School districts are both big businesses and a form of local governance that is part of American democracy. When a crisis makes a district's democratic face relevant, the organization will experience a dilemma that does not occur in business-only organizations. This study examines the public meetings of a school board in the western United States…

This report presents findings of a 1985 national study of the local school board. Information was gathered from case studies in nine major metropolitan areas, questionnaires administered to over 200 school board chairpersons, and literature on board governance. Chapter 1 offers an overview and questionnaire results. Chapter 2 summarizes major…

Reports findings from a questionnaire, mailed to school board leaders in all 50 states, that focused on factors inhibiting school board members' effectiveness and that identified training needs of board members. Internal board politics were identified as the biggest problem, along with state interference. (TE)

This study examines local, ongoing inservice practices and programs for school board members in Pennsylvania in order to devise a program that local districts can adapt or adopt in response to their own needs. Following a brief introduction, a summary describes how data for the study were gathered by means of a series of interviews and…

This School Research Newsletter presents the research program of the National Swedish Board of Education (NBE), as adopted by the NBE Board of Directors in June 1982. The successive decisions on decentralization taken in the educational sector since 1976 have led also to a decision to alter the thrust of the research and development work within at…

The demand for Bulletin 1915 No. 44, School Administration in the smaller cities, having been so great that the supply was soon exhausted, and the demand for it still being great, a new-bulletin regarding the administration of schools in the smaller cities has been prepared. The information contained in it was collected by means of a…

The school review model is used by the Metropolitan Separate School Board of Toronto (Ontario) to determine, in a positive and supportive manner, the extent to which policies, procedures, and practices have been implemented in the local schools to achieve the Board's goals and objectives. The following areas are reviewed: (1) the Catholic school…

Individual members of state legislatures wield the greatest influence in state level policy formation. This was one of the findings of a study that identified the power and influence context of state-level policymaking. Data were gathered from six states (Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois) using an instrument…

A study was done to determine whether administrator salaries in 14 Ohio school districts were a reflection of administrator responsibilities or of length of service, and to find what factors accounted for salary differentials. Although previous research suggests factors for assigning value to administrative positions, traditional salary structures…

The 1982 school board elections in the geographical and political Ottawa-Carleton (Ontario) regions gave rise to a record number of new candidates for election to the two public and two separate school boards that comprise the region. This paper examines some of the reasons for the dramatic increase and develops a profile of their characteristics.…

Statutory and case law since 1953 have created a firm basis for personnel policy in Mississippi public school districts. House Bill No. 11 (1953) prescribed methods for the selection and employment of professional staff and conditions for their suspension and dismissal, establishing rights of proper notice and due process. Standards for…

This report, an update of the 1978 survey of national merit pay plans for teachers, provides descriptive data on currently operating merit pay plans and state level activities. Outlining current research, the report points out that neither a commonly acceptable definition of merit pay nor a generally acceptable method of determining meritorious…

This report offers a consolidated systemwide analysis of key issues and recommendations for improvement of minority recruitment and retention at Arizona State Universities and an evaluation of progress toward achieving Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) approved recruitment and graduation goals. A description of ABOR system goals notes three goals:…

In response to recent national reports on educational excellence and effective schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges commissioned research and recommendations for possible standards and policy revision or implementation in three areas: (1) student conduct and attendance; (2) length of the student day/year and more effectively…

Explores some early findings from a sociological study of school governing bodies in two English local educational authorities (LEAs). Examines the extent to which sexism and racism arise during, and are reproduced by, school governing body meetings, and studies sex and race dynamics in the power relations of governing schools. (Author/AF)