This paper describes the processes and outcomes experienced by the Marshalltown Community School District (Iowa) as it implemented a shared decision-making, school-improvement program. A district Shared Decision Making (SDM) Team and School Improvement Program (SIP) teams were trained to facilitate greater staff participation in the…

This paper discusses how the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is meeting challenges related to the changing nature of professional development programs, focusing on programs featuring a system of shared decision making on matters of design and governance of program elements. After a commentary about CEHD…

This essay reviews the history of the University of California's Academic Senate, focusing especially on how the senate came to be what it is today, how it acquired its significant role in the shared governance of the university, and how its mode of operation adapted as the university increased in size and complexity. The essay is organized around…

The 1994 and 1995 School-Based Decision Making (SBDM) Surveys were conducted in the fall of each of those years for the Study of Education Policy. This report compares the 1994 and 1995 responses to three questions: (1) What do people think of the effectiveness of SBDM? (2) Who is involved in the SBDM decisions? and (3) What are councils doing?…

This paper examines the emerging practice and issues surrounding consortia of educational institutions, formed in Scotland, in order to widen access to higher education for underrepresented groups, and suggests some key strategies for assuring quality in the interests of students. The paper describes the Scottish Wider Access Programme, its…

Findings of a study that examined female teacher leaders' views of teacher leadership are presented in this paper, which focuses on the potential of teacher leadership for facilitating school reform. Interviews were conducted with six women teacher leaders involved in restructuring efforts--three in school/college collaboration and three in…

This study describes significant issues and learnings identified by 26 school faculties engaged in site-based, faculty-led reform initiatives over a 5-year period during participation in the National Education Association's Mastery in Learning (MIL) Project. A representative sample of MIL sites is utilized to reframe issues and learnings into…

The trend of teacher collegiality and professional development in educational restructuring is examined in this paper within the context of growing demands for accountability and productivity. The increased international interest in teacher collegiality through various forms of school-based professional development is viewed as a means of…

Educational administrators have the power to determine the nature of decision-making structures and processes within their institutions and the extent to which decisions are implemented. This paper reviews assumptions underlying decision-making structures and processes established by school administrators; examines potential individual motives…

Issues raised by the devolution of decision-making to the school level in Western Australia are described in this paper. The first part provides a background of governance structures and school organization. Prior to 1980, Western Australia had the most centralized system of educational administration in Australia. The second part describes the…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship between teachers' perceptions of school climate and their perceptions of empowerment are presented in this paper. Questionnaires were completed by 257 teachers, in 6 states from 8 schools, who participated in nationwide school empowerment projects. Findings indicate that school climate, age, and…

This document contains six chapters that examine the role of teacher leadership in the school-restructuring process. Chapter 1, "When--Teachers Lead" (Bruce S. Cooper), provides a general introduction to the content and purpose of the monograph. Chapter 2, "When--Teachers Share School-Level Decision-Making" (Sharon Conley and Justo Robles),…

Drawing on extensive staff interviews, this publication profiles a high school principal in Eugene, Oregon, who exhibits many aspects of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership is improvement oriented and comprises three elements: (1) a collaborative, shared decision-making approach; (2) an emphasis on teacher professionalism and…

In the Australian state of Victoria, virtually all decisions about spending, curriculum, and personnel are made at the school level. Victoria's experience in developing a system of school-based management (SBM) and shared decision making offers a perspective on school reform efforts in the United States. Underlying the school restructuring trends…

This book addresses the philosophy of governance in higher education, the nature of governance and some of the forms it may take, the meaning of democracy in university governance, criteria for assessing governance systems, and underlying assumptions about aims and efforts. The book focuses on the colleges and universities in New York City in the…