The study is a history and development of the role of the Indiana township trustee in managing the educational affairs of the public schools in rural Indiana from 1859 through 1959. The century time span started in 1859 when the state legislature enacted a law that reduced the number of trustees per township from three to one. The concluding year, 1959, the School Reorganization Act set in motion the machinery by which school consolidation was encouraged and hastened. The Act phased out trustees as administrators of school corporations.The origin of the word township came from the Germanic clans where it was called a mark and dates to about 100-44 B.C. The mark was a hedge that surrounded the clan and was used for protection as well as identification. The Anglo-Saxons carried the mark concept to England and called it tunscipe. In England, tunscipe developed into a geographic and political unit. Tunscipe literally means "the people living within the hedge."Implanted in New England by the first English settlers, the tunscipe idea evolved into the town meeting that became the unit of local government for the new colonies. The town meeting concept of local government appeared in modified form in the 1785 Northwest Ordinance. The pattern of local government for the states carved from the Northwest Territory was the township unit. Management of all township political affairs, including common schools, became the sole responsibility of an elected township trustee.

The purpose of the study was to determine the administrative responsibilities that were totally or partially delegated to area superintendents in four administratively decentralized school systems. Examination focused upon pupil personnel services, staff personnel services, instruction and curriculum, school building and plant management, and business and financial affairs. The organizational structures of each system were described together with the number of pupils served and the number of buildings in each administrative area.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the differences that exist between school board members and superintendents in perceiving the role of the superintendent.The following null hypothesis was tested:No statistically significant difference exists in the perceptions held by superintendents and school board members of the functional tasks of Indiana superintendents in school systems of similar size.ProcedureOf the 306 school districts in existence in the State of Indiana in 1973-74, 150 were randomly selected to be included in the study. The 150 school districts were divided into two groups, with the division based upon average daily membership of all students attending school in the district during 1973-74. A questionnaire was developed to secure responses from school board members and superintendents pertaining to perceptions of functional tasks performed by school superintendents in Indiana. Superintendents participating in the study were also asked to provide demographic data. A chi-square test was used for each of the 107 responses on the questionnaire to determine differences in perceptions of superintendents and school board members.FindingsSelected findings were summarized from the questionnaire sent to school board members and superintendents:1. Superintendents from large school districts delegate more responsibility than superintendents from small school districts.2. Superintendents and school board members from small school districts and large school districts differ greatest in perception of functional tasks pertaining to finance and business management.3. The highest level of agreement existed between superintendents and school board members from small and large school districts in the perception of functional tasks in the areas of pupil personnel and school plant operation.4. The majority of salaries of superintendents from both large and small school districts fell in the range from $20-25,000 in 1973-74.5. Over twenty-five per cent of responding large school districts paid the superintendent more than $30,000 in 1973-74, while no small school district superintendent received as much as $30,000 during the same period.Conclusions1. No significant differences exist in the perceptions held by superintendents and school board members of the functional tasks ofthe superintendent within the school district.2. Superintendents and school board members from school districts of similar size generally agree on the types of functions to be performed by the superintendents in the district.3. Superintendents from large districts have assistants to whom responsibility is delegated, while superintendents from small school districts function in practically all administrative categories.4. Large school districts tend to seek the employment of a superintendent with more educational background than those sought in small school districts.5. Both large and small school districts seek to employ a superintendent whose major area of training at the graduate level is in administration and supervision.Recommendations1. The superintendent and school board members should agree upon a set of functional tasks to be performed by the superintendent in the district.2. Forums and workshops should be conducted to assist both school board members and superintendents in knowing respective responsibilities.3. The superintendent and school board members should analyze the need for assistants at the central office level.4. A study of the salaries of superintendents should be conducted every five years.5. A study pertaining to the functional tasks of superintendents of Indiana should be conducted every five years.3. Superintendents from large districts have assistants to whom responsibility is delegated, while superintendents from small school districts function in practically all administrative categories.4. Large school districts tend to seek the employment of a superintendent with more educational background than those sought in small school districts.5. Both large and small school districts seek to employ a superintendent whose major area of training at the graduate level is in administration and supervision.Recommendations1. The superintendent and school board members should agree upon a set of functional tasks to be performed by the superintendent in the district.2. Forums and workshops should be conducted to assist both school board members and superintendents in knowing respective responsibilities.3. The superintendent and school board members should analyze the need for assistants at the central office level.4. A study of the salaries of superintendents should be conducted every five years.5. A study pertaining to the functional tasks of superintendents of Indiana should be conducted every five years.

