The administration of educational programs has become a profession, requiring specific training and a variety of experiences for individuals to serve effectively in the role of educational administrator. For the most part, individuals think of school administration as it pertains to grades P-12; however, higher education administration is very…

This paper focuses on changes in school management, evaluation, and monitoring in Czech education. The major aim of the first reform wave involved removing the most evident dysfunctions of the earlier, closed and uniform educational system and transforming it into an open, pluralistic one. Subsequent reforms focused on enhancing the quality of…

An elementary school in a poor neighborhood in San Francisco has confronted the problem of at-risk students through the turnaround strategy of accelerated education. The Daniel Webster School and schools in Redwood City have used cooperative learning, parent and community involvement, and increased student expectations to challenge traditional…

Presents strategies for improving student academic achievement and U.S. school productivity. Among the strategies are the following: making student achievement a priority goal for schools, enhancing and toughening the curriculum, managing all educational resources at the school and classroom levels, providing a variety of system incentives towards…

Reviews approaches taken by local education authorities to the funding and organization for special education needs under school-based management. Examines two case studies and concludes that responsibility for special needs students increasingly is becoming that of the school alone. (CFR)

A 3-year examination of school-based decision-making (SBDM) councils in four rural Kentucky school districts revealed that, similar to findings in urban and suburban settings, SBDM councils in rural schools experienced difficulties in achieving true shared decision making. Decisions regarding hiring and budget management were most likely to lead…

The states are at a crossroads in their important responsibilities in education. The 1980s saw intense interest in school reform, but results were often sparse. In the 1990s, the states will need to challenge the lethargy of local school systems and educational establishments. Outlines strategies for pushing schools toward excellence. (AF)

School based management councils have been adopted voluntarily at several locations nationwide and has been legislated in 1988 for the Chicago (Illinois) Public School System. These councils aim to increase school productivity and community participation. Councils across the country share common features and all hope to improve school…

In the wake of the Chicago (Illinois) School Reform Act, Tilden High School (Chicago) hired a new principal and began self-evaluation in preparation for an accreditation association visitation. These events brought about curriculum development, staff development initiatives, changes in budget management, and, ultimately, an increase in student…

This study assesses perceptions of 36 principals and 72 assistant principals regarding each other's professional roles and thinking. Analysis of responses indicates that both groups agreed on perceptions of actual and ideal time distribution. Differences appear in perceptions of each other's ideal assistant principal role. (JB)

This paper examines considerations for designing a postschool follow-up system in secondary special education, focusing on survey research techniques and special applications of survey methodologies, including data collection techniques, questionnaire construction, sample design and contact, response rates, and tracking procedures. Design and…

Recent educational developments in Southeast Asia provide strong evidence to support the assertion that education reform is the major means of buttressing a society's economic, political, and cultural development. Nearly all these countries have expanded compulsory education, boosted education quality and equality, and implemented…

Five schools and districts recognized by the United States Department of Education for excellence in professional development used student needs to guide staff learning. This paper describes each model, noting common key practices (e.g., plans are based on student achievement, community support is crucial, site-based decision making is used, local…

Purpose: This paper aims to identify and compare the nature of decentralization that has emerged in three important Asian societies after a decade of their involvement in the decentralization movement. Design/methodology/approach: Data from the first cycle of the program for international student assessment were analyzed to investigate educational…

This manual is designed to assist California school personnel to respond to the increasing diversity in student populations, with a change process based on principles of shared leadership through a decentralized site-based management method. The organization change model utilized by the pilot schools is the California Local Education Reform…