Search

Issues in educational finance in elementary-secondary education for the 1990s are examined in this paper, which asserts that demographic and economic changes have increased the need for additional resources in education. Recent fiscal trends include an increase in resource inequities among the states and a mismatch between resource needs and resource bases. Issues that will need to be addressed in the 1990s include fiscal capacity, restructuring finance formulas, and funding equalization. The future of public education finance at the elementary and secondary levels is at best uncertain; however, it is essential that a scenario for education and for the impact of our future environment on educational policies be developed. (Contains 13 references.) (LMI)

Findings of a study that analyzed the characteristics of educational administration programs in doctoral granting institutions are presented in this paper. Questionnaires mailed to the department of educational administration chairpersons at 40 universities in the south central United States yielded 28 responses. Slightly over half of the respondents (15) reported the enrollment of 10 or fewer full-time doctoral students. A great disparity was found in the ratios of full-time staff to doctoral students. No clearly defined methods existed for distinguishing the overlap between department of educational administration faculty positions and other departments. Departments lacked a common area of faculty expertise, which raises the question of whether educational administration programs resulted from program direction or from individual faculty members' expertise. Eight tables and one figure are included. (2 references) (LMI)

This study investigated the practicality and feasibility of the public school administrator permitting those concerned, faculty, students, parents and interested citizens, to participate in the decision making process of the local school. An added purpose was to find applicable and effective ways the principal could support meaningful participatory decision making opportunities. Traditional administrative hierarchy and indifferent communities necessitated restructuring decision making techniques, particularly regarding information input. The process forced faculty and administration to critically examine preconceived notions about responsibility in the school; about who can and should make decisions. It also forced the administration, faculty and community to examine their own abilities and skills in working cooperatively with others in a collegial environment. The results indicated that today's education reform dictates a different approach to school organization and operation, one characterized by openness and participation by all segments of the school clientele. (53 references) (Author)

Research concerning the changing roles of the school principal is summarized in this paper, with a focus on the historical conflict between the instructional leadership and administrative roles. Efforts in educational reform are reviewed, which have brought about school restructuring, role conflict, and changes in communication. A review of reform efforts in school leadership identifies four domains of the principalship--functional, programmatic, interpersonal, and contextual. A conclusion is that calls for school reform have greatly affected principal roles. Principals will act as facilitators for shared governance, participant empowerment, school-based decision making, and expanded student potential. Because the obstacles to effective principalship are indicative of larger, fundamental problems, interrelationships in school operation must be considered. (32 references; 23 bibliographic sources) (LMI)

A review of literature on the principal's changing role in shared decision making is provided in this paper, which discusses the following areas: policy development; the egalitarian ethic for teacher participation; the principal/faculty relationship; the principal's functions in shared decision making; and elements of successful decision making. The principal is crucial to effective shared decision making. Recommendations for the principal include improving knowledge about participative decision making in the literature, allowing time to initiate dialogue, establishing an agreement with the district administration, and providing faculty training. The issue is not one of losing influence, but rather of offering initiative to the greatest number of professional staff possible. (15 references) (LMI)

The essence of school-based decision-making is accepting the importance of decentralization and placing emphasis on process in planning efforts. "Synergistic planning" may be a more realistic term, instead of planning, to convey meaning to educators concerning educational organizations. In this model, all people in the organization look at the "situation as a whole" before action is taken on the incremental parts. In a strategic planning process in educational institutions, different people would be looking at different questions and the analysis would proceed at many levels. The objective of synergistic planning is to facilitate the redistribution of resources, recognizing that everyone in the organization is vitally concerned with how resources and relationships could be made more equitable. The background of planning in education is given and leads to the conclusion that through synergistic planning, local schools can negotiate for real changes, not just rhetoric. The issues in synergistic planning include the difficulty of building fragile values into decision-making models, student growth measurement, data collection and interpretation, and the loss of public confidence and integrity in educational matters. The purposes of synergistic planning, personnel issues, and collegiality are addressed. (RR)

