The purpose of this study was to determine whether current principals in the middle and high schools of Massachusetts are using the achieving styles consistent with the Massachusetts Education Reform Act mandate of "participative decision-making." The third wave of school reform has fostered the development of new leadership models for principals, reflecting a newer, more relational and connective governance in schools. The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 mandated participative governance to effect radical changes in the schools. An historical overview of educational administration and the role of the principal culminates in the connective leadership model developed by Jean Lipman-Blumen in 1992. This model transcends the biases of traditional models and stretches beyond transformational leadership to the establishment of interdependent structures such as alliances, networks, teams, and collaboratives involving all the stakeholders in the school community. A study, using the L-BL Achieving Styles Inventory, was conducted with 42 Massachusetts middle and high school principals to determine the styles they are using to implement participative governance into their schools. SPSS was employed for a 2-tail t-test of Significance to assess whether there was a relationship between achieving style and gender, years of experience as a principal, or school level. Results indicated no significant difference between the scores of males and females. A significant relationship was established between the competitive achieving style and school level at.030. High school principals were found to achieve significantly more competitively than middle school principals. A somewhat significant relationship of.062 was found between the collaborative achieving style and years of experience as a principal. Principals with fewer than three years of experience in the principalship have higher collaborative achieving scores. All groups scored highest in the relational domain. Scores in the instrumental domain, representing the extended skills of connective leadership, were the lowest, indicating a need for awareness and educational programs to expand principals' achieving styles.

This descriptive and interpretive study explores the problem of school funding uncertainty in Massachusetts. Information from three main strands converges on the achievement status of today's Massachusetts students: the history of school funding since the earliest permanent English-speaking settlements, the municipal budget-making process in Massachusetts as it affects school funding, and the state budget-making process in regard to its effect on the funding of public K-12 education. Clearly the history of school funding mirrors social and economic issues in the 400-year period reviewed. Definition of social and economic needs of the citizenry has been a continuous political process. Who has had the power to define the needs has affected the funding of public schools. The municipal school funding process in Massachusetts is reviewed both as an annual procedural cycle and as a product of ongoing politically sensitive relationships at the local level. Its effect on the funding of public K-12 schools is influenced by the credibility and political effectiveness of the school district leadership. Funding of public schools by the state is also reviewed both as an annual procedural cycle and as a product of the political give and take that legislators rely upon to get their own agendas supported. Against this background of the past history and current process of allocating resources for public K-12 schools, student achievement scores are examined relative to money provided for schools. A statewide pattern showing money reflected in student achievement is found--both public money and personal money. This study concludes that in Massachusetts, while the uncertainty of school funding continues from year to year regardless of the 1993 Education Reform Act, a sufficient and stable flow of money to the schools is necessary to prepare students adequately for the future. Suggestions for further study and for local action are detailed.

Despite evidence that an understanding of the individual's interpretive framework is an important factor in understanding effective teaching, there is little research in higher education which addresses this variable. The purpose of the study was to facilitate an understanding of the personal context within which the behaviors and strategies of effective teachers exist. Designed as a case study of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award winners from 1962 to 1995 (N = 47, 69% of total population, representing all of the Schools/Colleges within the University), it employed a written survey to gain data about faculty backgrounds and adoption of teaching attitudes and activities which the literature has identified as characteristic of effective teachers, followed by in-depth interviews (N = 14) to explore the participants' personal constructions of the process of teaching. The major findings include: all participants' definitions of teaching reflected a constructivist orientation to the process; a consistency in participants' definitions of the major goals and processes of teaching, and motivations and rewards for teaching across age, discipline, and sex; close attention to their own and their students' experiences is the primary source of learning about and motivation for teaching; the goal of relating to students is to facilitate learning, thus participants define an appropriate faculty-student distance in their relationships with students; teaching is considered an activity with intellectual value; evidence of individual shifts in the construction of their goals for teaching and of their relationships with students, their content and the context that parallel established schema for epistemological and intellectual development, indicating the possibility of a psychological developmental aspect to the development of effective teachers. Some implications for further research include the need for efforts to clarify possible epistemological developmental aspects to the development of faculty as teachers, to research the connections between developmental stage and teaching effectiveness and conceptualization of efforts to improve teaching as incorporating more than attention to methods.

