Discussion of communication between designers and users of information systems focuses on a review of seven participatory design techniques in terms of the communication dimensions found in the Lievrouw and Finn communication systems model. Implications for the development of more effective and appropriate design models and methods are suggested.…

Working for four years in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, as headmaster of the International School, has increased this administrator's belief in community governance of its schools through an elected legislative body. Lists five questions that can help boards determine issues that they alone should decide, and those that may involve teachers. (MLF)

Explores both the practical and legal obstacles facing school-based management, with an emphasis on legal requirements in the state of New York. Suggests that school-based management may be the precursor to a reevaluation of the legal structure of school management labor relations. (MLF)

Describes restructuring in a Western Australian school district. Provides background information and summarizes findings of a case study exploring what primary teachers thought about the restructuring of their work. The 60 teachers interviewed generally thought the restructuring process negatively influenced their curriculum work. Teachers felt…

Investigates teachers' and principals' perceptions of instructional leadership in a sample of Western Australian government primary and secondary schools, using the Instructional Leadership Questionnaire. Instructional leadership was viewed as a shared responsibility; teachers felt principals were less involved than principals felt they were.…

Superintendents, a principal, a teacher, and representatives of the National Education Association describe how they are attempting to resolve the question of establishing parameters in shared decision-making programs. Also lists 12 principles necessary for effective decision making to commence and 12 effective practices in shared decision making.…

Describes the development of regulations to implement Prince Edward Island legislation guaranteeing the rights of the francophone community to French first-language instruction and participation in program development and administration. Discusses difficulties in devising an administrative scheme acceptable to both French and English communities.…

Describes a management strategy used by a superintendent to decentralize the decision-making process. Reviews site-based management as it relates to developing a mission statement, establishing a management team, and incorporating school-based decision making in the areas of staffing, budget, and curriculum. (KS)

A chart presents details about school-based management systems in Chicago, Boston, Kentucky, Duluth, Dade County (Florida), and Texas, focusing on decision making, parent and community involvement, and structure. (SM)

Examines budgeting policies in five large urban school districts that have adopted school-based management to characterize the extent to which dollars have been decentralized, along with decision-making responsibility and authority. Contrary to other studies, results suggest that new decision-making patterns exist that effectively empower…

Tupelo (Mississippi) Superintendent Mike Walters eschewed his former "happy bureaucrat" role for a facilitative role allowing teachers to reinvent curriculum and instruction. Inspired by Deming's continuous-improvement precept and aided by a $3.5 million grant from the area's Fortune-500 business community, this superintendent finds…

If a school and community are qualified enough to hire teachers, counselors, and secretaries through school-based-management processes, they are equally qualified to hire the school principal. This article describes a site-based team-selection process designed to identify optimal administrator characteristics, advertise the job opening, handle…

Research indicates that being part of the decision-making process is more important than making the final decision. Collaborative management enhances self-esteem. Shared leadership acknowledges collective expertise, reinforcing that decision making by multiple participants encourages loyalty, job satisfaction, and joint ownership for decisions…

Three major factors contribute to the success of a college campus master plan: (1) engaging in strategic planning for the future; (2) involving user groups within each administrative unit and academic department to work with the architect/master-planner; and (3) hiring a planner who understands how colleges and universities work. (MSE)

Describes innovative student teaching programs, noting assumptions about power, knowledge, and language of teaching. The paper discusses contrasting relationships (consonance, critical dissonance, and collaborative resonance), arguing that programs based on collaborative university-school relationships provide unique learning opportunities. The…