1998 Task Force Review of Shared Decision-Making

Adopted by the ACSA Board of Directors July 31, 1998
Prepared by the Shared Decision Making Task Force 1998

BACKGROUND

Past president Jennifer Looney called for the creation of a Fast Response Task Force in March 1998 to review ACSA's position on Shared Decision-Making. This Task Force reviewed the report by ACSA's 1990 Committee on Shared Decision-Making and believes it continues to have value and relevance for ACSA members who are exploring and planning to implement shared decision-making in their schools.

However, recent trends in collective bargaining necessitate clarification of issues related to the implementation of shared decision-making in California schools. Serious questions have been raised about the role of the principal and other administrators involved in the process of shared decision-making, as well as the effect of shared decision-making on student achievement in light of recent mandates concerning accountability. Are those who share the decision making process held accountable for those decisions? Probably not, in the models we have seen. Does the process of shared decision-making improve student achievement? So far the research is inconclusive.

According to ACSA's 1990 report, shared decision-making is a restructuring process through which the culture, organization and procedures of a school district are changed so that learning and teaching are enhanced. The process includes the involvement of all segments of the school district community, and is based on mutual trust, shared responsibility and accountability. Shared decision-making should never be undertaken in the context of power or win-lose bargaining. The focus must continue to be on improving teaching and learning.

CURRENT ACSA POSITION

ACSA believes that shared decision-making at the site level should involve all stakeholders, while recognizing that principals must have the authority to make final decisions in areas where they will ultimately be held accountable. Those areas are likely to vary from school to school and district to district.

THE PRINCIPAL'S ROLE

The current public education system (education code, case law, credentials, board policies, community and staff, etc.) places decision-making, responsibility, and accountability on the shoulders of the principal. The principal's role is to create an effective school environment where student achievement can be maximized. Therefore, the principal must have the corresponding authority to manage and lead.

CURRENT PRACTICES

Even a brief investigation of contemporary school organization reveals numerous opportunities for shared decision-making: school site councils, department chair meetings, leadership teams, faculty advisory councils, district advisory committees, student advisory committees, parent-teacher associations...the list goes on. These venues continually foster environments rich with collaborative dialogues, allowing stakeholders ample occasion to provide advisory input to the school administrative team. Where appropriate, principals may even invest these advisory bodies with the power to make specific decisions. However, principals must retain ultimate authority if they have ultimate responsibility. As reported by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Educational Management, "the system still puts accountability squarely on the shoulders of administrators" (Lashway 1998). This reality is echoed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, which notes that even in a highly participatory and team driven system, "the principal is held accountable by all customers for the final decisions" (Shortt 1997).

RESEARCH

Research clearly focuses on the principal as the key to a successful school--the one who fosters the vision of excellence. That awareness is underscored by the National Association of State Boards of Education which concluded "when schools are effective, it is largely because they have effective principals" (Drake and Roe 1986). A critical component of this effectiveness is the power and ability to make decisions. Indeed, the Florida Council on Educational Management lists decisiveness as one of the twelve competencies of high-performing principals, noting such leaders "exhibit a readiness to make decisions and have the ability to recognize when a decision is required. They make thorough preparation to arrive at a decision and are forceful and confident when a decision is made" (Drake and Roe 1986).

Current practice suggests that many teachers do not want to take on administrative duties in addition to their teaching responsibilities. Rather, they want the principal to make necessary decisions in keeping with the school's culture and overarching goals. The demands of the shared decision-making process -- extended hours, lost preparation time, time away from students, stress -- constitute a sacrifice which many teachers are not willing to make (Ovanda 1994).

LEGAL ISSUES

Statutory and case law further clarify the role of principal as the ultimate site authority. The state Legislature has developed a "specific statutory scheme with the Education Code which defines the powers, duties and qualifications of the certificated administrators within the district from superintendent through vice principal" (Shaeffer 1998). California statutes specify criteria for and regulate the issuance of administrative credentials, declaring via the process that the job of principal requires special training, entails unique skills, and remains strictly the purview of those officially sanctioned according to state law. The U.S. Supreme Court validated California's demand for properly credentialed and fully empowered administrators in Wood v. Strickland, which held "administrators and school board members are not immune from liability" where students educational rights are concerned (420 U.S. 308 321 [1975]). Among the many complex legal issues for which principals may be held accountable, and hence should have ultimate authority, are: state and federal compliance issues, supervision, due process, confidentiality of records, student privacy, fiscal responsibility, contracts, and staffing.

CONCLUSION

ACSA continues to support the use of shared decision-making as a strategy for restructuring schools. However, this Task Force offers the following caution in light of recently approved policies and collective bargaining agreements in some California school districts: We must recognize the essential role that the principal plays in the shared decision-making process. Principals, by practice, organizational structure, and global perspective, are positioned to assure that the best teaching and learning occur for all students. Therefore, ACSA believes that principals must have the authority to make final decisions in areas where they will be ultimately held accountable.

RESOURCES

Conway, J.A. and F. Calzi. (1996).
"The Dark Side of Shared Decision Making." Educational Leadership 53, 4.

Drake, T. and W. Roe. (1986).
The Principalship. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co.

Duke, D.L., B.K. Showers and M. Imber. (1980).
"Teachers and Shared Decision-Making: The Costs and Benefits of Involvement." Educational Administration Quarterly 16, 1.

Lashway, L. (1998).
"Teacher Leadership" Research Roundup (NAESP) 14, 3.

Malen, Ogawa and Kranz. (1990).
As cited in Sims, D. (1996). "Shared Decision-making Must Be Tied to Student Goals." The ABC's of Shared Decision-making: Getting to Z. Doctoral Dissertation.

Ovanda, M. (1994).
"Effects of Teacher Leadership on Their Teaching Practices." Presented at the University Council for Educational Administration, Philadelphia, PA.

Schaeffer, G. (March 19, 1998).
Letter to San Diego Board of Education.

Shortt, T. (1997).
"Empowering School Improvement Teams As Decision Making Partners." The High School Magazine 5, 1.

Weiss, C.H. (1993).
"Shared Decision-Making About What? A Comparison of Schools With and Without Teacher Participation." Teachers College Record 95

SHARED DECISION-MAKING TASK FORCE MEMBERS

Chair
Bill Loftus
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services
Vista USD

Don Carter
Superintendent/Principal
Shaffer UESD

Mike Cawley
Principal
Lemoore UHSD

Sue Olds
Principal
Davis JUHD

Dana Shelburne
Principal
La Jolla Senior High School

Tina Martin
Principal
Oakland USD

Jo Ann Smith
Superintendent
Sequoia UHSD

Bill Mathews
Professional Standards Executive
ACSA