Organizational cultures are systems of publicly and collectively accepted meanings, beliefs, values, and assumptions that a staff uses to guide its actions and interpret its surroundings. In an effort to suggest concrete ways a principal can change or maintain a culture, three important elements of a school culture are discussed: content, symbols,…

The purpose of education should not be to fill students with objective knowledge but to develop in students the ability to process information in ways that enhance understanding, according to the process model of curriculum development proposed by Lawrence Stenhouse. Defining education thus does not allow for the establishment of fixed educational…

Focusing on the problem of authority, an analysis of the theories of Max Weber, James D. Thompson, and Elliott Jaques forms the basis for this proposal for improved organizational effectiveness in public schools. Basic assumptions are that modern organizations are established and operated under rational principles and subject to rational analysis,…

Two methodologies for teacher-focused process evaluation--rating scales and systematic observation--are discussed and comments are made about their characteristics and effective utilization to improve teachers' performance. Process evaluation, referring specifically to the act of evaluating what teachers do in their classrooms, may be of formative…

Local boards of education have the responsibility and authority for operating local school systems, but in a system of any size authority must be delegated. Unlike factories, schools cannot be run from the top down. The health of the schools is determined directly by and in proportion to the extent that principals and teachers have a voice in…

This report is the fifth in a series on cultivating excellence in education for the purpose of training and retraining school leaders of the 1990s. The role of school administrators, and especially building principals; the characteristic administrative functions; the step-by-step procedures for implementation; and the advantages and possible…

This article presents ethnographic data to elaborate the nature of teacher resistance and accommodation to the structural context of schooling, and it illustrates the dynamics of group solidarity among a group of eighth-grade middle school teachers. The analysis is predicated on concepts identified by Paul Willis in his study "Learning to…

According to this paper, the future will offer human beings the choice of becoming bees or architects. Although the bee-like way of treating teachers and students in schools came from American industry, the chances for shifting toward the architect/creative side may now be better in industry than in the schools. The practice of treating children's…

The difficulties faced by Chicago's public school system have prompted two state-level investigative bodies to recommend the breaking up of the system into smaller, locally controlled units. Without exhaustively reviewing all of the factors involved in making the transition from a centralized to a decentralized school governance structure, this…

The philosophy upon which this monograph is based is the belief that one of the responsibilities of the schools is to prepare all youth to become active and well-informed participants in a democratic society. Alternatives and options are recommended for improving the school curriculum, governance, teacher effectiveness, testing, discipline, and…

The organizational characteristics of schools can be extremely important influences on student behavior, and student behavior problems can be reduced through organizational change. Organizations can be held to consist of objectives, processes for achieving those objectives, and structures for carrying out those processes. The term…

Traditionally, continuing education, though a recognized mission of the community college, has been relegated to an ancillary position outside of the policy-making and administrative mainstream. As traditional student populations shrink and outreach and career preparation become more important, community colleges have begun to realize that…

This article briefly interprets the major findings of Peters and Waterman's themes about corporate excellence; describes the theoretical framework of two outcome-based education programs; discusses the messages common to excellence in management and in education; and interprets key elements in the emerging excellence paradigm. (JL)

Criticism is leveled at various government task force suggestions to reorganize the educational system. Commissions make abstract recommendations without having to face the realities of the classroom. Fundamental changes from within the school are necessary. (DF)

The interview with Theodore Sizer, author of a recent book focusing on American high schools, students, and teachers, notes problems with educational organization and recommends new roles for teachers as educational coaches, altered teaching loads, new student activities, diplomas based on achievement, and curriculum simplification. (SB)