In late 1988, the Soviet Union's "perestroika" entered a new stage aimed at developing human resources and fostering democratic processes. Educators' and parents' discontent with the centralized bureaucracy and rigid educational administrative structure will press officials to formulate a comprehensive new education theory to achieve 19…

Small elementary schools are frequently perceived as having discrete organizational problems that are intensified when such schools are located in rural areas. Article reports a study conducted in a Welsh local education authority that established clustering arrangements to resolve some managerial, administrative, and curricular problems. Views…

Examines Hong Kong secondary schools' organizational values, using the School Values Inventory. Uses LISREL modeling techniques with a sample of 554 teachers to develop a four-factor model of organizational values. Binding forces such as bureaucratic and cultural linkages and tight and loose couplings provide insights for understanding school…

Explores perceived stress and job satisfaction among 36 primary British headteachers. Around half reported high levels of occupational stress; half were satisfied with their work. Highest satisfaction levels came from personal and organizational factors. School organization was a source of stress and satisfaction. Social support was perceived as…

Analysis of 22 definitions of decentralization shows how they are encompassed in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's taxonomy. Data from 14 nations suggest that decentralization of instruction, planning, personnel management, and resource allocation and use has less effect on learning than do conditions in classrooms and…

The shortage of school leaders, mainly caused by the growing complexity of the job is steadily growing in recent years. This study reports on the results of a comparative empirical study into the causes of premature departure for male and female principals in primary and secondary education. Principals who have experienced premature departure…

In the Netherlands, the constitutional freedom of education offers the opportunity for the growing number of Muslims to establish state-funded Islamic schools. At the moment there are 46 Islamic primary schools; a number of schools are in the process of being established and there is still a need for an additional 120 such schools. Right from the…

In response to an evaluation conducted by the Netherlands Inspectorate of Education of the nation's elementary schools, the Institute for Educational Development and Advice (Christelijk Pedagogisch Studiecentrum, CPS) undertook a 3-year intervention to revitalize 5 schools experiencing problems with student achievement, curriculum,…

The five papers compiled in this report discuss several distinctive components of the National Development Center for School Management Training (NDC), particularly research and development work on school leadership, management development, and training. Titles and authors of the papers are as follows: (1) "The Role of a National Agency for…

Based on inspections of 80 first schools for children either 5 to 8 years or 5 to 9 years of age, this survey reports data on school organization and staffing, and offers narrative descriptions of children's work. An introductory first chapter offers generalizations about features common to most first schools. The second chapter describes aspects…

This article looks beyond class size to such specifics as teachers' load, subject electives available, subject load, and different class groupings in developing a flow chart that gives added understanding and control over the variables relating to the deployment of teachers. (Author/IRT)

British comprehensive schools have been criticized by the left for failing to provide equality for everyone and by the right for sacrificing academic standards for equality. Such simultaneous criticisms suggest that the schools have been assigned either impossible or contradictory objectives, but have managed to achieve a reasonable compromise.…

This book is about education system reform in Central and Eastern Europe, with emphasis on decentralization and management. In the past, local authorities served as implementation arms of the central ministry, while finance and decision-making were controlled by the central government, leaving local communities with little influence. New education…

A case study of an innovative comprehensive school in Britain revealed both traditional and progressive tendencies in the headmaster's and the school's goals. The researchers label this duality the Janus Syndrome. The article concludes that the traditional and progressive can coexist to the benefit of all concerned. (Author/WD)

Develops conceptual framework to explore the impact of teacher-led development work, defined as strategic action initiated and sustained by teachers to improve instruction and student learning. Discusses impact of the framework on teachers, on the school as an organization, and on student learning. Includes evidence of impact and applications for…