School Based Management

School-based management (SBM) is a policy used in public schools to decentralize

decision-making power. In this strategy, management decisions move from a larger,
more centralized authority such as the school district, to smaller units that are closely
adjacent to the school, such as teachers, parents, and administrators. Currently, the
data on the relationship between school-based management and increasing students'
learning is mixed, with uncertain conclusions. Nevertheless, the policy is growing and
stakeholders including teachers, administrators, and community members are
supportive of the concept.

Keywords Administrative Decentralization; Autonomous School Concept;

Decentralization; Participatory Decision-Making; Restructuring; School Autonomy;
School-Based Governance; School Empowerment; Shared Governance

School Administration
Overview

School-based management (SBM) is a policy used in public schools to decentralize

decision-making power. In this strategy, management decisions move from a larger,
more centralized authority such as the school district, to smaller units that are closely
adjacent to the school, such as teachers, parents, and administrators. Historically,
public schools in the United States have been run by both the centralized power of state
and district control, as well as smaller entities such as community school boards or
parents (Darling-Hammond, 1988). While there have been many predecessors to
school-based management as we know it today in American schools, the strategy
became more defined out of the 1980s school reform movement. While there are many
similarities between this policy and previous attempts at decentralization, school-based
management is much more complex and requires more of an overhaul of organization
at both the district and individual school levels than previous concepts of
decentralization (Cotton, 1992).
In school-based management, the roles of different groups in and around a school may
change drastically. The district and state lend more discretion in certain areas directly to
the school, while still finding ways to support their endeavors. Principals tend to become
facilitators rather than decision makers. Teachers, community members, and students
may be called upon for input. It is important to understand that school based
management is more than a change in the way schools work. It fundamentally alters
traditional roles, while shifting responsibilities and authority (Cotton, 1992).

The logic behind school-based management originally lies in research from the
business world. Studies found that when the decision-making process was restructured
to include all levels of employees, worker satisfaction increased. Researchers found the
process especially appropriate for work places that were evolving, fast paced, and
required individuals to work together (Banicky, Rodney & Foss, 2000). The proliferation
of school-based management in schools has increased rapidly across the United States
and internationally in recent years.

Throughout the late 1980s, school based management was often seen as a political
reform to shift power from central entities to those within the school community.
Supporters hoped that the policy would engender a sense of community within those
who were closest to the school, driving improvement and creating a sense of
cooperation and ownership. Implementing the strategy of school-based management
was the end goal in driving change when the policy first gained popularity. Today
however, in the climate of accountability, SBM has increasingly come under question
regarding how it affects student achievement (Briggs & Wohlstetter, 2003).

Proponents of school-based management today see it as a strategy to improve many

aspects of schools. The topics for discussion as decentralization occurs may include
budgeting, curriculum and instruction, and plans for student discipline (Oswald, 1995).
Stakeholders that may be affected include administrators, teachers, parents, students,
community members, school boards, and state and district offices. The core ideals
behind this approach are rooted in the belief that school decisions should be made by
those who are the closest to the impact of those decisions. Consequently, school-based
management brings all of these stakeholders together in a more cooperative approach
to solve problems and improve schools (Banicky, Rodney & Foss, 2000).

Because school-based management requires extensive changes, it is a challenging

management strategy to implement, and requires the cooperation between various
entities (Banicky, Rodney & Foss, 2000).

Applications
Students

Under school-based management, students, especially older students, may participate

in the decision making process for their individual school. Students may serve on
committees discussing topics from discipline to curriculum or data collection. When this
method is employed, student satisfaction with schools has been shown to increase
(Oswald, 1995). However, the statistics regarding student achievement and outcomes
remains unclear.

Multiple studies have attempted to measure the effect of school-based management on

student achievement. Outcomes have generally been very mixed, with no persistent link
found between implementation of SBM and gains in academic achievement, attendance
rates, or disciplinary issues (Oswald, 1995).

Increasing student achievement was not necessarily a primary goal of the original
school-based management models. Rather than aiming to enhance student
performance, school-based management was employed to shift the balance of decision-
making power from centralized authority to individual schools (Banicky, Rodney, &
Foss, 2000). Oswald (1995) states that some schools who implement SBM do not make
instruction their top priority. Thus, it is perhaps not surprising that research has not
found a persistent relationship that school-based management positively or negatively
affects student learning.

While school-based management may not contribute directly to increased student

achievement, several outcomes from successful implementation have the potential to
improve grades and test scores of students. Drury and Levin (1994) found the following
improvements: better use of time and resources, more involvement from the community,
and improvements in curriculum. They also noted increased professionalism among
teachers in the schools. However, the research as it stands today does not indicate
school-based management largely affects student achievement.

Teachers

Teachers in schools have a variety of roles. In school-based management, these roles

shift more towards working in teams with others. School-based management systems
have focused on changing a variety of aspects in the management of a school, related
or not to classroom practice. In some models, schools focus on classroom-based
changes. In others, more administrative matters are addressed. Cotton (1992)
concludes that research shows teachers want to be involved in decision-making
regarding what to teach and how to teach it in their schools. However, school-based
management systems that do not address these issues have often produced negative
reactions from teachers. Nir (2002) conducted a longitudinal study in which he
measured how school-based management implementation affects different areas of
teacher work. He found that teachers felt the policy and implementation had both
negative and positive aspects. Nir (2002) indicated that freedom in the classroom
coupled with satisfactory rewards were imperative for teacher satisfaction and
commitment in implementing a school-based management model. Without these
elements, teacher commitment to their school and their students may actually wane.
The topics which school-based management address are an important ingredient or
barrier to success in the eyes of teachers.

While teachers are most interested in changes in curriculum and instruction, this is the
sphere in which district and state policymakers are often least willing to give up control
(Banicky, Rodney, & Foss, 2000). However, this area may be the one that stands to
gain the most from school-based management. Studies conducted examining the
relationship between teacher participation in decision-making and student outcomes
indicate that the two are positively correlated – when teachers are more involved in
decision-making, students tend to perform better (Banicky, Rodney, & Foss, 2000).

Administrators

School principals and other administrators may see their job descriptions undergo
enormous changes under school-based management. A school principal, in particular,
often plays a crucial role in the implementation's success. In school-based
management, the role of the school principal changes from supervisor and manager to
facilitator. The job function becomes much more collaborative and involves increased
interaction with staff, students and the community (Banicky, Rodney, & Foss, 2000).
Gaul, Underwood, and Fortune (1994) found that while school administrator's work
hours increased during and after implementation of school-based management,
administrators were most likely to embrace the...