0.4 Taylor, r., touchton, d., & Acker-hocevar, m. (october 2011).  (Page 2/5)

New models of shared decision-making emerged since 2001 which provided specific structures for implementation. Researchers at the Center for Research in Educational Policy at the University of Memphis developed the Total Teamwork System (TTS), based on Vroom and Yetton’s original model. When teams used TTS the decisions were more acceptable. When not used, negative attributions were generated (Valesky, Horgan, Caughey,&Smith, 2003). Kepner-Tregoe (2004) emphasized that correctly identifying the problem to be addressed as an essential first step prior to data gathering, problem analysis, and solution generation. Another model published since 2001 is the synergistic decision-making model which focused on the need for communication skills: listening, responding, clarifying, and reinforcing-- all of which are necessary to facilitate shared decision-making (Lambert, 2004).

Methodology

Using the same procedures and questions, 13 researchers and moderators led 13 focus groups from 2004 through 2006. Leadership questions around democratic community, school improvement, and social justice queried leaders concerning their practices and perceptions (Murphy, 2002). Each session’s protocol began with building rapport and asking questions, followed by summaries of key points (see Krueger&Casey, 2000). Recordings were made of the proceedings and transcribed verbatim.

Each of the three authors independently read all focus group transcripts (Denzin&Lincoln, 1994) noting participant comments, strands of thinking, and examples. Independent reading and analyses preceded conference calls to arrive at themes. After several cycles of rereading, coding, analyses, and conferencing, two themes emerged. A constant comparison method (Patton, 1990), the final step, aligned principal statements with the themes.

Participants were 82 principals from small and medium sized school districts with none having more than 9,999 students. Principals represented a convenience sample, accessible to the researchers, who agreed to participate with their identity remaining confidential. The typical size of the focus groups was five to seven principals. Schools ranged in enrollment from under 500 to almost 2500. Grade level configurations differed and five schools served students from prekindergarten through twelfth grades.

Findings

Theme 1: factors that affect decision-making

Communication is an important factor in the decision-making process. While principals voiced that communication of decision-making processes and outcomes was important for developing and maintaining trust, they did not share specific mechanisms for doing so. As an example, none identified email blasts, web pages, phone systems, blogs, town meetings, etc., as specific ways of sharing important content and processes of decisions. Elementary Principal 41 (Southwest/West, 10/11/2005) suggested the need, “…to have established avenues for the communication…” High School Principal 83 (Midwest, 6/18/2006) expressed that she shared how decisions are to be made, “…there has to be a communication on what is the method of decision that is going to being [ sic ] used. …”