Examines two elementary school site decision-making bodies (one mandated, the other voluntary) from a critical-theory perspective, using a multiple case-study format. Finds little relative difference between mandated and voluntary sites. Concludes that involving parents in school-site decision-making is an ineffective school-improvement strategy.…

Analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten to determine the extent to which school-based management was reported as having been implemented differently by public and private elementary school principals. Findings based on 866 principals show that public school principals have implemented school-based management to a…

Defines school-based management as a decentralization of school supervision from the district to the individual school level and discusses the limited effect that has been found to date of this type of management on student performance. Some ways to encourage student achievement through school-based management are suggested. (13 references) (LAE)

Analyzes site-based management structures, using specific case of teacher unions and collective bargaining. From coalitional perspective, interview data suggest that teacher union leaders may be in a quandary, shifting between traditional "bread and butter" issues and professional/collegial concerns. A struggle exists involving the…

For several years, Colorado school district's staff has participated in new educational management coaching and review process. Shift from centralized educational administration to site-based management involved transforming elementary and secondary director positions to area administrator/coach roles and converting central administration into an…

A study of those involved in school-based staff development in Australia yielded important points to consider in implementation. The school-based staff development model was most successful in schools that established support structures, created school-based staff development plans, selected their own staff development content, delivered staff…

School-based management (SBM) is the decentralization of authority from the central government to the school level. SBM has become a very popular movement over the past decade. The World Bank's work program emerged out of a need to define the concept more clearly, review the evidence, support impact assessments in various countries, and provide…

Legislation has directed schools to convene school councils that typically address issues related to curriculum, instruction, budget, and governance as one means to improve schooling. However, the expectation for improved schools through this involvement remains a challenge. The study examined issues connected to council operation in two large…

The leader in education is engaged in work that is difficult, complicated, and at times risky. It calls for purposeful and often daring activity. It is an undertaking that is coherent in intent and thrilling in execution. This is the experience of leaders at all levels who have achieved success in the transformation of schools. Drawing widely on…

School-site management embodies the concept that decisions should be made at the lowest possible level in organizations and intends that no decision be made without the input of those affected by them. The concept also suggests the empowerment of individual units of the system, particularly, the teachers. Centralization versus decentralization is…

The School Based Management Process Development General Model was designed to sequentially outline the factors present in a school system's establishment of school-based management and provide a basis for data analysis. This paper not only describes the model, but applies it in presenting the factors that affect the implementation process of…

Evaluates implementation of the Hungarian Education Act of 1985. Examines County Pedagogic Institutes, school self-management, and links between school and community as means to decentralize the national education system. Suggests the Act's implementation has enhanced decision-making based on educational rather than on social and political…

Clarifies the need for the building principal's increased responsibility in budget planning as school administration becomes more decentralized. Discusses traditional and program planning budgeting systems and the need for a staff needs assessment and staff participation in promoting the budget. Includes 14 references. (MLH)

This study uses Henry Mintzberg's structural observation method to examine British primary school head teachers' work patterns and determine the nature of their role. Head teachers' days were characterized by brevity, variety, and fragmentation similar to those discussed in findings of other empirical managerial studies. Leadership roles stressed…

Hartford school administrators converted from a program budget to a school-based budget in one year. (MLF)