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The back-to-basics movement in part has resulted from public alarm over the increase in functional illiteracy--students' inability to solve everyday problems requiring basic language and mathematics skills. Although not all its adherents are politically and educationally conservative, those who support fundamentalist schools certainly are. These schools emphasize uniform authority-centered education, strict discipline, and respect for the values of the dominant culture, as well as the traditional "Three R's." These back-to-basics schools are growing in popularity, though many educators are critical of what they consider the regressive tendencies of fundamentalist education. The author summarizes the thinking of theorists, such as Alfred North Whitehead, who suggest that language and mathematic skills, as traditionally defined, do not constitute the true basics of education. Instead, the cognitive, affective, and developmental skills necessary for mature and effective communication are the proper educational goals. The author concludes that it would be regrettable if the pressing problem of illiteracy becomes rigidly linked with fundamentalist conservatism. (Author)

The individual growth brought about by a principal's informal reading, writing, consultation, and travel is simple to accomplish but hard to control and evaluate. The demand for accountability has made it necessary for the schools to engage in more formal methods of inservice training. In addition to being a means of keeping principals up-to-date and bailing them out of emergencies, inservice training can become a more radical force for changing the structure of the principalship. This paper presents the current range of opinion concerning the goals of inservice training, the skills necessary for effective leadership, the structure of training programs (including teaching methods and materials), and methods of designing, implementing, and coordinating inservice training programs. (Author/WM)

Since the school administrator cannot avoid conflict, it is imperative that he or she be prepared to cope with it when it arises and, if possible, before it develops. More than simple coping with conflict, an administrator needs to know how to channel conflict toward constructive ends. Conflict theory is given primary attention in this paper in order to provide school administrators with a conceptual framework within which to analyze the conflict-laden events and situations that arise in daily administration. It is essential that administrators be apprised of the complex nature of conflict and of its underlying dynamics, so that they come to see opponents not as enemies but as fellow human beings subject to the same forces that they themselves are subject to. (Author/WM)

The term "media," as employed here, refers to printed and audiovisual forms of communication and their accompanying technology. A representative list of printed materials might include books, periodicals, catalogs, and printed programmed materials. Audiovisual materials include films and filmstrips, recordings, slides, graphic materials, transparencies, videotapes, and dial access programs. Media programs are growing in importance because of the role of media in human communication and of the pivotal role of media in individualized instructional programs. The computer is one form of media that offers the greatest promise for facilitating all types of individualized instruction and, as such, is representative of the range of roles that instructional media can play. The use of computers, like all media, is determined by its cost and other problems such as the state of technology and institutional rigidity. As its function changes, the school library is increasingly referred to as the instructional media (or materials) center (IMC). An effective IMC must be designed properly, run by a media specialist, and supported by trained teachers and knowledgeable principals. It must also have its rightful place in the school budget. (Author/IRT)

This book is meant to be practical. It attempts to clarify what one should keep in mind and to describe what courses of action are open when one confronts a particular situation. It is stated that teachers and principals encounter discipline problems not because they are deficient in skill or in virtue, but because they have inherited misleading definitions of their respective roles. What schools must do, may do, and may not do about disciplining is a matter of the governing of children. Individual chapters deal with the legal bases for student governance; fundamentals of governance--definitions, norms, and influence measures; the application of norms and compliance devices to different situations; the principal's leadership role in the governance program; governance tasks that trouble teachers and how principals can help; the ways to talk with students when there has been trouble; major offenses; and some considerations in building a governance program. The appendixes provide a list of students' rights, a suggested list of important elemental norms for public elementary schools, and a list of basic influence procedures. (Author/IRT)

To understand the controversy over busing, it is necessary to understand the relationship between busing and the issues that are actually at the root of the controversy: desegregation and freedom of choice. Much of the political activity surrounding busing is a subtle transfer of attention away from the basic issue of desegregation. Other opponents to busing see it as another needless restriction on the freedom to choose one's residence and, concurrently, to choose the school to which one's children go. Because the Supreme Court has not rendered an absolute verdict on busing, school decision-makers are forced to live with the frequently fuzzy guidelines available. Congress and the President have adopted a wait and see stance that offers no leadership on the question. Social science research on busing is not helpful either as the research is not definitive in its findings. It is clear, however, that the attitudes of school officials and community leaders help to shape the attitude of the community and that the ultimate failure or success of busing and its goals, true integration and equality of educational opportunity, depends on the local community and its school leaders, not on Washington. (Author/IRT)

