Based on the assumption that educators can adopt new patterns of organization and management to improve the quality of decision and change in education, this paper attempts to make decision theory and small group process theory relevant to practical decision situations confronting educational managers. Included are (1) a discussion of the…

Describes a longitudinal case study focusing on teacher and principal expectations, satisfaction, and attitudes toward curriculum devlopment. Relates these three factors to the resulting process and product. Participants' perspectives heavily influenced their views of both process and product. Includes 13 notes and 11 tables. (MLH)

Compares current approaches to decisions involving the preservation of library materials and describes a national project aimed at identifying and preserving important classical studies on microfiche. The use of an editorial board of scholars in this decision making process is evaluated and alternative scholarly involvement models are suggested.…

Examines three different regression models of small group problem solving. (JK)

The first part of the article describes the theoretical background of a library planning model based on the concept of right brain/left brain activities. The second describes the implementation of a short term planning model based on this theory. (CLB)

Research indicates that school organization factors may be as important in explaining and managing school discipline as classroom techniques. The key to developing an environment conducive to good student deportment is a total school effort facilitated by a highly visible principal. Includes 11 references. (MLH)

To avoid the rejection of research findings, researchers and practitioners should jointly plan and conduct research. The SUPER Project is such a collaborative effort. It connects theory and practice in ways that are most useful to teachers and significant to researchers as they work together and learn each other's priorities. (VM)

The views and suggestions of Trinidadian students regarding the administration and organization of their schools are given. The consensus is that school administrators are failing to consider students' opinions. In order to function optimally schools must begin to involve the learner in the decision-making process. (VM)

Describes school board decisionmaking as a cooperative process that involves all local citizens. Recommends that the following six steps should be adapted to local needs: (1) brainstorm with the public; (2) publicize the results; (3) get reactions; (4) make your decisions; (5) make a commitment to the goals; and (6) publicize the goals. (CJH)

The Inter-cultural Network is an electronic communication network connecting faculty and upper elementary through graduate students in the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and Israel. The students address the problem of water shortage, while learning science concepts and transferring learning. A new form of instruction, teleapprenticeships, is suggested. (GDC)

Describes a survey of librarians in the California State University that examined the extent of professional staff participation in decision making. Organizational structures that facilitate participative management are identified, and librarians' perceptions of its degree and effectiveness are discussed. (6 references) (Author/CLB)

Teachers prefer that staff development be continuous, relevant, and integral to their jobs. A systems approach to staff development contains three basic components: planning, implementation, and evaluation. The proposed model emphasizes how interdependence of these components can be achieved through the use of feedback which facilitates system…

Provosts' and faculty perceptions of morale as related to faculty involvement in decision making during a time of financial stress are examined. The results indicate a direct relationship between morale and the severity of the institutional reduction plan implemented. Suggestions for institutional decision making strategies are presented.…

Argues that faculty self-government in higher education is inimical to the public interest, since most of the reforms needed in higher education--higher admission and retention standards, stricter personnel policies, and faculty accountability--adversely affect professional self-interest. Peer review in elementary and secondary education is also…

The past 50 years have witnessed a vast transformation of public education from tens of thousands of relatively independent, "grass roots," citizen-controlled school districts to centrally controlled, massive bureaucracies. Ten recommendations are made which would bring public education back under the control of ordinary citizens. (RM)