Tools for today’s school leadersED 673

1. Rational or Normative Prescriptive

2. Shared Decision Making or Site based

3. Strategic Decision Making

4. Differentiated Decision Making

Prescribes rigid adherence to written rules and regulations

Has a scientific base

The person making the decision is assumed to be rational

Decision maker should follow specific tasks and steps

Questions the belief that one person should make a decision

Focuses on consensual decision making-rooted in values and beliefs of the participants

Decisions are based on professional experience of participants, open communication, and equal footing of all

A blended model of Rational and Participatory

Administrator is interested in carrying out the vision and a long range plan

Decisions are based on unexpected events, behaviors, or values (Snowden & Gorton, 1999).

Often decisions are based on the situation Administrator may often have to take a

risk and makes decisions based on long range goals

Must analyze external environment and involve other group members before making decisions

The decisions do not have to be goal based, but focus on the process of making a decision

Important

Not UrgentNot UrgentUrgenUrgentt

Quadrant 1: Important and Urgent

Quadrant 2: Important and not urgent

Quadrant 3: Not important and urgent

Quadrant 4: Not important and not urgent

Use your handout to make decisions that face administrators daily.

Determine which need to be handled immediately and which problems can be handled at a later time.

Then, sort accordingly. Due to time constraints only handle the most pressing issues.

Administrators need to assess whether the decision was the correct one.

Administrator should have a vested interest in the effectiveness of the decision.

Use checklist to ascertain whether the decisions were made correctly.

Effective decision making is a complex process

Process can often be improved by involving others, making it a collaborative effort.

Assessment of decisions will improve the skill of decision making over a long period of time.

Covey, S. (1999). Seven habits of highly effective people. New York: Simon & Schuster

Gorton, R. A., Alston, J. A., & Snowden, P. E., (2007). School leadership and administration: Important concepts, case studies, and simulations (6th ed.). Bakersfield, CA: McGraw-Hill Publishers.