Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 107-117). Also available in print.

The purpose of the study was to develop a model of strategic planning which was fitted to the specifics of the planning need of public schools. In order to develop such a model certain questions were addressed:1. What administrative procedures are suggested prior to the initiation of a formal strategic process in a public school district?2. What school district organizational structure facilitates a strategic planning process?3. What are the mayor variables that should be included in a strategic planning process for public schools?4. What information is included in a strategic planning document and what format is suggested for such a plan?5. What procedural methods can be used in the public school district to transfer a strategic plan into strategic action?6. What factors tend to restrict the use of a strategic planning process?Significance of the StudyThe significance of the study was based on the the factor of accelerating change in today`s environment with the resulting impacts on the realm of public education. While the public school systems are not competitive in the same essence as are businesses, school districts are in constant competition for resources and the maintenance of educational goals which will assist the United States in maintaining a competitive status in the global environment.The above cited challenges require tools for planning that go beyond the traditional introspection of long-range planning or the programming, planning and budgeting system (PPBS). The required tools must embrace the total environment and those forces therein that impact on the pursuit of elementary and secondary schooling by the U. S. populace.Shirley (1981, p. 1) concluded that most planning guides stop short of full paradigm development. That author also indicated that the non-profit sector represents a new and virtually untapped area for research and writing in strategic planning. The absence of published articles and only one book on strategic planning for public schools sustains Shirley's position.If public school superintendents and district school boards were to be influential in meeting the opportunities and threats of the future environment, the need for tools to assess and plan for those enterprises was imperative. The development of a strategic planning model for public schools could provide such a tool.Limitations of the StudyThe limitations of this study were:1. The analysis and recommendations were based on limited research related to strategic planning for public school administration.2. The study was limited to analysis of selected strategic planning models used in private profit and non-profit environments with a resulting new model tailored for the public school situation.3. The new model was developed using the concepts of strategic planning in the private and non-profit sectors. Components were refined to consider the public school environment with a new archetype. A panel of experts in the fields of strategic planning and public school administration were used to verify the appropriateness of the new model and its various components.4. The model's usefulness was restricted to use in planning for public educational institutions.5. A field test of this model was beyond the scope of this research.Definition of TermsThe following terms were applied and used throughout this study to insure clarity and consistency (Lewis, 1983).Problem-solving planning. This type of planning is of short duration (one to two months) and is used to restore performance back to a routine level. (p. 9)Operational planning. This type of planning is of a duration of up to one year and is used to improve on routine performance or to reach an aspirational performance level. (p. 9)Long-range planning. This type of planning is of a longer duration of three to five years and is used to determine performance gaps and resources needed to remedy these gaps. A prime characteristic of this type of planning is its focus on the internal or microenvironment. (p. 11)Strategic planning. This type of planning is of longer duration usually three to ten years and is used to improve performance in order to reach the mission and educational goals of the school district. A prime characteristic of this type planning is the recognition of both the internal or microenvironment and the external or macroenvironment in the planning process. (p. 10)Critical analysis. The role of the critical analysis is to identify, analyze, and evaluate the key trends, factors, forces, and phenomena having a potential impact on the formulation and implementation of the long-range goals and strategies. (p. 35)MethodThe model was developed using the following procedures:1. A comprehensive review of selected literature in the field of strategic management was conducted. Findings from this review were analyzed to provide a basis for the development of an initial strategic planning model for specific application to public school systems.2. The initial model was developed and presented to the doctoral committee of the researcher for review and recommendations.3. A working draft of the revised model was presented individually to a panel of public school experts. Interviews were conducted to seek opinions on the completeness of the model and its application to the public school environment.4. A review was made of the information and opinions received from the experts. Such information provided the basis for refining the model.5. Upon completion of the refinement process, the model was again presented to the doctoral committee of the author for a final review of the findings.Organization of the StudyThe study was developed into five chapters and a selected bibliography. Chapter I includes the introduction, purpose of the study, significance of the study, definition of terms, methodology, and organization of the study.Chapter II contains a review of the literature related to strategic planning in the private and non-profit sectors of the environment and planning in public school administration.Chapter III contains the presentation of the methods and procedures used in this study.Chapter IV contains the report of the results of the study and the findings regarding the research model.Chapter V contains a summary, conclusions and recommendations which resulted from the study.A selected bibliography is attached as the concluding section. / Department of Educational Administration and Supervision

