title: School advisory council participation and effectiveness.
abstract: This study presents a preliminary framework of the variables of effective citizen participation on mandated school advisory councils and systematically investigates the relative effects of participant-type (e.g., parent, teacher), council power, leadership style, and social climate on council member satisfaction and involvement with their councils. A group of 149 school principals and 505 of their council members provided data for the study. The major findings revealed that increased satisfaction, feelings of involvement, and actual number of activities engaged in by council members are related to higher degrees of council member power, more support from the principal for member involvement, clearer role and responsibility definition, and a person-oriented leadership style of the principal. It was also found that principals and teachers are less satisfied with council effectiveness than parents. Theoretical and intervention implications of the results are discussed.
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D011640:Public Policy; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012931:Social Environment; D013022:South Carolina