In the decades following World War II American higher education enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth and development. By the 1970s, however, it was clear that the growth curve was flattening. The prospect of fiscal stringency sparked interest in formal planning, and campuses experimented with Program Planning Budgeting Systems (PPBS) and other "rational" planning approaches. As the 1980s unfolded, however, the sense that fiscal problems would persist deepened, and the emphasis shifted to effectiveness. "Strategic" approaches to planning--emphasizing adaptive change in response to environmental analysis--came into wide use. The comprehensiveness and complexity of strategic approaches introduced new challenges for which institutions were poorly prepared, and many had disappointing experiences. The literature offered only fragmented and often inconsistent advice for institutions contemplating strategic planning. The author reviewed the literature with an eye toward identifying "conditions" that support successful planning. Five such conditions were identified: (1) consensus for change; (2) focus on institutional needs; (3) good "fit" between planning and the campus culture; (4) effective faculty participation; and (5) effective leadership. It is argued that an institution which satisfies these conditions increases its chances of success; conversely, an institution which falls short in these areas diminishes its chances. This hypothesis was explored in a case study of planning efforts at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst between 1971 and 1992. The campus engaged in seventeen planning efforts, nine of which were judged to be "strategic." Of the nine, only two could be considered "successful," both quite modest in scope. An examination of the campus's status with respect to the five "conditions" suggested that they were useful in understanding the planning outcomes. The five conditions were then recast as a "diagnostic" tool, a set of questions to be answered before embarking on strategic planning. This tool should help the institution understand its "readiness" to undertake strategic planning; identify areas in which ameliorative action is needed; form a more realistic set of planning expectations. A number of directions for future research are suggested to both test the predictive power of the five conditions and to enhance the usefulness of the diagnostic tool.

This study explores the possible associations between school computer policy and equitable computer access and use in selected public schools. The study answers four research questions: (1) What are the various written policies of selected K-12 schools and school districts for student access to and use of computers? (2) How is computer policy for the selected schools established and disseminated? (3) What is the nature of student access to and use of computers in selected schools? (4) How does the nature of student access to and use of computers match the existing written school and/or district computer policy? Data were drawn from four samples of populations including five superintendents, 48 school principals, 14 selected teachers, and 21 observed classrooms. Participating educators and schools were all members of the National Coalition For Equality In Learning (NCEL), a diverse coalition of eight school systems from seven states that are dedicated to providing a quality education to all children of all families. Findings indicated that a majority of school districts (75%) and a minority of schools (8.3%) have written computer policy. Many policies focused exclusively on allocation of computer equipment, while others also included general and/or more specific statements to influence access and use. Policies in general were developed by committees and distributed through meetings and inservice training. Observation or monitoring were most often utilized to determine teacher adherence to policy mandates. Findings indicated that the reality of classroom practice did not always match the existing school/district computer policy. Also, findings suggest that the existence of computer policies in schools did not necessarily ensure greater computer equity. These findings raise serious questions about the effectiveness of policy to facilitate increased computer utilization and greater computer equity in schools. Recommendations for practice were proposed. The primary recommendation was to encourage schools and school districts to develop written computer policy which clearly states that all students have equal access to computers. In addition, the computer policy should help guide computer use and not dictate to teachers when and how to use them. The policy should help teachers understand that computers are not to be used exclusively for remedial work and that all students can utilize computers at high levels.

This study uses in-depth interviewing along with participant observation and document analysis to develop an understanding of academic advising at one land grant university (Lincoln and Guba, 1985; Merriam, 1988a; Seidman, 1991; Spradley, 1980). Through in-depth phenomenological interviews, this study asks how academic advisors understand the work of advising, the changes proposed and occurring in this setting, and how they manage the deep-seated dilemmas and perplexing choices inherent in the advising role. In addition, it inquires how these choices and decisions connect to issues raised by national reform initiatives of professionalization and standardization for the field. A group of twenty-eight faculty, professional and classified staff academic advisors from twenty different academic departments, counseling centers, and programs within the advising support system were interviewed. This included nineteen women and nine men who provided academic advising as a significant part of their work role. A sequence of three separate, ninety-minute audio-taped interviews were done with each participant (Seidman, 1991). When transcribed, verbatim material was analyzed for patterns and commonalities that were shared among advisors as well as uniqueness of practice (Patton, 1980). In interviews, as academic advisors reconstructed their experience and understanding of their work and work life, they repeatedly cited a common set of organizational issues. This interview material was developed into seven thematic chapters that describe and examine the context and historical development of academic advising; the changing student profile; the missing spirit of connectedness and inadequate preparation; divided roles and fragmented delivery system; self-constructed advising definitions and orientations; individually developed advising techniques and use of advising tools; and the issue of status.

The responsibilities of contemporary principals have increased dramatically and principals continue to be held accountable for school improvement efforts. Leading the school improvement process is a daunting task for principals. In this study, elementary school principals across Massachusetts reported that they consider helping teachers increase student learning to be a high leadership priority for school improvement. Further, the review of the research and literature undertaken for this study argues that principals should place helping teachers increase student learning at the heart of all school improvement efforts and that elementary school principals should make the facilitation of teaching and learning a leadership priority. However, data gathered in this research indicate that elementary school principals spend the greater percentage of their time on management/administrative responsibilities rather than on leadership aspects of their job that help teachers improve student performance. The review of the research and literature undertaken for this study examines the numerous and diverse responsibilities of the principalship, and the contexts in which principals work. The literature review also examines the various ways principals help teachers improve teaching and learning. In spite of the mismatch between what elementary school principals in this study consider to be important and their actual practice, they were able to provide examples of the various ways they are currently helping teachers increase student learning. This study also describes the work conditions elementary school principals across Massachusetts perceive they need in order to improve teaching and learning. The major implications of this study are that elementary school principals need to: (a) find a balance between their management and leadership responsibilities; (b) utilize their discretionary time to help teachers improve teaching and learning; and (c) seek professional experiences to help them reflect on how they can improve their practice. Finally, this study proposes a number of recommendations that may be useful to elementary school principals, organizations that provide preservice and inservice opportunities, educational policy makers, and other parties interested in assisting elementary school principals help teachers increase student learning.

