Principals desiring to be effective leaders will involve stakeholders in a process defining the school's destination. A preferred vision can be clearly stipulated if stakeholders develop a statement of beliefs, conduct external and internal scanning to determine trends, and identify critical success factors. Includes seven references. (MLH)

A pilot program in school-based management in Prince William County, Virginia, gave principals at five schools their share of the school system's budget to allocate. (MLF)

Describes what is happening with school-based management in the public school systems of Dade and Sarasota Counties, Florida; and Savannah Chatham County, Georgia. (MLF)

Michael Strembitsky, director of the High Performance Management Program with the National Alliance for Restructuring Education, helps administrators, policymakers, and community leaders work through problems and challenges accompanying decentralization, deregulation, and results-driven reform efforts. He finds that school staff with…

Involving students and parents in educational decision making is essential to public education based on democratic principles. Educators should conceive of themselves as the primary stewards of the democratic spirit. (SK)

The principal as all-knowing patriarch and problem-solver is passe. Today's principals must be team builders who can inspire a diverse group of professionals to cooperate. Principals need a leadership vision and strategic planning skills. Superintendents should teach principals how to dream creatively, conduct environmental scans, assess…

With a $30,000 Carnegie Foundation grant, a Baltimore middle school launched a school-improvement team comprised of teacher representatives and "house" principals from "schools-within-schools," parents, community members, and the principal. After 4 years of tackling test scores, attendance, curriculum, scheduling, and parental…

A survey of principals, counselors, and academic and vocational teachers was conducted in 69 Kentucky secondary schools before and in 67 schools after school-based decision making (SBDM) was implemented. SBDM's effect on academic/vocational integration and vocational funding was minimal. Except for counselors, the percentage perceiving SBDM as…

A survey shows that California's charter-schools movement is being shaped by the special features of the state's charter law--exclusive local oversight and ambiguous legal status. Each school must negotiate how it handles its local school board, teachers' unions, and lack of start-up funding and technical assistance. Most charter schools seek…

Recounts a principal's experiences at a British Columbia elementary school with control over its own budget. Decentralized administration did not prevent mistakes. At first, administrators and teachers made more errors in judgment than an experienced school business officer would have made. This district's success may be attributed to the…

Informally reviews the site-based management/budgeting literature, focusing on SBM implementation strategies, resource allocation decisions, and the role of site councils, principals, and school business administrators in effecting changes. The school business administrator remains a key person in determining, implementing, and coordinating the…

An acclaimed former New York City principal says small school size is an absolute prerequisite for school reform. Smallness, to be effective, must be accompanied by control over budget, staffing, scheduling, and the specifics of curriculum and assessment. (MLF)

Examines the effects of site-based management on elementary school teachers' perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU), or lack of clarity concerning significant knowledge desired or needed to perform effectively. There were significant PEU differences between the two schools studied. Results suggest that site-based management is a feasible…

To ensure the success of its enrichment activities program, a Texas elementary school formed principal assistants committees (PACs) comprised of highly diverse community volunteer coordinators. In the PAC program, parents, nonparents, and educators work together, sharing problems and solutions while supporting each others' efforts. Sidebars list…

Recently, a group of 26 elementary, middle, and high school principals met to evaluate the Prince William County (Virginia) Public Schools' school-based management system after its first year of operation. Principals made generally positive comments about budgetary changes; staff and community involvement; the evaluation process; and the role…