Chair: NEWMAN, JOSEPH W.
DAI-A 59/05, p. 1405, Nov 1998

A growing body of literature exists on school-based management (SBM) as a tool for raising student standardized test scores, but little of the research identifies specific practices that might help educators use SBM to improve schools in other ways. This case study was undertaken to contribute to the literature by providing what Stake (1995) calls a 'thick description' of SBM at one elementary school. Research questions were developed to probe the inner workings of SBM at the school and to document the perceptions and attitudes of stakeholders inside and outside the school. The study examined practices that influenced, whether favorably or unfavorably, the effectiveness of SBM. The findings of the study suggest that while school-based management holds promise, it must be implemented and maintained at the school level with: (1) a consistent terminology; (2) a formal transfer of shared authority from district offices to schools; (3) well-defined operating parameters; (4) measures of accountability; (5) appropriate training for those involved in SBM, especially SBM teams; (6) a known SBM and SBM team operating structure; (7) SBM teams having representative membership that reflects the school's internal and external stakeholder demographics; (8) a commitment to SBM by all school stakeholders; (9) periodic needs assessment, planning, and evaluation of SBM efforts; (10) definitive but easily understood vision, mission, or goal statements; (11) appropriate information for decision making; (12) time to deliberate, plan, and act prior to and in the course of decision making; (13) funds to carry out SBM decisions; (14) internal and external communication about SBM and SBM team actions at the school; and (15) motivation and rewards for those SBM team members and other SBM participants who strive to change school environments for the better.