This paper explores the decision-making process leading to school district approval for staff development. A retrospective field study approach was used to investigate the decision of a small, rural school district in eastern Washington (enrollment 2,200) to adopt a comprehensive English composition teaching program throughout the curriculum. This…

Organizational studies traditionally take the position that the more people involved in group decision making the more ideas will be generated. Recent studies demonstrate that people have a tendency to "loaf" in group situations and thus decrease the level of effort exerted by individual group members. This paper first reviews the…

Although it has been in the lexicon for 20 years, educational accountability remains an untested concept. Traditionally used in public service areas involving the stewardship of public funds, the term loses its legal-financial context when applied to educational settings. Here, accountability is mainly concerned with furthering school systems'…

The "Seven S" framework developed by Pascale and Athos can be adapted to encompass both the technical and philosophical dimensions of organizational problem solving. For a community college, the seven elements of the model would be: (1) Superordinate goals--the significant meanings and guiding concepts that make up the philosophy of a…

An educational program was developed to assist family groups with adolescent diabetics to improve their problem-solving skills. The program is based on theoretical assumptions and research findings from a study of family problem-solving, which involved nine intact, well-functioning families (five families with a diabetic adolescent and four…

Educators concerned with effectiveness outcomes have become increasingly involved with participative organizational and teaching practices designed to improve school climate. Since schools have traditionally emphasized "top down" management and decision-making procedures, few school districts have the experience or expertise to develop…

The impact of collective bargaining in selected areas of institutional decision making at Illinois community colleges was studied. The study institutions were public community colleges that had comprehensive academic programs and were campus-based. Questionnaire responses were received from 645 teaching faculty. Findings include the following: the…

The role of faculty in institutional governance during a period of change is discussed. The focus is the adaptation of 21 liberal arts colleges to fiscal and enrollment pressures of the 1970s, based on a Carnegie Council study of a total sample of 86 liberal arts colleges. The 21 institutions are further investigated, based on site visits,…

To improve secondary school organization, operation, and outcomes, a research report presents major results from 13 studies of leadership, decision-making, and change conducted by Project on the Administration and Organization for Instruction staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in cooperation with over 100 schools. National and statewide…

A series of study lessons are presented for Catholic school board members who formulate policies for Catholic educational programs. The format is designed around 15 to 20 minutes of group study built into the regular board meeting agenda. Each lesson is designed as an independent unit on a single topic or skill, and each is divided into three…

This report is the fifth in a series on cultivating excellence in education for the purpose of training and retraining school leaders of the 1990s. The role of school administrators, and especially building principals; the characteristic administrative functions; the step-by-step procedures for implementation; and the advantages and possible…

The report documents the extent to which special education teachers took advantage of a program which provided substitute teachers for their classes in order to free them to attend Evaluation, Appraisal and Review (EAR) committee meetings held to review individualized education programs and placement decisions for individual students. Funds to…

In 1981, at the suggestion of the college president, Metro Community College (MCC) instituted a College Advisory System (CAS) to replace its cumbersome structure of 17 standing committees and numerous ad hoc committees. CAS is a voluntary, action-oriented, entirely open system, allowing for input from all sectors of the college community. It is…

Three crucial factors which have inhibited past school improvement efforts are analyzed in this paper. These factors include: (1) promising more than can be delivered; (2) failing to effectively deal with the reality of limited resources; and (3) failing to recognize and initiate opportunities for collaboration and resource sharing. The paper…

In response to the increased emphasis on parent involvement in schools, the Parent Involvement in Education Project (PIEP) conducted a comprehensive six-year study of the attitudes and current practices of teacher educators, teachers, principals, parents, and school administrators in a six state region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New…