Describes a management strategy used by a superintendent to decentralize the decision-making process. Reviews site-based management as it relates to developing a mission statement, establishing a management team, and incorporating school-based decision making in the areas of staffing, budget, and curriculum. (KS)

A chart presents details about school-based management systems in Chicago, Boston, Kentucky, Duluth, Dade County (Florida), and Texas, focusing on decision making, parent and community involvement, and structure. (SM)

Examines budgeting policies in five large urban school districts that have adopted school-based management to characterize the extent to which dollars have been decentralized, along with decision-making responsibility and authority. Contrary to other studies, results suggest that new decision-making patterns exist that effectively empower…

Discusses the change to a choice-based school system in Great Britain under the Education Reform Act of 1988. Compares the British system with proposed changes in the United States. Describes the changes that have placed budgeting and management in the hands of the individual schools that have the power to "opt out" of school district…

Cultural leadership is an essential foundation underlying successful instructional leadership activities. Careful use of cultural assessment helps principals identify contextual barriers shaping the outcomes of otherwise effective instructional change interventions. Cultural brokerage not only protects these improvements but promotes and…

In existing school-based management models, the principal's role ranges from chairing the local council to being a coach/facilitator. With teachers and parents assuming greater control over governance, curriculum, and budgeting, paranoid principals may establish more formal bargaining relationships with district boards. Caution is advised, because…

If a school and community are qualified enough to hire teachers, counselors, and secretaries through school-based-management processes, they are equally qualified to hire the school principal. This article describes a site-based team-selection process designed to identify optimal administrator characteristics, advertise the job opening, handle…

Research indicates that being part of the decision-making process is more important than making the final decision. Collaborative management enhances self-esteem. Shared leadership acknowledges collective expertise, reinforcing that decision making by multiple participants encourages loyalty, job satisfaction, and joint ownership for decisions…

The theory of reasoned action identified personal and social variables explaining the behavioral intentions of 51 teacher union leaders initiating site-based decision-making programs with their principals. Findings indicate they considered behavioral consequences of power and morale and opinions of other teachers and parent site council members…

Summarizes research into the positive and negative views about school-based management (local management of schools) held by senior managers, governors, and classroom teachers in 11 schools within 1 British local education authority. LMS has concentrated financial tasks within a small elite group of senior managers and governors, with governors…

Some feel that outcome-based education and school-based management have been adopted as the new conventional wisdom to guide accountability without compelling research evidence. OBE proponents argue that currently expressed outcomes for student learning are neither sufficiently rigorous nor appropriate for students' future lives. Likely trends and…

Summarizes key issues explored at the Northwest Symposium for Charter School Policy. Issues discussed included accountability and student evaluation, school autonomy, sponsorship and the charter approval process, school choice and parent involvement, equity concerns, opposition from teachers' unions, and startup issues. Sidebar profiles the…

Documents growth of Florida middle school programs/practices and discusses initial trends following a major shift in legislation. Concludes that mandated middle school legislation and categorical funding proved beneficial in initiating widespread change in middle level schools. Severe budget cuts and loss of categorical funding threaten progress…

Principals of site-based managed schools face numerous special-education program implementation challenges, such as appropriate committee compositions, inconsistent service delivery decisions across schools, interschool isolation, deflection of advocates, and policy guidance problems. Principals are ill-trained for inclusion and special-education…

Examines changes in Scottish local education authorities' support for school-level innovation and improvement following reorganization of local governments and devolved management to schools in the 1990s. Concludes that while increased school autonomy to manage change is important, there is still need for external support systems as part of a…