Secretary of Education William Bennett discusses the importance of elementary education and elementary school teachers and what he hopes "First Lessons: A Report on Elementary Education in America" will accomplish. (MT)

Civic education has been assigned a low priority. Team effort and team competition should be as prominent in cerebral development as in athletics in order to improve citizen skills and citizen orientation. Reward structures are needed where collective problem solving is more highly prized than individual achievement. (RDN)

The representation of large corporations on the advisory committees of executive branch departments and regulatory agencies declined in the years 1973 and 1977, probably because of provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972. Representation generally reflected an intersection of corporate economic interests with department and agency…

Assessment of West German and Japanese systems of worker participation and of attempts to adapt these models to the United States do not provide conclusive evidence that these methods improve productivity and job satisfaction. (SK)

Quality Circles are a participative management technique allowing employees opportunities to participate in decisionmaking and problem-solving processes at work. A Wisconsin vocational school successfully implemented Quality Circles with management and nonmanagement staff participating. (MD)

Describes the complex West Germany system of involving employees in the management of large industrial companies. (IRT)

The report considers the climate of participation, preparation given the staff, areas of decision making, the role of the professional staff association, and the reaction of staff to such participation. (Author)

The study revealed the degree of influence of the local teacher membership, state affiliate union, and teacher negotiator on decisions concerning working conditions and agreements. Data strongly suggested that the local teacher membership, the state affiliate union, and the teacher negotiator had influenced decision making concerning working…

Examines ways in which committees are used in institutional governance in higher education. Discusses the impact of campuswide committees on the ability of administrators to work effectively, maintain a leadership role, and make prompt decisions. Identifies the negative factors involved in committee use and suggests alternatives to remedy…

The participatory management philosophy is alive and well at numerous institutions of higher education. Results, both objective and subjective, are in evidence at many colleges and universities and lend validity to the perception that participatory management can, and does, work if properly nurtured by top administrators in a collegial…

The development of a women's literacy and health project in Canada was based on research linking literacy, health, and income; the relationship between literacy and health promotion; and the value of participatory education for health promotion. (SK)

Describes a process used by an architect to work with the stakeholders of a school in Iceland to design a new building. The process, called "design down," starts with the biggest issues and moves toward more detailed aspects. It starts with looking at the school's learning signature, learning expectations, the learning process, and the…

Using the example of the construction of Fond du Lac High School in Wisconsin, discusses how multi-layer reviews of facility plans and drawings by staff members and the community help ensure a positive outcome. (EV)

Brief descriptions are given of projects and activities in 10 school districts involved in reform efforts which give teachers greater responsibility for decision making. New roles for teachers and the involvement of technology in restructuring schools are discussed. Sources of additional information on restructuring are included. (IAH)

School districts such as Dade County, Florida; New York City; Petaluma, California; Hammond, Indiana; and Boston have restructured their schools and are using some form of win/win bargaining to achieve this goal. If the schools, unions, the teaching profession, and collective bargaining can continue to evolve together, restructuring could become a…