Theory and Structure of Local School Administration

Abstract

WITHIN the scope of this review, there is little to report of research in the area of the theory of school organization. Most studies in school organization in the 1949-1952 period were status studies useful in themselves and helpful prospectively in the determination of improved educational organization. Wood's study (64) was typical of the kind of study carried on with respect to contemporary school system organization. Concern with the development of a basic theory of school administration, especially public-school administration, was evidenced in declarations of leaders in the field and supported by a number of efforts perhaps best characterized as being of the nature of philosophical research (40, 41, 42, 51). It may be noted that the many studies of school district reorganization, not reported in this chapter, have borne upon the aspects of proper organization within the administrative unit and with the status studies of organization may well lead to the development of administrative theory suited to the time and presently not evident to the student of school administration. It should also be noted that many studies under the W. K. Kellogg Foundation grants and directed by the institutions acting as centers in the Cooperative Program in Educational Administration (11, 15, 16, 53) are underway and that important contributions to the development of basic theory may be expected. A review of the research of the past three years leads to these conclusions: There has been a growing interest in the development of basic theory in school system organization and administration but little significant research; most studies in the area of general school organization have been status studies or strongly related to them; the role and practice of the board of education concerned many researchers, whose interest reflected a growing professional concern, with the place and function of that body; there is need for many studies in the area of general school organization in keeping with the need for adapting intelligently school organization to changing times.