For the past several decades, school districts have faced an increase in challenges which include trying to improve student achievement with restricted or reduced educational funds. Schools are faced with attempting to fill in financial gaps with funds derived from non-traditional sources with help from partners, including public education foundations. The purpose of this study was to determine the following: (1) The goals established by Indiana public education foundations, (2) whether these public education foundations have been able to achieve their goals, and (3) how the public education foundations successfully secure funding to support their K-12 public schools. The researcher employed a two-phase, explanatory mixed-methods research design (QUAN-Qual Model). The model uses an initial quantitative study to establish a baseline of knowledge about the subject and follows up with a qualitative study to gain a deeper insight into the quantitative results. The first phase involved analyzing the results of a questionnaire administered as part of the study. The researcher used the membership of the Indiana Association of Public Education Foundations (INAPEF) for the accessible population. Current membership includes sixty-six foundations. The final data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, analysis of covariance, and regression analysis to identify significant or interesting relationships between variables. The second phase of the study engaged three education foundations in a case study review. The purpose of this qualitative study was to provide deeper insight into foundation goals and level of support to schools from the perspective of public education foundation officials. A majority of the foundation officials that were surveyed believe that school foundations in Indiana have been effective in supporting the educational programs in their school districts. Foundation officials believe that they are able to provide positive support to schools mostly through district initiatives, classroom grants, and community involvement. The results of this research may provide public schools with the impetus to create public education foundations to support their programs or determine how to improve upon their current foundation’s support. / Department of Educational Leadership

The U.S. disability population is growing at significant rates among adults as well as youth. According to the 2000 Current Population Reports, approximately 54 million Americans about 1 in 5 - are affected by the presence of a disability stemming from birth or life incident. Demographic increases are also noted among American youth as well, with one in 166 children is diagnosed with autism - estimated 67 children each day. Consequently, there have been federal-level responses in the form of legislation, executive orders and local-level program flinding such as REMS grants - addressing various disability issues. Likewise in recent years, another critically important matter has emerged with increasing priority on the nation s policy agenda: school emergency preparedness planning. A broad spectrum of crises incidents, ranging from student-initiated assaults to natural or man-made disasters, has become a well-documented reality where schools have experienced tragic impacts sometimes as severe as mass casualties These occurrences, coupled with an expected increase in potential evacuees with special needs, demonstrate the critical need for inclusive school evacuation planning at all levels of administration that actively considers its impact on vulnerable populations. This is of particular importance to public schools today; the presence of disabled students can be deduced from U.S. Census and NOES statistics while studies conducted by Georgia Tech s Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) illustrate the presence of teachers with disabilities. As the scope of interest in this field expands, the availability of related literature becomes more prevalent as well. While disability preparedness planning in schools is briefly mentioned in some articles and reports on emergency preparedness in general, it has yet to be the sole focus of one to date. Policymakers and practitioners in preparedness planning would likely benefit by broadening to its literature scope to include research that focuses solely on analyzing policy strategies and processes used in school emergency preparedness planning for students and teachers with disabilities. Therefore, this thesis project will compile available related literature into a topology in aimotated bibliography form through the lens of disability preparedness planning and policy in public schools. The research goal is to provide a qualitative assessment of available literature in the form of a reference guide of strategies and recommendations on disability preparedness, specifically intended for public school settings. Additionally, this compilation will outline the rationale supporting a more inclusive policy and planning formulation processes that actively engage the needs students and teachers with disabilities prior to the implementation stage.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-108). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, School of Education, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 304-316).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 181-196).

Thesis (D.A.)--Illinois State University, 2001. / Title from title page screen, viewed April 25, 2006. Dissertation Committee: M. Paul Holsinger (chair), Moody Simms, John Freed. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-167) and abstract. Also available in print.

The purpose of the study was to determine if the Educational Planning and Resource Management System (EPRMS), implemented by the Orange County Public Schools, increased parent and/or teacher involvement and communication in the school level decision making process. The study surveyed parents, teachers, and principals about their perception of the communication and involvement at their school during 1982-83 and 1983-84 (the year EPRMS was fully implemented). It was assumed that any increase in communication and/or involvement would be due to the Educational Planning and Resource Management System. A questionnaire was developed after an extensive literature review and input by a panel of experts. Separate questionnaires were administered by mail to a random sample of parents, teachers and principals. The data were analyzed with analysis and variance and cross-tabulations. Since three surveys were administered, three separate univariate analysis of variance designs were used. In each case, the analysis of variance was a repeated measures design including a factorial between subjects and a within subjects component. The data analysis revealed that parents, teachers and principals reported an increase in communication and involvement during the 1983-84 school year. These increases, while statistically significant, were relatively small. It also showed that principals and high school respondents gave the highest ratings to communication and involvement while teachers and junior high respondents gave the lowest ratings. The study did, for the most part, support the assumption that there was more perceived communication and involvement at the school level since the implementation of EPRMS. Even though the statistically significant increases for the various groups and levels were small, question 34 provided substantial support to the finding of increases school-level involvement. Almost three-fourths (74.7%) of the respondents reported that more opportunities for involvement existed during the 1983-84 school year than during the 1982-83 school year. Recommendations included additional monitoring of EPRMS with regard to staff and parent involvement and extensive management training in group dynamics and managing group interactions.