The purpose of the study was to secure and compare stated judgments of public school superintendents, business managers, and curriculum directors relative to the operational development of Educational Resources Management Systems used in public schools in the United States. School officials with four or more years experience in the development and operation of ERM Systems were regarded as qualified to participate in the study. Four-hundredfive participants were identified from 135 school districts. Responses were received from 254 school officials employed in 115 school districts.Data were secured by means of the ERMS Operational Development Questionnaire developed for use in the study. Respondents provided judgments regarding operational development of ERM Systems used in public schools. Such judgments were submitted to a single factor analysis of variance. The analysis revealed judgments relative to all nine components of ERM Systems members of all three groups as denoting sameness and reported by coming from a single larger "parent" population of which respondents from the three groups were members.Additional findings derived from the study included:The higher the mean average reported district average daily membership, the lower mean average reported ERMS operational developmentNo consistent relationship was discovered between mean average reported ERMS operational development and mean average number of years qualified reporting officials had been employed in current positionsPPBS and PPBES conceptualizations of ERM Systems were most often reported as systems being used in public schoolsWhen combinations of ERM Systems were reported in use, PPBS/MBO and PPBES/MBO were most often reportedThe addition of MBO as a system supporting PPBS resulted in higher reported levels of ERMS operational developmentIndividual components of ERM Systems were not judged with like levels of operational developmentOver-all, ERM Systems were judged as having been developed and being used for some educational program developmentConclusions developed from the study included the following:1. Operationally developed ERM Systems are not in wide spread use by public school officials in the United States2. ERM Systems used by officials in public school districts in the United States have been operationally developed to the extent that some educational program decisions are being made by school officials on the basis of data generated by the ERM System3. School officials working with ERM Systems view operational development of ERM Systems in a uniform way4. School officials developing ERM Systems can expect operational development of individual components of ERM Systems to develop in the following order: adoption of goals; program identification; program budget; needs assessment; objectives; program alternatives; program selection; program evaluation and multi-year projection5. School officials selectively develop individual components of ERM Systems rather than developing the total system all at once6. More than six years is needed to realize fully operational ERM Systems7. ERM Systems become operationally developed more quickly in school districts with average daily membership of less than 5,000 pupils8. PPBS or PPBES used in combination with MBO yields higher levels of ERMS operational development than when used alone9. School officials generally are not prepared to develop and operationalize ERM Systems10. Effectiveness of ERM Systems has not been established and documented through researchRecommendations based on findings and conclusions in the study included:1. Models should be developed to provide a simple ERM System that can be implemented by school officials using in-house expertise2. A model should be developed that integrates the conceptualizations of Management by Objectives with Planning-Programming-Budgeting Systems3. Members of State Legislatures should re-evaluate mandates for implementation of total ERM Systems in light of small numbers of operational systems and the lack of research related to effectiveness of total ERM Systems or individual components of ERM Systems

No description available.

