This report summarizes the results of a conference on declining enrollment sponsored by the Arizona State Department of Education. Topics covered include school closing, budget implications of declining enrollment, staffing problems and reduction in force, board of education and community support, problems of small school districts, and…

Changes in the metropolitan environment and its population, and the inability of public school systems to respond to these changes, are discussed in this paper. The author states that public school systems are closed systems which are inflexible and resistant to change, and are therefore unable to meet the challenges posed by the massive changes…

THESE PROCEEDINGS ARE OPENED BY A WELCOMING STATEMENT BY JOSHUA A. FISHMAN, WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY A DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT BEACON OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY. THE PAPERS PRESENTED ARE (1) AN INTRODUCTION BY STANLEY H. LOWELL, (2) "SHALL SCHOOL BOARDS BE COLOR-BLIND OR COLOR-CONSCIOUS," BY WILL MASLOW, (3)…

THE CONSTITUTIONS OF ALL STATES PROVIDE THAT A SYSTEM OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL BE ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED. THESE SCHOOLS IN THE VARIOUS STATES ARE ADMINISTERED BY THREE LEVELS OF ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE STATE EDUCATION AGENCY, THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE INTERMEDIATE ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT. OF THE 50 STATE SYSTEMS OF…

The use of a variety of specific competency tests that measure skill achievement required for high school graduation are reviewed in this monograph. The successful performance of certain competencies ordinarily is viewed as an important adjunct of course work. They are not seen by most schools as a replacement for course work, but rather as one…

Public control of the schools has steadily eroded in recent years. Population growth and widespread consolidation of school districts, depoliticization of school board elections, adoption of the business model of professional school management, development of a multilevel school bureaucracy, and unionization of teachers all have combined to…

A 3-year research program is proposed to develop improved methods for increasing the effectiveness of education management, including those functions of the board of education and the superintendent that deal with planning, organizing, communicating, and evaluating. The proposal lists 30 major problems confronting school boards and superintendents…

The Ohio State University Advisory Commission on Problems Facing the Columbus Public Schools began its labors in March 1968. A study team was appointed that provided the advisory commission with an extensive report on problems of the Columbus school system and recommendations related to each. Steps were suggested to assist with implementation.…

School systems must comply with numerous federal and state requirements in filling positions. This article sets forth those requirements in four areas: (1) advertising positions; (2) interviewing candidates; (3) selecting a candidate; and (4) verifying a candidate's legal status. (MLF)

This report synthesizes the findings of four studies that focused on school districts as the center of focus for school-improvement efforts. The studies did not examine school systems that had been high performing for a long time; rather, they took their data from districts serving high percentages of students who typically struggle but were…

The federal requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) have placed a new focus on increasing graduation rates and reducing dropout rates. While the dropout problem has generated research and new programs over the last 30 years, the dropout rate has remained relatively unchanged. Students drop out of school for many reasons, and the…

A brief description of the information dissemination program of the Sacramento City Unified School District (California) and eight informational brochures are presented. The program involves setting up "information centers" (display boards with pockets for eight brochures) in schools, school administrative offices, and public libraries…

The National Institute of Education (NIE) initiated this first national study of the means by which school districts actually choose principals. NIE specified two main research goals for this study: (1) describe and characterize common practices in principal selection; and (2) describe and characterize promising alternatives for the improvement of…

This paper focuses on the philosophical implications of assessment methodologies by describing problems that occurred during internship programs for school administrators in Louisiana. A state conference internship's guidelines lacked a formalized learning contract for participants. At the time, more teachers sought access to administrative…

To determine how school districts are handling the problems of asbestos in their schools, the General Accounting Office (GAO) conducted interviews and asked standarized questions of officials at 6 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regional offices, 12 state offices, and 36 school districts in 12 states. This report presents information on the…