What is meant by "accountability" varies a great deal. It is not, however, the tools such as merit salary plans, voucher plans, and management techniques that are used to achieve accountability. Accountability has from its earliest days been tied to testing. In discussing testing, it is necessary to discuss the pros and cons of standardized, or norm-referenced, tests and of criterion-referenced tests; to consider the numerous against testing in general; and to examine the suggestions for alternatives to the usual methods of assessing student achievement. An administrator faced with the decision of what methods of evaluation to use for accountability will find that there are no easy answers. Most authorities on testing seem to agree that traditional standardized testing is not adequate. Yet there is still a great deal of disagreement about which other methods can do the job best. It seems clear that, for the time being at least, all the best methods of assessment and evaluation are going to involve a great deal of time and money. The method of evaluation chosen depends on one's definition of accountability, which in turn depends on one's idea of what good education is. (Author/IRT)

Concerned with the freedom to teach and learn, this document offers guideline procedures for avoiding censorship disputes and for dealing with controversies which surround these issues. The experience and advice of several superintendents, principals, librarians, teachers, and curriculum workers who have recently been involved in textbook censorship controversies are brought together. Their opinions and suggestions are offered to focus attention on community and school circumstances before a problem develops. The key to avoiding major disputes is the establishment and use of a formal, definitive, written procedure for the evaluation and selection of materials. A sample procedure policy is provided which emphasizes comprehensive objectives, direct board responsibility, strong curriculum-based selection criteria, high level professional review procedures, an advisory committee appointed by the board or superintendent that includes students and parents, and a specific outline of policy and action on challenged materials. Should a complaint arise, suggestions for dealing with it include moving the controversy to the school board level in order to avoid any parent-teacher-principal conflict, and defending the professional selection process rather than the individual piece of instructional material. (Author/DE)

The first duty of the educator is to forecast enrollments as accurately as possible, using the best means available. The second is to begin planning long in advance of a school closure or major reorganization. Watchwords of successful management for the years of dwindling enrollment are communication and community participation. Communication with teachers, pupils, parents, and anyone else whose interests are affected by the changes to come is crucial to any measure of success. Moreover, the participation of all those affected is essential. It will be necessary to glean their ideas and cooperation to be certain that decisions affecting the community are acceptable to the community. Taken positively, the implications of declining enrollments are that enterprising and creative school administrators will develop better programs as they condense them. They will devise equitable reduction-in-force policies with the teachers' unions and will become even more prominent as public leaders when they unite with community task forces to solve the problems of school closings. (Author)

Nine separate articles in an illustrated booklet present opinions on the evolving relationship of schools and communities in the United States and abroad. Several ideals or models of community in the past and present are described. It is noted that the concept of community, while just coming into its own in education, still faces serious problems. Utilization of community resources is promoted as a new way to "get it all together" to improve education and society in general. New perspectives on education springing from the community are reviewed and a restructuring of decision-making processes is called for in order to make community involvement, control, and participation a reality. A discussion of the effects of the community school relationship on the traditional school model and facilities is followed by an interview with an architect-planner who offers responses to the needs of teachers, children and parents to make the school a more humane place for learning as well as a community center. The concept of the year round school is elaborated in relation to better utilization of school facilities. Projects around the country are spotlighted to give an idea of what is happening, and where, in school community relations. A list of resources concludes the booklet. (Author/KSM)

This analysis outlines the generally inconclusive nature of class size research. In the area of achievement as it relates to class size, the research is demonstrated to be especially inconclusive. In addition to analyzing the problems and weaknesses of class size research, this paper summarizes the effects of class size on the educational process and on student and teacher attitudes, as well as the economic effects of reducing class size. A 60-item bibliography is included. (Author/WM)

The economic and social pluralism that has allowed collective bargaining in the public sector has also contributed to the redefinition of labor and management. Principals, for instance, act as management in relation to teachers but, when faced with their own interests in salary, promotion, and termination, principals stand before the board and superintendent in the same role as the teachers. It was not until after the Second World War that administration became an identifiable discipline separate from teaching and not until 1972 that administrator bonds with the National Education Association were dissolved. These two developments, combined with the growth of teacher unionization, have caused principals so much concern with their present position. There is disagreement over the impact of teacher bargaining and the administrative team on the power of the principal. It is clear, however, that some principals feel that they have lost power and that the administrative team is not a way of regaining it. These principals are forming their own bargaining units. Principals who do unionize should be wary of the reaction of higher level administrators, the board, and administrators who do not choose to unionize. (Author/IRT)

It is possible to remain faithful to the general intentions of management by objectives (MBO) while boiling it down to four major points. First, MBO places the emphasis on results rather than on resources or the ways in which resources are utilized. Second, responsibility for achieving these results is shared jointly by the superior and his subordinate. Third, the establishment of this responsibility and the achievement of the results are both obtained through rigorous attention to specificity. Fourth, shared responsibility and attention to specificity permit evaluation on the basis of performance, according to present standards. It appears that MBO can be a very beneficial system when employed with a good grasp of its potential and an equally good grasp of the situation in which it is to be introduced. If the purposes for which MBO is being introduced are sound, if the implementation is handled with care and patience, and if the commitment of all involved is high, there are few reasons why MBO should fail. Before a school system definitely decides that MBO is the answer, however, it should examine the problems that have been encountered with it. (Author)