The Center for Public School Renewal
Selected Articles and Books Listed in ERIC
(Contined)
1999 ERIC Entries (F - N)
Florestal, Ketleen; Cooper, Robb. Decentralization of Education: Legal Issues. Directions in Development. 1997 ERIC NO: ED412616 ABSTRACT: In practice, most education systems have both centralized and decentralized elements. Planners involved in a decentralizing reform must identify which components of the system are more appropriately managed at the central level and which at the local level. This book is intended to inform education policymakers, planners, and practitioners about international experience in the legal aspects of decentralizing basic education. It also provides a basic understanding of how laws and regulations can be used for education reform. For purposes of the discussion, decentralization is used to describe efforts to transfer decision making power in basic education from the administrative center of a country to authorities closer to users. The term is also used in a more technical sense to describe one of the many forms this type of reform can take, and in this sense it is contrasted with deconcentration and devolution as educational reforms. The first section examines the general legal aspects of decentralization, and the second looks more closely at decentralization laws and regulations. The third section is, in effect, a checklist of items that should be included in decentralization laws, and the fourth section provides a road map to help the planner prepare and implement the laws required for reform. Although an effort has been made to keep the discussion general enough for use in many countries, the analysis is based on the legal systems of the Western world or those that they inspired. (Contains 35 references.) (SLD)
Gaynor, Cathy. Decentralization of Education: Teacher Management. Directions in Development. 1998 ERIC NO: ED420093 ABSTRACT: This book is based on a review of the literature on decentralization and teacher management. The focus is on basic formal education, mainly the primary and junior secondary levels of schooling, and on presenting a rationale for decentralizing teacher management. The book presents three models of decentralized teacher management, explores the different functions of teacher management and how these functions are handled in centralized and decentralized systems, examines the design of decentralization reforms in various countries, and discusses the political feasibility and legal implications of decentralizing teacher management. Since reliable data on decentralizing teacher management are limited, the changes that are described--changes that will affect the quality of teaching or learning--are tentative. Although recommendations for planners and policymakers are included, the book emphasizes the viability of the approaches taken so far and the available evidence regarding their efficacy. (Contains 70 references.) (RJM)
Glanz, Jeffrey, Ed.; Neville, Richard F., Ed. Educational Supervision: Perspectives, Issues, and Controversies. 1997 ERIC NO: ED399672 ABSTRACT: Educational supervision has historically sought to improve the quality of teaching. This book is a text for undergraduate and graduate students who are engaged in the study of issues in educational supervision; it is a compendium of informed commentaries on current issues written by prominent scholars in the field. The first part (12 chapters) presents contrasting viewpoints on critical issues in the field of educational supervision. Each topic is preceded by a brief summary of its essential argument and by a series of guiding questions. The chapter closes with a series of review questions and a series of questions for further research. The argument in favor is presented first, followed by the dissenting argument. Chapters and their corresponding issues include: (1) "Should Supervision Be Abolished?" (Robert J. Starratt, Robert J. Alfonso); (2) "Can We Put Back the S in ASCD [Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development]?" (Jean McClain Smith and Barbara S. Thomson, Robert J. Krajewski); (3) "Do Teachers Benefit from Supervision?" (Lee Goldsberry, Duncan Waite); (4) "Is the Estrangement Between Curriculum and Supervision Reconcilable?" (O. L. Davis, Peter P. Grimmett); (5) "Can a Supervisor Be a Coach?" (Thomas L. McGreal, James F. Nolan); (6) "Has the Field of Supervision Evolved to a Point That It Should Be Called Something Else?" (Stephen P. Gordon, Jeffrey Glanz); (7) "Is a Collegial Relationship Possible Between Supervisors and Teachers?" (Barbara Nelson Pavan, Ben M. Harris); (8) "Is Staff Development Supervision?" (Cheryl Granade Sullivan, Gary A. Griffin); (9) "Should There Be National Standards in the Preparation of Supervisors?" (Gerald R. Firth, Helen M. Hazi); (10) "Should Educational Supervision Be Influenced by Business Management Practices?" (Francis M. Duffy, Edward Pajak); (11) "Is Clinical Supervision a Viable Model for Use in the Public Schools?" (Robert H. Anderson, Noreen B. Garman); and (12) "Will Technology Replace the Role of the Supervisor?" (Saundra J. Tracy, Joyce E. Killian). Part 2 focuses on five statements of "perspective," that illuminate the larger context within which supervisory issues are expressed. Perspectives include: (1) "How Can We Move Toward a Community Theory of Supervision? Wrong Theory/Wrong Practice?" (Thomas J. Sergiovanni); (2) "Is Supervision More Than the Surveillance of Instruction?" (John Smyth); (3) "What Is the New Supervisory Role in an Age of Complexity?" (Karolyn J. Snyder); (4) "How Does the Law Affect Educational Supervision?" (Nicholas Celso, III); and (5) "Why Is Advocacy for Diversity in Appointing Supervisory Leaders a Moral Imperative?" (Carl D. Glickman and Ronald L. Mells). References accompany each chapter; an index is included. (LMI)
