Current educational management systems encourage the view of students and teachers as problem creators. Schools might be reformed through a greater appreciation of modern business practices which emphasize democratic participation. All members of the educational process could become decision makers and problem solvers. (KH)

Offers a four-stage process to formalize school budgetary procedures, covering goals and philosophy, employee responsibilities, consistent budgetary allocation procedures, and comprehensive evaluation of the budgetary process. (JW)

Asserts that implementing change is easier when goals are clearly set by consensus. Elaborates a seven-step model for participatory goal setting. (TE)

Restructuring has come to mean fundamentally substantive change leading to improvement in students' education, while offering the promise of power sharing. Organizational, curricular, relational, and fiscal changes were part of the restructuring initiatives of four urban districts. Unfortunately, the efforts generally fell short of genuine…

In 1991 Australia's National Industry Education Forum released a policy statement that suggested ways to improve Australian schools. This report, an outgrowth of that statement, contains a blueprint for the decentralization of management for Australian schools. Studies were undertaken in 11 companies to draw lessons from business and industry.…

Across the United States, School/Community-Based Management (SCBM), also called site-based management, is gaining support. The effects of SCBM in some Pacific-region schools are detailed. SCBM arose in response to mandates giving decision-making powers to the people who have to carry out educational initiatives. One evaluation of SCBM…

This study examines Pilot Schools, which were created via a partnership among Boston's mayor, school committee, superintendent, and teachers union, to promote increased choice options within the school district. The initiative provides models of educational excellence to help foster widespread educational reform in all Boston public schools. Each…

Decentralization is one of the major trends in educational management in recent years. Among the many such reforms that have been undertaken, the introduction of school-based management in the structure of education governance is one of the most controversial developments. The implementation of such reform is increasingly advocated in different…

This paper examines the issues that accountability-driven planning has generated for those attempting to retain ownership of their school-improvement process. It outlines five sets of contradictions, broadly relating to assumptions about planning, that become evident from a study of the planning literature: (1) short time-lines and multiple…

Some of the most important decisions that your school council will make or consider are issues about personnel. This document provides technical assistance and references to law, regulation and legal opinions that help clarify personnel issues for school councils in Kentucky School-Based Decision-Making Schools.

Superintendents who introduce team management into school districts are compared to King Arthur and the Round Table and advised that team management will not endure, at least in its original form. (MLF)

The Philadelphia School District has a five-step program of site-based-management prerequisites for schools: (1) absolute support from the top administration; (2) clear and fair allocation formulas on which each school's budget is to be based; (3) universal understanding of any restrictions, rules, or guidelines; (4) full explanation of budget…

The principal's leadership style is the primary factor contributing to a successful relationship between school-based management and school improvement. This was one of several conclusions in a case study that examined teachers' and administrators' perceptions of school-based management's effectiveness in improving schools. The conclusion was not…

Helping every youngster reach his or her potential is a daunting task, but it can be done. Site-based administrators who incorporate leadership guidelines that define the vision, create a positive climate, initiate action, and advocate an equitable learning environment for all students will awaken one day to discover that all students are…

Three-year study examines the effects of school-based management (SBM) on the organizational health of 28 elementary schools in Jerusalem using 7 indicators from the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire and the Organizational Health Inventory. Finds no significant impact of SBM on the schools' organizational health, but finds…