Restructuring Educational Governance: A Challenge of the 1990s

Abstract

The author argues that there is a critical need for research and scholarship into the impact of educational governance structures (the formal arrangements for making and administering public policy on education) on the native and quality of decisions made and the degree of success in implementing those decisions. The author notes the new directional shift of the current educational reform movement from a centralized bureaucratic emphasis to a more decentralized quasi market orientation and links them to similar societal trends associated with the information age revolution. A framework for conceptualizing the problem of allocating decision-making authority about education among interested parties is presented an (discussed using illustrations from the United States, England, and Australia. Research issues are identified.

The Changing Principalship: Its Current Status, Variability, and Impact

“…The centerpiece of educational change in Washington state was the passage of ESHB 1209 (Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1209, 53rd Legislature, 1993), the state education reform legislation. The changes initiated by ESHB 1209 are not unlike those that have occurred in a number of states and could be viewed as representative of the types of reforms that are being implemented elsewhere around the country and in other nations (Swanson, 1989;Tyack, 1990). The central instructional components of this legislation, and subsequent legislation included: the establishment of a statewide &dquo;performance-based&dquo; education system with student learning goals and corresponding specific &dquo;essential learning requirements&dquo;; performance standards and a student assessment system; and a required &dquo;certificate of mastery&dquo; of the essential learning requirements in order to earn a high school diploma (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1997b).…”

Rethinking the multiple perspectives approach to education policy analysis: implications for policy‐practice connections

“…Oakes ' (1985) study of tracking and its effects on aspects of equity; and Swanson's (1989) analysis of governance reforms in light of the values of economic growth, fraternity, efficiency, equality, and liberty. 24.…”

An examination of certification and professional development of superintendents and principals across the fifty states

“…Nevertheless, in spite of the widespread national concern of the National Governors' Association, the national school administrator associations and others relative to the need for state mandates and initiatives for reforming administrator certification and professional development, at present, state commitments in these areas are "woefully Inadequate... few states and school districts offer programs answering the needs of their current administrative cadre" (Bowles, 1989, p. 40) States is a function and responsibility of the state government (Fielder, 1989;Kirst, 1985;Knezevich, 1975;Miller, 1987;Swanson, 1989;Wiles and Bondi, 1983), Many writers have acknowledged the deluge of state-level initiatives in response to the national call for reform measures related to improving school leadership (Crowson, 1987;Fielder, 1989;Firestone, Fuhrman and Kirst, 1989;Glasman and Glasman, November 1988;Hoyle, January 1989;Kirst, 1985;Miller, 1987;and NGA, 1989). However, concerns have been expressed that many of the state reforms related to administrator certification and professional development may be misdirected, ineffective and counterproductive (Griffiths, Stout, Forsyth, eds., 1988;Fielder, 1989;Firestone, Fuhrman and Kirst, 1989;NGA, 1989;Swanson, 1989).…”

“…Nevertheless, in spite of the widespread national concern of the National Governors' Association, the national school administrator associations and others relative to the need for state mandates and initiatives for reforming administrator certification and professional development, at present, state commitments in these areas are "woefully Inadequate... few states and school districts offer programs answering the needs of their current administrative cadre" (Bowles, 1989, p. 40) States is a function and responsibility of the state government (Fielder, 1989;Kirst, 1985;Knezevich, 1975;Miller, 1987;Swanson, 1989;Wiles and Bondi, 1983), Many writers have acknowledged the deluge of state-level initiatives in response to the national call for reform measures related to improving school leadership (Crowson, 1987;Fielder, 1989;Firestone, Fuhrman and Kirst, 1989;Glasman and Glasman, November 1988;Hoyle, January 1989;Kirst, 1985;Miller, 1987;and NGA, 1989). However, concerns have been expressed that many of the state reforms related to administrator certification and professional development may be misdirected, ineffective and counterproductive (Griffiths, Stout, Forsyth, eds., 1988;Fielder, 1989;Firestone, Fuhrman and Kirst, 1989;NGA, 1989;Swanson, 1989). Difficulties states encounter in accomplishing major reforms are extensive; (1) the impact of policy may take a decade or more to be realized whereas the American public expects and even demands immediate results (Borg and Gall, 1989;Firestone, 1989;Glasman and Glasman, 1988;Kirst, 1985); (2) the information base is spotty to nonexistent (Crowson, 1987;Swanson, 1989;Sykes, 1989); (3) recom mendations and initiatives of policymakers provoke controversy and backlash (Bradley, 1989); (4) "education in the United States is a complex mixture of public and private institutions organized and administered at various levels under the interdependent authority of federal, state, and local agencies and boards" whic...…”

“…However, concerns have been expressed that many of the state reforms related to administrator certification and professional development may be misdirected, ineffective and counterproductive (Griffiths, Stout, Forsyth, eds., 1988;Fielder, 1989;Firestone, Fuhrman and Kirst, 1989;NGA, 1989;Swanson, 1989). Difficulties states encounter in accomplishing major reforms are extensive; (1) the impact of policy may take a decade or more to be realized whereas the American public expects and even demands immediate results (Borg and Gall, 1989;Firestone, 1989;Glasman and Glasman, 1988;Kirst, 1985); (2) the information base is spotty to nonexistent (Crowson, 1987;Swanson, 1989;Sykes, 1989); (3) recom mendations and initiatives of policymakers provoke controversy and backlash (Bradley, 1989); (4) "education in the United States is a complex mixture of public and private institutions organized and administered at various levels under the interdependent authority of federal, state, and local agencies and boards" which "results in conflicting evaluations of educational problems and practices at cross-purposes that meet neither national nor local goals" (Walberg and Haertel, 1984, p. 5); (5) most state reform packages lack coherence (Firestone, Fuhrman and Kirst, 1989);…”