Paper one: Teacher empowerment: concepts, strategies, and implications for schools in Hong Kong The education profession in Hong Kong has been experiencing waves of educational reforms since the early 1990s. A system of school-based management has been imported from Western countries without undergoing thorough discussion about the roles that teachers might play in facilitating it. The purpose of this article is to suggest a strategic mix for school leaders toward effective implementation of teacher empowerment. This mix is divided into three levels: the teacher, administrator, and school levels. At each level the foundations of empowerment have been identified and actions for empowerment discussed. The suggested strategies attempt to balance the human and operational factors in the reform initiative. This article also presents certain contextual considerations when implementing the Western-born concept in the local society where Confucian traditions prevail. / Paper two: Teacher empowerment as perceived by teachers in Hong Kong The Hong Kong Government first introduced school-based management (SBM) to the education profession in 1991, but little attention has been paid on the role of teachers in school reforms. This study was aimed at answering the following questions: (1) how do the teachers in Hong Kong perceive SBM and teacher empowerment, and (2) how do they perceive the essential conditions for empowerment? Findings from a questionnaire survey revealed that the responding teachers only had a limited understanding of SBM. The study also offers insights on how practitioners can better implement teacher empowerment at the teacher level in their particular schools. / Paper three: Teacher empowerment as perceived by principals in Hong Kong The Hong Kong Government first introduced school-based management (SBM) to the education profession in 1991. However, little attention has been paid to the issue of teacher empowerment. This study was aimed at answering the following questions: (1) how do principals in Hong Kong perceive SBM and teacher empowerment, and (2) how do they perceive the essential conditions for empowerment? Findings from a questionnaire survey revealed that the responding principals had a good knowledge of SBM but not the very nature of empowerment. The study also offers insights on how school leaders can better implement teacher empowerment at the administrator level in their particular schools. / Thesis (DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / School-Based Management (SBM) with devolution has become the most prominent feature of public school management systems in most countries around the world. In Indonesia, the Central Government established a Commission of National Education (Komisi Nasional Pendidikan) in February 2001 on the basis of Law 22/1999 by which education was decentralized. The Commission recommended the formation of school councils at the school level to improve quality of national education. The Government then embarked on the formation of school councils in Western Sumatera, Eastern Java, and Bali. On the basis of these trials, the councils were considered strategic in promoting democratic principles in schools, creating higher levels of parental participation in school governance, and improving the quality of national education. For these reasons, in 2002 and 2004, the Government provided a set of guidelines to establish mandatory corporate governing body type school councils in accordance with the Law 22/1999, the Commission and Education Act 20/2003. With the turn of the 21st Century, all Indonesian public schools have implemented SBM. This study was aimed at examining whether improvements in student achievements have been achieved resulting from the implementation of SBM. The research was conducted in 2007 using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies comprising of an empirical survey with the active participation of 504 respondents who were school council members and semi-structured interviews with 42 participants belonging to all categories of representatives of school councils as well as documentary analyses. The research was conducted at 42 primary schools of Ngada District in the island of Flores. Data generated from the two phases of the research demonstrate that there have been school improvements and student achievements resulting from the implementation of SBM. SBM policies and programs have created better teaching/learning environments and student achievements. Further, the research suggests that continuous developments and capacity building such as training on school leadership and management, workshops on SBM, and increased funding from governments are needed to affect further improvements in school effectiveness with the implementation of SBM.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / School-Based Management (SBM) with devolution has become the most prominent feature of public school management systems in most countries around the world. In Indonesia, the Central Government established a Commission of National Education (Komisi Nasional Pendidikan) in February 2001 on the basis of Law 22/1999 by which education was decentralized. The Commission recommended the formation of school councils at the school level to improve quality of national education. The Government then embarked on the formation of school councils in Western Sumatera, Eastern Java, and Bali. On the basis of these trials, the councils were considered strategic in promoting democratic principles in schools, creating higher levels of parental participation in school governance, and improving the quality of national education. For these reasons, in 2002 and 2004, the Government provided a set of guidelines to establish mandatory corporate governing body type school councils in accordance with the Law 22/1999, the Commission and Education Act 20/2003. With the turn of the 21st Century, all Indonesian public schools have implemented SBM. This study was aimed at examining whether improvements in student achievements have been achieved resulting from the implementation of SBM. The research was conducted in 2007 using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies comprising of an empirical survey with the active participation of 504 respondents who were school council members and semi-structured interviews with 42 participants belonging to all categories of representatives of school councils as well as documentary analyses. The research was conducted at 42 primary schools of Ngada District in the island of Flores. Data generated from the two phases of the research demonstrate that there have been school improvements and student achievements resulting from the implementation of SBM. SBM policies and programs have created better teaching/learning environments and student achievements. Further, the research suggests that continuous developments and capacity building such as training on school leadership and management, workshops on SBM, and increased funding from governments are needed to affect further improvements in school effectiveness with the implementation of SBM.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on February 29, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2007. / Dissertation Committee: Linda Lyman, Dianne Gardner (co-chairs), W. Paul Vogt, Joseph Pacha. Title from title page screen, viewed on March 20, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 185-194) and abstract. Also available in print.