Presents a reader quiz on attitudes about school administration. Analyzes likely responses to the quiz and concludes that the assumption that schools are rational, bureaucratic organizations leads to rigidity and confusion because it does not accurately describe schools as they exist. Argues for pluralism in organizational views. (WD)

Schools are managed with the wrong organizational model in mind. They are unique and cannot be governed by conventional management theory. This article describes schools as loosely coupled systems and describes what school administrators should be doing to be effective in such a situation. (Author/WD)

Addresses arguments about the "hidden curriculum" of the schools and outlines the conflict between democratic politics and "the basic shape of schooling." Available from The American Political Science Association, 1527 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20036. (IRT)

Describes metaphorical analysis to help administrators gain organizational knowledge and insights in case study of a hypothetical organization. (Contains 25 references.) (PKP)

The responses of Professors Heckman and Elmore to this author's critique of the ASCD's "Public Schools of Choice" monograph reinforce her original reservations. The ASCD report overlooks the urgency of the present context and the inadequacy of alternatives to choice, makes unfeasible research demands, denies its own bias, and makes questionable…

Contends that public relations and advertising curriculums should be taken out of journalism/mass communication and/or business schools, and positioned as separate entities. (SR)

Describes a district's reorganization of 2 K-5 schools into 1 for all K-2 grades and 1 for all 3-5 grades for economic reasons. The principal of the 3-5 facility views better focus and certain innovative initiatives (involving coverage of special topics, a whole-language reading program, and a sequential-research-skills approach) as advantages.…

Explores the role of academic departments within contemporary comprehensive high schools. Argues for further research acknowledging secondary schools as fundamentally different from elementary schools. Department specialization and differentiation are key elements in understanding differences. A two-stage exploratory study shows that departments…

Many practitioners and policy makers view personalized school environments as a means to promote student commitment to school and engagement in learning. Personalization also rewards teachers and encourages their commitment and accountability. A personalized environment is the product of deliberate, strategic choices about organizational…

Examines the experience of the University of Western Sydney - Nepean (Australia) in the context of 1989 restructuring of the Australian system of higher education since 1989. Notes the institution's efforts to leave the larger university including the removal of faculties and deans and development of an ongoing process based on a culture of client…

During a summer retreat, administrative staff at a Columbia, Missouri, middle school discussed the logistics of moving half of their students to a new facility during the middle of the academic year. This team-building effort helped form bonds that sustained administrators, teachers, and students during a difficult year. (MLH)

This study assesses the relative importance of environmental, intraorganizational, and contextual factors that explain the process and outcomes of organizational learning in six Manitoba schools. Based on the data provided by 265 teaching staff and their principals, the present findings verified that transformational leadership, supportive school…

Single-sex education describes a diverse range of situations, including individual classes, programs after school, required programs, voluntary programs, and programs to remedy gender inequities and encourage cultural and racial pride. This brief addresses the genesis and legality of single-sex classrooms, the merits and critiques of single-sex…

This book is a survival guide as well as a valuable tool for making our schools more effective and appropriate places for students to learn and achieve. Exploring the often complex, multifaceted, and co-occurring problems in the education system, the book addresses specific problems, discusses the real reasons they developed and persist, describes…

This article shares findings from an exploratory case study about an advanced school leadership development program designed specifically for practicing principals and administrator-trained teachers. The program was designed to help a high-need rural district transform its principalship from school management into learner-center leadership while…