The purpose of this paper is to compare two models of school decision-making: (1) the site-based decision model (sometimes termed site-based management) in which the principal and teachers collaborate in decision-making; and (2) the top-down decision model in which the principal makes decisions without teacher input. Of specific research interest is determining the impact of the two decision-making models on teacher attitudes and performance.
Site-Based Decision Model: Teacher Attitudes and Behavior
Teachers attitudes and behavior with respect to site-based decision-making have been examined in a variety of studies. Blanchard and Karr-Kidwell (1995), for example, examined the attitudes of a sample of Texas school teachers involved in site-based management programs. According to the authors, many teachers found that their participation in decision-making enabled them to feel more committed to school reform and change. However, the authors cautioned that the success of site-based decision making at any school is contingent upon administrative leadership that is willing to share power. In order words, if the principal is not committed to truly allowing teachers to collaborate in decision-making, no matter how well designed a collaborative program might be, it will probably fail.
House (1994) conducted a survey of 52 teachers' perceptions of site-based decision-making at three Toledo City Schools. Analysis of survey data was said to show that teachers felt that as a result of participating in the decision-making process, they had made good progress in the areas of collaboration, involvement with the business community, release time, cooperative planning, inservice, and business input. They identified the following areas in need of improvement: principals' knowledge about rationales for classroom decisions, regular access to staff who had experienced similar problems, the process for establishing home-school relations, p...