Goertz, Margaret E.; Stiefel, Leanna. School-Level Resource Allocation in Urban Public Schools. Introduction to Special Issue. Journal of Education Finance (v23 n4 p435-46 Spr 1998) ABSTRACT: Describes a study to determine the effects of decentralized governance and finance structures on resource allocation to and within schools. Using a common methodology and set of questions, authors analyzed data on school-based budgeting in Chicago, Fort Worth, New York, and Rochester. School-based budgeting occurs at the margins, encourages traditional practices, and is driven by principals. (17 footnotes) (MLH)
Gordon, Liz; Whitty, Geoff. Giving the "Hidden Hand" a Helping Hand?: The Rhetoric and Reality of Neoliberal Education Reform in England and New Zealand. Comparative Education (v33 n3 p453-67 Nov 1997) ABSTRACT: 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 and the need for legitimation. Contains 46 references. (Author/SV)
Herman, Jerry L.; Herman, Janice L. School-Based Budgets: Getting, Spending, and Accounting. 1997 ERIC NO: ED413675 ABSTRACT: With the advent of large interest in school-based management came the task of inventing a different type of budgeting system--one that delegated the many tasks of developing a budget, expending the allocated funds, and controlling those expenditures in a way that did not exceed the allocation to the site level. This book explores the various means of developing school-site-based budgets, and emphasizes the opportunities and obligations of the principal, assistant principal, teachers, classified staff, school-site councils, and district officials. Chapter 1 explains the basics of school finance and site-based budgeting--the sources of income, the keys and types of budgeting systems, and the areas of budgetary decision-making delegation. The second chapter offers suggestions for identifying roles and responsibilities, conducting needs assessment, and specifying the relationship between the central school district and the school site. Issues in budget planning, expenditures, controls, and accounting are discussed in the chapter 3. Chapter 4 presents a comprehensive case study of the methodologies and forms utilized by a school district in Michigan. An index and 32 figures are included. Appendices contain sample budgeting forms. (Contains 50 references). (LMI)
Hill, Paul T. A Public Education System for the New Metropolis. Education and Urban Society (v29 n4 p490-508 Aug 1997) ABSTRACT: Discusses public school governance and management under decentralization and explores whether decentralization can lead to school improvement. It further examines the types of external support and oversight that public schools need under decentralization, such as the functions of school boards, central offices, and teachers unions. Finally, it explains the need for further financial assistance by business and foundations. (GR)
Inagaki, Tadahiko. The Contemporary Status of the Teaching Profession in Japan: Its Roles, Responsibilities, and Autonomy. Peabody Journal of Education (v68 n4 p88-99 Sum 1993) ABSTRACT: Analyzes the contemporary status and problems of the teaching profession in Japan, focusing on critical issues related to its roles and autonomy that have a significant bearing upon the teaching process. Discussions include the effects of governmental regulations and problems associated with class sizes and teaching conditions. (GLR)
Ingersoll, Richard. Organizational Conflict and Control in High Schools. Aug 1993 ERIC NO: ED362972 ABSTRACT: This paper presents findings of a study that examined the relationship between teacher control and school environment. Data were obtained from the nationally representative 1988 Schools and Staffing Survey, collected by the United States Department of Education. The sample consists of 24,480 secondary school teachers and 5,292 secondary school administrators. The analysis focused on teachers' reported control over the areas of instruction, tracking and discipline, and both teachers' and administrators' reports of the degree of conflict between students, teachers, and administrators in schools. Findings indicate that levels of teacher control were significantly associated with levels of school conflict. However, the direction and strength of the relationship depended on the area of teacher control. In particular, the results draw attention to the importance of teacher influence on tracking and discipline rather than instructional decision making for creating a cohesive school environment. Two figures and three tables are included. (Contains 70 references.) (LMI)
Klonsky, Michael. Small Schools: The Numbers Tell a Story. A Review of the Research and Current Experiences. The Small Schools Workshop. 1995 ERIC NO: ED386517 ABSTRACT: A compelling body of research shows that when students are part of smaller and more intimate learning communities, they are more successful. The latest research demonstrates that small schools, particularly schools of choice, have a measurably positive impact on inner-city students, especially those from minority and low-income families. The tradeoff for the wider selection of courses offered in large schools has been the sacrifice of coherence, intimacy, security, student choice, and teacher autonomy that a small school can offer. In small schools, the level of participation in all activities tends to be higher, and fewer students are marginalized. Research also suggests that restructuring schools can work and that reorganizing schools into smaller units has important benefits for minority and disadvantaged students. Dropout rates appear to decrease as schools get smaller, and the sense of community is enhanced. The experiences of those who have attempted to create smaller schools in the Chicago, Illinois public school system indicate that successful implementation ultimately depends on the adequate accommodation of old and new school structures and on transformation rather than the simple addition of innovative practices. A list of recommended readings is provided to supplement information. (Contains 40 references.) (SLD)
