Research 2008

Use School Business Managers as Budget Allies
The bottom line—the balance that remains after all revenue is accounted for and all expenses are paid—shows a school district's fiscal status. But business managers should consider an equally important bottom line: a balance sheet that shows how budget decisions improved achievement for all students.
May 2008

Interest-Based Bargaining Helps Boards and Teachers
What's the difference between traditional and interest-based bargaining? Traditional bargaining is power-based; each side aims to win. Interest-based bargaining encourages the parties to work in partnership to solve mutual problems. Why should you consider using interest-based bargaining? For one thing, it starts with the facts.
April 2008

Getting Your Students Into the Flow
Elite athletes make it look easy. Or so it seems. Practice counts, of course. But investigations into athletes' prowess, and into their brains, show there's more to the story. What can school leaders learn from acclaimed athletes? A lot, as it turns out. I've found plenty of parallels between training athletes and helping kinds learn in the classroom.
March 2008

A Guide to Excellence in the Boardroom
Board members should never accept excuses for poor performance and disparities in achievement. Members should become "informed activists" by studying tests and assessments, sorting and classifying student data, updating district goals, and supporting reforms to improve teaching and learning. Excellence in the boardroom is the first step to excellent achievement in your schools.
February 2008

Are Mayors Threatening to Take Control of Your Schools?
The threat of mayoral and state takeovers is real. Today, takeovers are permitted by statute in about half the states, and they’re allowed by some city charters. The question is: Do takeovers work? Despite political criticism, posturing, and rhetoric from public school opponents, research on the financial or academic impact of takeovers remains sparse.
January 2008