a program plan, (2) define programs that can effect the planned goals, (3)…

This pamphlet is second in a series describing the Management Organization Systems Technique (MOST), whose essential function is to determine the goals and objectives of the college and then to assist management in the attainment and evaluation of them. The planning subsystem, central to this process, begins with a determination of the needs of…

This booklet presents information on how total quality management can be applied to school systems to create educational improvement. Total quality management offers education a systemic approach and a new set of assessment tools. Chapter 1 provides a definition and historical overview of total quality management. Chapter 2 views the school…

The Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT) analyzes a problem through building a model of the problem on paper which is top-down, modular, hierarchic, and structured. It is a communications vehicle using an iterative author-commenter cycle which focuses attention on defined topics, increases management control, creates a systematic work…

The document provides a model for planning and evaluating adult basic education (ABE) programs in correctional settings and is also a workbook for its implementation. It requires the use and understanding of systems techniques and concepts. The introduction discusses the rationale for and development of the conceptual model; basic systems,…

The Design of Training Systems (DOTS) model was conceived to provide Naval Education and Training Command management with computerized mathematical models to assist in predicting the quantitative impact of training resource decisions. During Phase III of the project, the three models were operationally tested, and an evaluation team concluded that…

The focus of this paper is on the development of a model for assessing community educational needs, referred to as the Needs Assessment Project (NAP). The model's primary purpose is to classify, organize, and assign priority to community needs, so that the educational system can assign these needs to the proper administrative unit for changes to…