Much of the literature about teachers' lives and careers is problematic. It often fails to involve teachers themselves (Schubert, 1991), specifically women (Miller, 1993; Noddings, 1989). Moreover, it is often written from an administrative, thus frequently white male perspective (Casey, 1992). If documentation about teachers may be race and gender biased, teachers' voices must be included more if we are to interrupt inequities in schools and education research. Women teachers--the majority of whom are now 43 years of age (National Education Digest, 1996)--represent an important population. Their own experience with possible educational and professional inequities and the transitions typical of midlife and midcareer all could add interesting dimensions to their pedagogy and role modeling for adolescent students, particularly girls. This was a qualitative research project based phenomenological interviews (Seidman, 1991) with eighteen participants. In three ninety minute segments, participants were asked to relate how they became teachers, to describe their jobs, and to reflect on the meaning they make of their careers. The diverse women were between thirty-five to forty-eight years old and have taught full time for at least fifteen years in urban and suburban high schools. Interviews were taped, transcribed and analyzed for thematic similarities and differences. Peer debriefing sessions were held at intervals. Major themes from the data included women teachers as care-givers, their growing frustration with administrators over the course of their careers, and a perception that their achievements, experience, and professional opinions are often ignored. Participants expressed feeling powerlessness in often racist, sexist, homophobic work places frequently influenced by "good ol' boy" networks. On the other hand, at midcareer these women have more confidence in their teaching and with themselves than ever before, and at midlife have developed a greater awareness of their own needs. Some have sought professional development and mentoring to stave off the effects of a flat line career and monotony which can typically accompany midcareer. To prevent "burnout" which can affect human service professionals (Maslach, 1981) most are redirecting energy from careers to self-care. The relationship between midlife teachers as models for adolescents in transition was not clearly established.

This paper asks: Are there characteristics of child care directors that are shared among those operating high quality programs? The researcher examines quality child care and the role of directors in the delivery of quality care. Child care directors occupy a pivotal position to influence the quality of child care through their training, their experience and their roles within the center. The literature suggests a link between child care directors and program quality and this study attempts to explore that link. The researcher has conducted a comparative study of the characteristics of 282 child care administrators in accredited and nonaccredited programs within Massachusetts. A profile of directors of quality programs was developed by surveying licensed and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited child care centers in Massachusetts (n = 159). The data was then screened through seven quality criteria derived from the literature in order to arrive at a 'filtered' profile of quality administrators. These profiles were matched against the directors of the nonaccredited child care programs (n = 123). A random sample of 31 directors and their centers from both groups (22 accredited, 9 nonaccredited) was examined to establish what level of quality was actually occurring. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (Harms & Clifford, 1980) and the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (Harms, Cryer, & Clifford, 1990) was used to score overall center quality, and additionally data were collected while on-site. The study was able to establish that directors of the high quality early care and education programs had statistically distinct characteristics, but failed to predict quality by themselves. Additional comparisons created a revised grouping which was of similar quality to both of the NAEYC accredited groups. Additionally, NAEYC accredited child care centers were operating at a significantly higher quality than the nonaccredited programs in Massachusetts, with 92% of the classrooms (n = 75) operating at a developmentally appropriate level. The study found that 72% of the nonaccredited classrooms (n = 32) were developmentally appropriate. Overall quality was demonstrated at higher than expected levels. While the study was able to make definitive statements about the quality of child care in Massachusetts, it failed to make a conclusion about the directors and quality.

After fifteen years of education reform efforts since the publication of A Nation at Risk, a single most effective system of educating elementary school students has not yet emerged. What have emerged are several models of instructional practice and student grouping that show some promise. Is our inability to agree on a single best system for all our students mean that there is no one best system? Recent attention to providing choices for families has fueled this debate. This case study examines a suburban school district's twenty-six year history with an open enrollment system of choice. Little attention has been paid in the literature to intradistrict choice as a way to restructure public schools. By documenting the journey of this district's attempts to offer choices to its families, a context has been set in which a discussion of this option within public schools can take place. Several questions guided this study in order to provide the reader with a context in which this discussion can take place: (1) How did choice start (i.e., what precipitated it, who was involved in making it a reality)? (2) What are the choices that are offered, and how do parents and staff make them? (3) How has it evolved over time? (4) What enables it to continue? (5) What inhibits it from working as well as it could or should? (6) How do the participants feel about the choice system? (7) How does it impact the community as a whole? (8) Does the reality of choice live up to the promise? (9) How will this study inform future discussions? These questions are answered in the context of a review of the education reform literature. The study includes classroom observations, participant interviews, and document review. The data gathered through this process provide a thematic analysis of the issues inherent in an open enrollment system. From this context, implications for other school districts are discussed. The stories of the participants will bring added insight to the practical issues of design and implementation of a choice system for public elementary schools.