A school board member and a superintendent realized in their three years of working together in a Florida school district how crucial the board/superintendent relationship is to a smoothly running school district. Advises board members and superintendents to keep their roles straight and to work as a team. Offers guidelines to board presidents.…

Professionals who have worked with school leaders say conflict results from the board and superintendent stepping into each other's territory. They advise: beware the revolving door; keep your roles straight; redefine your concept of power; build trust; know where you're going; and know when to cut your losses. A sidebar lists resources. (MLF)

Many practitioners are now grappling with the practical realities involved in collaborations between mainstream and special schools. Colin Gladstone is a teacher at Greenside, a special school in Hertfordshire. In this article he describes his experience of running a Young Enterprise Scheme project linking teenage students with severe learning…

National Institute of Education (NIE) staff members have developed a convening process characterized by collaborative meetings with experts to focus on specific problems of an educational organization. The process is intended to help combine research knowledge with practical experience in order to make informed decisions quickly. This document is…

This paper provides the framework and context for a systems approach to planning, detailed descriptions of specific steps in the planning process, conclusions, and questions for consideration when executing strategic planning in higher education. The analysis is based on the work of James T. Ziegenfuss, Jr. in his book "Designing…

Fort Lewis College (Colorado) developed a 17 credit, multidisciplinary learning program for first-time freshmen. The Integrated Learning Program (ILP) meets several of the college's general education requirements, is issue-oriented, and is taught by a team of five faculty members. The goals of the program include getting students to learn how to…

Leadership for school improvement should start with school boards. Suggestions for board members include the following: (1) know what is happening in the schools; (2) set both short-range and long-range goals for schools; (3) build good communications; (4) conduct an ongoing curriculum evaluation; (5) inspire teamwork and leadership; and (6) take…

An Indiana school board achieves success in site-based management by fair consideration of decisions made by school planning teams. Advises boards contemplating school-based management to (1) be a team player; (2) develop trust; (3) not bend to interest groups; (4) have patience; (5) set criteria for proposals; and (6) grant waivers to district…

The changes required by many school reform policies address problems that are extremely difficult to clarify, with organizational and environmental factors densely intertwined. Accordingly, this document begins by identifying the "four C's" that must be taken into account if any strategy for school improvement is to succeed: complexity,…

Despite prestigious reports, most notably "A Nation at Risk," and fervent reform efforts, school performance is unlikely to be improved by measures failing to recognize that schools are institutions--complex organizations composed of interdependent parts, governed by well-established rules and norms, and adapted for stability. Effective…

This paper first compares Vermont's old Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which was designed primarily to insure legal compliance with the new family-centered IEP. It then describes the new IEP. Vermont's new family-centered IEP process emphasizes increased collaboration, reduced paperwork, and legal compliance. Three questions serve as a focus…

This study examined factors that have contributed to the development of school/university partnerships in Connecticut, and identified obstacles to partnership activities. The research design included review of collaborative activities required by State Department of Education standards at 12 Connecticut teacher education programs. The standards…

Sexual abuse of children within the school environment is far more pervasive than educators realize, with studies estimating up to 500,000 annual occurrences. The Wisconsin Child Sexual Assault and Abuse Guidelines should help school staff develop policy, set up cooperative interventions with community resources, and become familiar with abuse…

A Wisconsin advocacy model for gifted education programs is presented, emphasizing ongoing collaboration and dissemination to most effectively utilize meager resources. Essential elements of the dissemination design are identified, including use of regional sites, requiring participation of an administrator on the team, group problem solving, and…

A school district's governing board, superintendent, and business manager should work as an effective fiscal policy team with good communication. This self-assessment guide is designed to assist in the overall evaluation of fiscal policy team communication. Four sections (budget development, budget monitoring, financial reporting, and…