Representatives from North Carolina shared with other members of the Interstate School Building Service a systematic approach to school closure that includes analysis of facility physical condition and useful pupil capacity, current and projected enrollment, cost of operation, transportation responsibilities, racial balance, alternate uses, and…

A study in Wake County, North Carolina, designed to determine how racist structural barriers influence role perceptions of Black decision makers, identified the following discriminators of role perceptions: 1) officials' perceptions of themselves as decision makers or decision influencers; 2) age; 3) racial composition of organization; 4)…

School-based management (SBM) is a strategy to decentralize decision-making authority to the individual school site. This document describes the principles of SBM, of which devolution of authority is the fundamental concept. Local control and shared decision-making are manifested in five educational operations: goals, budget, personnel, curriculum…

An ongoing cooperative research project in North Carolina provides some revealing data on principals who have successfully introduced school-based management. The project tracks 26 principals committed to teacher empowerment. The most supportive principals were strongly committed to school improvement, unafraid of risks or open communication lines…

It is time for a new focus in American education, a focus on intranational globalization. Inviting students to explore the multiple perspectives and life experiences of America's multicultural groups has the potential to build empathy and tolerance for the great variety of citizens who inhabit and make up our country--African Americans, Native…

The growing attraction between citizens and educators can form the basis of a fruitful school-community relationship. This new way of connecting, in which large numbers of people meet regularly to talk about school issues and find solutions, goes far beyond blue-ribbon commissions and school-business partnerships. To make the marriage last,…

This guide is intended for use in teaching a semester course for sixth graders in self- and career awareness and career exploration. The course is designed to provide initial career guidance experiences and hands-on exploratory activities in the following areas: self-awareness, decision making, employability skills, orientation to careers, the…

The science component of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (SCS) is designed to provide learning opportunities for all students to become scientifically literate. Scientific literacy implies an understanding of the scientific concepts and processes needed for personal decision-making, participation in civic affairs, and economic…

Outcomes of a restructuring project implemented in a North Carolina high school in 1987 are described in this paper. The Lead Teacher Model restructured the decision-making processes for both resource allocation and school scheduling. At the Alpha County High School, eight elected lead teachers taught part-time and, in addition assisted the…

Project LIRO (Leadership for Improved Restructuring Outcomes) was an attempt to influence student outcomes and school change through a year-long work experience and training of department chairs and administrators. The project used Teacher Collegial Groups (TCGs) to encourage collaboration between personnel from Institutions of Higher Education…

This paper discusses the development of self-determination skills by students with disabilities and the role of the professional in promoting these skills. It begins by providing a list of 25 elements of self-determination and then explains the importance of promoting the development of self-advocacy groups and other endeavors initiated by and for…

Since 2002, North Carolina, under the leadership of Governor Mike Easley and the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission, has worked to improve understanding of a critical factor in student learning and teacher retention: the conditions under which teachers work. In 2006, 66 percent (more than 75,000) school-based licensed…

Thirteen teacher centers in North Carolina are listed and described in terms of: (1) location; (2) operating hours; (3) program design, objectives, and services; (4) resources; (5) staff; (6) setting; (7) target audience; (8) fees; (9) program origin; (10) affiliation; (11) administrative policies; and (12) publications and information services.…

Purpose: To measure the degree of implementation and satisfaction level with the outsourcing initiatives from higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Uses a survey questionnaire to measure the levels of satisfaction with the institutions' services and the questionnaire was based on six factors that are deemed significant in…

The role of parents in school-based management is extremely important. All public schools in North Carolina are required to have school-improvement teams, which are usually composed of the principal, teachers, and parents. This handbook was designed to help parents and principals understand and define the parents' role on the school-improvement…