A Critical Examination of Authentic Participation in School Decision-Making

85 p.Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2001.The purpose of this study was to provide a critical examination of decision-making practices in public schools. A diverse elementary school site and its corresponding unit district were the sources for data collection and analysis. A framework of authentic participation with themes such as power, trust, legitimacy, invisibility, and representation was used to organize and interpret data. The study developed an understanding of external and internal factors, which influenced participatory practices in a school and the district. It examined factors that contribute to the empowerment of some and the disenfranchisement of others. Recommendations are offered to school leaders about how to promote authentic participation in educational organizations. Finally, suggestions for further study include research about the political nature of public schools, further research about how to implement authentic participatory practices, and suggestions for viewing educational organizations in ways which promote justice and democracy.U of I OnlyRestricted to the U of I community idenfinitely during batch ingest of legacy ETD