Projections in this document form the basis of the site-based budget planning process for schools in the Seattle (Washington) School District. These projections are based on the Weighted Student Formula approved by the School Board in February 1997. The Weighted Student Formula is based on three principles: (1) resources follow the student; (2)…

Path analysis was used to test the relationships between the resources provided to site councils in site-based management (such as administrative support for site-based management), council communication and decision making practices, and perceived outcomes in terms of effectiveness and stakeholder satisfaction. Data were collected form 12 schools…

This paper explores the dynamics of managing collective problem solving and decision making, and the application of tools and strategies to deal with the emergent complexity of systems in which educators work. Schools and educational programs are complex adaptive systems that respond to changes in internal and external environments. Functioning…

This study sought to determine whether Chicago Public School teachers are more involved in shared decision making since the Chicago School Reform 1988. A review of literature on shared decision making yielded inconclusive results. While some studies concluded that shared decision making is imperative, other studies suggested that school climate,…

This paper reports on a pilot study that emerged from two separate doctoral studies on teacher curriculum decision making and school-based management. The pilot study investigated the interface of curriculum making and educational partnership, noting conceptual and contextual links between the thinking and practice of teacher curriculum decision…

Summaries of four papers and a discussion presented at a symposium on expanding the research base of systems of care for children's mental health examine school-wide systems of positive behavioral support and provide data on a three-tiered Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program for improving mental health functioning of…

This book examines the interplay between government and society, analyzing the social capital both within the African American community and outside it, where social capital crosses racial lines. It shows that while Black social capital may have created solidarity against White domination in Baltimore, it hampered African American leaders'…

This is the final report in the New Zealand Council for Educational Research's series of national surveys monitoring the impact of the "Tomorrow's Schools" reforms, which began in 1989. These reforms shifted substantial financial and administrative responsibilities from the former Department of Education and Education Boards to staff and…

This paper explores the impact of school reform on learning outcomes and on the professional culture of the principalship. The report draws on findings from several research projects involving surveys and case studies in the period 1993 to 1998, with special focus on the Schools of the Future reform in Victoria, Australia. The article describes…

So that New York City could build on the experiences of other large cities as it implemented Performance Driven Budgeting (PDB) in the schools, a study was conducted of the school based budgeting training in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Denver. These districts have from 6 to 10 years experience in site-based budgeting. The study is based on…

For any school-based-management model to succeed, the important functions of a school district's business office must be redesigned to shift authority and support for most fiscal decisions to school site. Some of the complexities of shifting the fiscal management to schools include technology, transportation, maintenance and operation, risk…

Examines neoliberal educational policies in England and New Zealand related to school autonomy, school choice, private sector involvement, privatization, and accountability mechanisms. Argues that the rhetoric of neoliberal schooling policies is far removed from their reality, as governments confront the classic tension between fiscal imperatives…

Data from 24 restructuring elementary, middle, and high schools are used to examine teacher empowerment in schools with at least four years of experience with decentralized or school-based management. Findings suggest that empowerment is an important but not sufficient condition of change that does affect teaching quality and student performance.…

Accelerated Schools are built on the strengths of school staff, students, parents, and communities with the goal of bringing at-risk students into the educational mainstream by the end of elementary school. During the 1990-91 school year, 53 schools are participating in the Accelerated Schools Program, including statewide networks in Missouri and…

Discusses the controversy over school reform that calls for the decentralization of power. Explores school-centered decision making by discussing the following two perspectives: (1) child-centered/school restructuring; and (2) empowerment/accountability. Considers possible resolutions to their differences. (JS)