Elements of a principal renewal program to help principals improve their instructional leadership skills are described in this paper. Nine topics of the staff development training program are highlighted, which are learned through supervised nonjudgmental practice: quality schools development; quality principal characteristics; time management; interpersonal skills; goal setting; conferencing skills; site-based management; conflict management; and problem solving. The training model is based on awareness of a knowledge base, modeling, independent and supervised practice, and evaluation. One figure depicts the training model. (9 references) (LMI)

The first 5 years of South Carolina's 1984 Educational Improvement Act (EIA), a major educational reform program to deliver equal education opportunity and improve academic performance, are analyzed in this paper. A review of South Carolina's per-capita disposable income as compared with other states reveals an improvement in South Carolina's rank from 47th to 42nd during the 5-year period since the passage of the EIA, but South Carolina did not match neighboring southeast states in percent of growth and in disposable income through the year 1987. The fiscal capacities of individual school districts and of three specific districts 5 years after passage of the legislation are examined. Findings indicate that inequality is demonstrated by a discrepancy in the relationships between local and state support for Educational Finance Act programs. A disparity also exists between wealthy and poor districts in the amount of state aid received. Three tables are included. (31 endnotes) (LMI)

The ability of the Kentucky Educational Reform Act (KERA) to address both educational equality and financial equity in the Kentucky public education system is examined in this paper. Following an overview of the conditions that facilitated the act's passage in 1990, the next section discusses the philosophical background of the concepts of equality and equity. Comparable decisions that declared educational financing unconstitutional in other states are discussed next, and components of the KERA are highlighted in the following section. A conclusion is that the state legislature used this opportunity to address the overall needs of education in Kentucky without adequately addressing the crucial issue of inequality. Outcomes included no reduction in funding gaps between the richer and poorer districts, and the continued practice of district-raised taxes for local support. A conclusion is that funding inequities may be exacerbated, rather than reduced, in the long term. (LMI)

Skills required for developing staff evaluation models are closely linked to skills required for staff development. Leading a vital, growing, innovative, dynamic school system requires risk-taking, stretching, painful, exhilarating change. This change is accomplished through staff development. Real staff development is not confined to one or two in-service days when the faculty listens to a motivating speaker, attends a show and tell workshop, and chats with co-workers over coffee and danish. Staff development that promotes true school improvement demands thoughtful, long-term planning; commitment to specific goals; and the same tender nurturing from administration that is required in guiding a child through adolescence. To do this, administrators need the ability to: conduct system and staff needs assessment to identify areas for concentrated staff development and resource allocation for new personnel. (22 references) (Author)

The impact of state reform initiatives on Kentucky public schools is described in this paper, with attention to financial and facility repercussions. State legislative action in 1985 established class size limitations and new certification programs, which necessitated reorganization of the middle schools. Following the Kentucky Supreme Court's 1990 decision that mandated the development of financial equity for public schools, the Kentucky Reform Act had a major impact on school governance and funding regulations. Compounding the situation was the failure of the state legislature and department of education to conduct adequate needs assessments and cost analyses prior to passage of each reform mandate. The demand for new facilities and funds generated strains on the public schools related to new construction, building approvals, and restructuring of the tax base. (LMI)

Although the principal is critical for the success of the school and the school district, many school districts lack a structured and systematic means for identifying and selecting principals. This paper presents a collaborative model for principal selection, which is based on a valid job description, advertisement of the position, interview analysis, stress activity, and references. Implementation of this model in several Kentucky school systems indicates that the system is particularly effective in small, rural districts. A conclusion is that the system is useful in making valid, objective decisions in principal selection. (22 references) (LMI)

The role of computer technology in China is examined in this paper, with a focus on the current status of school administration, educational technology, educational television, and computer education. A review of current research indicates that computer use in Chinese schools is sparse and haphazard. The recommendation is made that the USA/China Education Consortium investigate the formation of partnerships to facilitate the development of computer technology in Chinese schools. The increased utilization of technology in the Chinese educational system is predicted. (10 references) (LMI)