Kolderie, Ted. What Are the Alternatives? Principal (v77 n5 p5-6,8 May 1998) ABSTRACT: Defines and discusses alternatives to traditional public schooling, including private and home schools, contract schools, charter schools, and school-based finance systems. Implications for principals are reflected in a drive for more rigorous state tests and standards and the growing use of technology, which stresses independent study. Charter laws offer great opportunities for enterprising principals. (MLH)
Lambert, Linda. How to Build Leadership Capacity. Educational Leadership (v55 n7 p17-19 Apr 1998) ABSTRACT: Building capacity in schools means developing a new understanding of leadership capacity--broad-based, skillful participation in the work of leadership. Leadership capacity can be seen as a complex, interactive framework, with four types of schools and school communities. Leadership is everyone's work, but it does not require extraordinary charismatic qualities or uses of authority. (MLH)
Madsen, Jean. Leadership in Decentralized Schools. Journal of School Leadership (v7 n2 p110-37 Mar 1997) ABSTRACT: Summarizes a study that examined principals' leadership in three private schools and its implications for decentralized public schools. With the increase of charter and privatized managed schools, principals will need to redefine their leadership styles. Private schools, as decentralized entities, offer useful perspectives on developing school leaders who are visionaries, risk takers, facilitators, and consensus builders. (22 references) (MLH)
Madsen, Jean. Private and Decentralized Public Schools: Do They Speak the Same Language? International Journal of Educational Reform (v7 n2 p20-33 Jan 1998) ABSTRACT: Summarizes a study examining exchanges among private and decentralized school leaders and their possible implications for school decentralization. Four principals were interviewed, two from established private schools and two from charter schools operating within a large urban district. All were formulating mission statements. Private-school principals were more facilitative and market-driven, stressed historical mission, and dealt more proactively with parents. (21 references) (MLH)
Marks, Helen M.; Louis, Karen Seashore. Does Teacher Empowerment Affect the Classroom? The Implications of Teacher-Empowerment for Instructional Practice and Student Academic Performance. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis (v19 n3 p245-75 Fall 1997) ABSTRACT: 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. (SLD)
Marsh, David D. School Reform and Decentralization in the United States: The National Alliance Experience. Mar 1997 ERIC NO: ED409606 ABSTRACT: In the past 2 decades, the United States has had a more troubled experience in establishing common standards and decentralized authority than comparable school systems in other cultures. This paper describes how the National Center for Education and Economy (NCEE) has been working through the National Alliance (NA) for Restructuring Education to create standards-based systems that support high student performance. The NA approach to systemic reform has been implemented in four major states (Arkansas, Kentucky, Vermont, and Washington) and in five school districts. The paper summarizes outcomes of NA systemic reform at the state, district, and site levels. The findings show that common, systemic, real performance standards aligned with assessment and accountability are essential. The NA experience demonstrates that: (1) Student performance standards must be real; (2) the concept of student performance standards alone is insufficient; (3) viable student performance standards do not get invented from the bottom-up; (4) a single set of student performance standards helps to focus efforts; (5) combined student and school accountability enhances student involvement; and (6) performance assessment must be linked to the standards but must also be valid and reliable. The NA effort to create high-performance management organizations that link systems and local schools has also led to a set of important lessons about school reform: design systemic reform at several organizational levels; district-level reform without state systemic support and alignment was very tough; school leaders reported positive impact of clear and common standards on the school-change process and commitment of school leadership to the process; decentralization of authority enhanced the impact of common standards on classroom practice; and standards-driven reform created a new form of school leadership and change process. Five tables are included. (Contains 33 references.) (LMI)
Martorella, Peter H. The Degathering of Society: Implications for Technology and Educators. NASSP Bulletin (v80 n582 p34-41 Oct 1996) ABSTRACT: Aided by developing technologies, society is moving from its traditional "gathering" pattern (collecting individuals for work, recreation, voting, medical care, and shopping) to a "degathering," decentralized pattern. Alternative schooling formats, such as home schooling, are a likely consequence. Educators who fail to restructure their institutions (via emerging interactive technologies) will only increase their irrelevancy. (MLH)
