A foreword and nine articles discuss issues on the role of institutions of higher education in the rebuilding of a public life involving citizens across the country. After the foreword by David Brown and Deborah Witte, the papers are: (1) "The Public and Its Colleges: Reflections on the History of American Higher Education (R. Claire Snyder),…

Recent efforts to improve schools through community democratic school decision making and practices conflict with ideas of some of the founding fathers of the U.S. Constitution. There are several differences between the ideas of some contemporary democratic education reformers and those of Publius (the pen name of the authors of the Federalist…

Local community leaders should examine the principles involved in making committees an effective and efficient tool in group operations. A committee assists the parent organization in developing programs, carrying out business, establishing policies, executing affairs, and evaluating an organization's effectiveness. Committees have many social,…

Findings of a study that explored the extent of knowledge and use of school-based management concepts by faculty, graduate students, and school administrators are presented in this paper. Nationwide data were obtained from surveys that were returned by 63 professors of educational administration, 82 principals, and 216 graduate students in…

This study surveyed teacher's attitudes toward participatory decision making activity. The trend toward school-based management raises the question of whether or not teachers actually want to be involved in management of their schools. Sixty-seven teachers, from small schools taking graduate courses during the 1991 summer session at the Central…

Findings of a study that examined teachers' and principals' perceptions of organizational changes affecting their professional work as a result of restructuring are presented in this paper. The multiple case study of two elementary, two middle, and two high schools derived data from interviews with each principal and from questionnaires…

Findings of a study that examined school-based management and shared decision-making processes (SBDM) in Chapter 1 and non-Chapter 1 elementary schools are presented in this paper. Methodology involved analysis of recent literature on SBDM, though Chapter 1 status as a variable was not specifically addressed. Three differences were found to…

This book illustrates how one school, George Westinghouse Vocational and Technical High School (Brooklyn, New York), has been applying the techniques of total quality management (TQM) to achieve educational change. Following the foreword and introduction, chapter 1 describes TQM, Deming's 14 points, and the challenges of applying TQM to education.…

This paper, by a parent of a child with severe mental and physical disabilities, discusses why parent/professional teaming is important to maximize benefits for children and youth with severe disabilities. It recounts the family's experience with the impact of disability. Strategies for effective parent/professional teaming are outlined, stressing…

There are two stories about political trends affecting nonmetropolitan America. The old story, which is the story of declining rural population and declining rural influence on public policy formation, has its roots in early deliberations about governance in this country. Jefferson's republicanism focused on direct citizen involvement in decision…

Initiatives to bring about school improvement usually involve certain teachers taking on leadership roles. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the experiences of a small group of teacher leaders in schools that have demonstrated successful school improvement. The schools participated in a school-improvement project in England,…

The instructional behaviors and related competencies of school superintendents and the contexts in which they occur are investigated in this qualitative study. Methodology involved grounded theory-based content analysis of indepth interviews with a reputationally identified sample of 48 Texas school superintendents. Analysis of behaviors produced…

A framework to analyze leadership with a focus on the concepts of commitment and vision is developed in this paper. Four sections discuss current views of reform concepts, leadership, vision, and commitment. A conclusion is that widespread, lasting school reform requires shared leadership, a collective vision based on organizational introspection,…

The 13 chapters of this book are written by scholars who have made significant contributions to school administration and to their own disciplines. After an introductory chapter on what research has to say about commitment, performance, and productivity, the discussion is presented in four parts: (1) empirical issues; (2) theoretical issues; (3)…

The move toward teacher empowerment in elementary schools with at-risk student populations is explored in this paper. Progress in addressing the needs of all students, especially those at risk, depends upon implementing teacher empowerment through participative decision-making. Methodology is based on experiences of the Accelerated Schools Program…