Policymakers and researchers often talk about "autonomous schools" as if there's a single, agreed-upon definition of what that means. In reality, there's no standard design for autonomous school policies, and school autonomy can mean a lot of different things. The policies that states have enacted vary widely in terms of their goals, the…

Across the United States, a movement to create a new kind of public school--"autonomous district schools"--is giving districts the freedoms charter schools receive. Like charter schools, autonomous district schools are freed from innovation-inhibiting state and district policies, allowing talented educators to make academic and…

With the implementation of site-based decision-making occurring in schools, an understanding of the views of secondary school principals and of secondary school teachers would provide valuable information. In the study, six principals and six teachers, from either high performing or low performing schools, were purposefully selected for their…

In this study, the views of Texas principals and teachers regarding the implementation of and support for site-based management were examined through a survey administered by the Texas Education Agency. A total of 2,128 respondents were queried regarding the implementation of and degree of support for site-based management. Analysis of responses…

Examines the effects of site-based management on elementary school teachers' perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU), or lack of clarity concerning significant knowledge desired or needed to perform effectively. There were significant PEU differences between the two schools studied. Results suggest that site-based management is a feasible…

A study employing a traditional equity framework was used to calculate the equity of Texas' school-finance structure. Horizontal and vertical equity as well as fiscal neutrality are used as principles in the study. Data on school-district enrollments, tax assessments, and state revenues from the Resource Planning Office of the Texas Education…

Early efforts at site-based decision making in Texas created many diverse questions about how to proceed. In some school districts, the change to a new decision-making balance centered around the district office. In others, strong campus control was established and effective self-governance plans were created. This monograph presents the…

Following a preliminary discussion of school effectiveness, school-based management (SBM) elements, changing roles for school community members, and common implementation problems, this newsletter summarizes a research project testing one school district's readiness for implementing SBM. The project attempted to determine the knowledge,…

Site-based management, decentralization of decision making to the school level, is a major component of restructuring the American educational system. However, despite the attention site-based management has received, many states and school districts have been slow to implement it. One reason for this failure could be the ability and willingness…

Findings from a study that examined the effects of school-based management on the perceived environmental uncertainty of Texas elementary school teachers are presented in this paper. Perceived environmental uncertainty is defined as a lack of clarity and significant information in the school setting. Questionnaires were administered to teachers in…

This article builds and explores the hypothesis that parent and community participation in school governance can have positive impacts on community development by fostering improvements in school performance and school-community relations and by acting as a catalyst for collective action around community-development issues. It does so through case…

Texas school-finance reforms implemented in response to the 1989 Edgewood Independent School District v. Kirby state supreme court ruling have impacted school districts differently. A study of four school districts, two poor and two wealthy, examined how these districts responded to changes in the school-finance system and the state's educational…

This report contains a synopsis of all public education waivers to improve student achievement granted to Texas school districts during the period from September 1, 1991 through August 31, 1992. The purpose of the waivers is to set aside a requirement or prohibition imposed by state law that inhibits student achievement. The state's educational…

This report examines the balance that exists between school-based management mandates and the superintendent's ultimate responsibility for student performance in Texas. It claims that the literature on school-based management stipulates that states must transfer authority, responsibility, and accountability from the central office to the school…

Results of a study of the efforts of three Texas school districts to develop school-based management are reported in this paper, which discusses project development and progress in implementation. Fifteen schools--2 senior high, 6 junior high/middle schools and 7 elementary schools--from three districts--one predominatly Hispanic, one suburban,…