McGowan, Thomas M.; Powell, James H. In Search of Autonomy: Teachers' Aspirations and Expectations from a School-University Collaborative. Apr 1993 ERIC NO: ED359890 ABSTRACT: A study was done to examine the expectations and aspirations of teachers participating in a school-university collaborative effort, called a Professional Development School (PDS). A PDS is a working relationship between school and university personnel to merge the worlds of theory and practice in which both parties achieve parity in governance and resource allocation, use negotiation as the chief problem-solving process, and promote communication between and among all levels of the partnership. The study sought teachers' perceptions of the collaborative process. Twelve faculty members of an elementary school, in its first operational year as a PDS, participated in interviews and classroom observations. Results revealed that: (1) an event beyond the teachers' control was usually responsible for their initial exploration of PDS; (2) the information that teachers remembered receiving about their role within a PDS was limited and had little effect on their decision to join; (3) teachers made their decision to become a part of the PDS based on their expectation of greater control over their environment; (4) teachers hoped the formation of the PDS would provide opportunities for them to assert greater control over their personal and professional growth; (5) the teachers' desire for control over their environment increased through their participation in PDS. Contains 14 references. (JB)
Meier, Deborah. Can the Odds Be Changed? Phi Delta Kappan (v79 n5 p358-62 Jan 1998) ABSTRACT: Every school must have the power and responsibility to select and design its own particulars. Unfortunately, the existing system is not designed to support "oddball" entities. Small, self-governing schools of choice could flourish in an exemplary, accountable manner, if we built the system for them and changed our mindsets about the relationships among all those responsible for raising our children. (MLH)
Midgley, Carol; Wood, Stewart. Beyond Site-Based Management: Empowering Teachers to Reform Schools. Phi Delta Kappan (v75 n3 p245-52 Nov 1993) ABSTRACT: One criticism of school-based management is that teachers are being asked to make disjointed decisions rather than decisions tied together by a common vision of change. This article discusses SBM's influences in changing school culture and presents a model embodying teacher-leader cooperation to change school policies and practices and adopt a task-focused school culture. (Contains 29 references.) (MLH)
Moag, Joseph S.; Theodore, Nikolas C. Maintaining Set-Aside Programs under School Decentralization. A Review of Legal Mandates. Dec 1992 ERIC NO: ED404411 ABSTRACT: The Chicago (Illinois) Board of Education has been engaged in a process of system-wide reorganization that may shift the locus of decision-making authority for many administrative functions from the Central Office to individual schools. Proponents of decentralization contend that restructuring will reduce costs and increase efficiencies at the Chicago Public Schools. Decentralizing the school district's purchasing process raises serious questions as to how the school system's Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program (M/WBE) can continue to operate and succeed in achieving its goals. This study examines the potential impact of the decentralization of purchasing on the M/WBE program, an affirmative set-aside program designed to increase access to government contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses. Court rulings have stipulated that for an M/WBE program to be constitutional, it must include race- and gender-neutral policies, be narrowly tailored, and administered in a flexible manner. An increase in decentralized purchasing may strain the ability of the district to operate the policies that are necessary to a constitutional M/WBE program because it may affect the four race- and gender-neutral remedies that have been defined for the current program: (1) accelerated vendor payments; (2) reduced bonding, bid deposit, and insurance requirements; (3) debundling of larger contracts; and (4) technical assistance. (SLD)
Monk, David H.; Pijanowski, John C.; Hussain, Samid. How and Where the Education Dollar Is Spent. Future of Children (v7 n3 p51-62 Win 1997) ABSTRACT: Describes budgetary authority at the federal, state, school district, and school site levels, discussing spending patterns and reviewing research on site-based management. In spite of great differences among districts, most are remarkably similar in allotting 60% to 63% of their budgets to instruction and dividing the rest among student services including administration. (SLD)
Monson, Michele Pahl; Monson, Robert J. Who Creates Curriculum? New Roles for Teachers. Educational Leadership (v51 n2 p19-21 Oct 1993) ABSTRACT: New roles for teachers in curriculum development conflict with traditional expectations. Constructing curriculum involves teachers' individual flexibility and collective uniformity. This article presents a curriculum-inquiry model that integrates elements of educational practice often dealt with in isolation (instruction, curriculum, assessment, and staff development) and highlights three fundamental questions about learning. (Contains 19 references.) (MLH)
Natale, Jo Anna. Why Teachers Leave. 1993 Executive Educator (v15 n7 p14-18 Jul 1993) ABSTRACT: A recent National Center for Education Statistics survey indicates inadequate administrative support as the main reason for teacher attrition. In a 1990-91 National Education Association survey, teachers cite incompetent and uncooperative administrators as the greatest hindrance to job performance. Other dissatisfiers include insufficient decision- making authority, worsening social conditions, inadequate salaries, and threatened layoffs. (MLH)
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