| Title: |
Building School Capacity for Effective Teacher Empowerment: Applications to Elementary Schools with At-Risk Students. |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Levin, Henry M.; Consortium for Policy Research in Education, New Brunswick, NJ. |
| Availability: |
Publications, Consortium for Policy Research in Education, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1568 ($10.00 prepaid). |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
35 |
| Publication Date: |
1991 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. |
| Contract Number: |
RI17G10007 |
| Report Number: |
CPRE-RR-019 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Evaluative |
| Descriptors: |
Accountability; Elementary Education; High Risk Students; Organizational Effectiveness; Participative Decision Making; School Based Management; School Effectiveness; Teacher Participation; Teacher Role |
| Geographic Terms: |
U.S.; California |
| Abstract: |
The move toward teacher empowerment in elementary schools with at-risk student populations is explored in this paper. Progress in addressing the needs of all students, especially those at risk, depends upon implementing teacher empowerment through participative decision-making. Methodology is based on experiences of the Accelerated Schools Program at Stanford University, which developed accelerated schools for at-risk students in five states, and a literature review on organizational effectiveness. The introduction examines issues of responsibility for educational decisions and their consequences as viewed by teachers, administrators, and parents in schools attended by at-risk students. A conclusion is that many crucial decisions regarding curriculum, instructional strategies, materials, personnel selection, and resource allocation should be made by school staff at the site level, supplemented by student and parental participation. The second part reviews research on the relationship between participative decision making and organizational effectiveness in nonschool organizations. The third part offers a design for building the capacity of schools and districts based on site-based decision making strategies, focusing on the accelerated schools concept, unity of purpose, teacher empowerment and support, and accountability. The concluding section concerns roles and responsibilities of all actors in the school scenario, with emphasis on district and school goals and the need for specificity, implementation of plans, various levels of assessment, consequences of success or failure, and importance of structure. (64 references) (LMI) |
| Journal Code: |
RIEMAR1992 |
| Entry Date: |
1992 |
| Accession Number: |
ED337856 |
| Database: |
ERIC |