DOCUMENT RE: ?ME ED 384 978 EA 026 871 AUTHOR Kirby, Peggy C.; Bogotch, Ira E. TITLE Empowerment and Information Utilization within a Restructuring School District. PUB DATE Apr 95 NOTE 27p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Francisco, CA, April 18-22, 1995). PUB TYPE Speeches/Conference Papers (150) Reports Research /Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Educational Change; Educational Cooperation; Elementary Secondary Education; *Participative Decision Making; *Power Structure; *School Restructuring; Teacher Influence; *Teacher Participation; Teacher Role IDENTIFIERS *Empowerment ABSTRACT In a study of how decisions were made in 24 restructuring schools (Kirby and Bogotch 1993), teachers claimed to have considerable decision authority. Teachers in most of the schools, however, reported that decision making was based on existing knowledge of the internal group. The Kirby and Bogotch (1993) model, developed from that study, links two concepts of power--power as decision authority and power as knowledge--to restructuring. This paper presents findings of a study that tested the assumption that decision authority alone is insufficient for transformation of the core technology. In particular, the study attempted to determine what "empowerment" meant to teachers and administrators in a successfully restructuring district, the St. Charles Parish public school district (Louisiana). Data were obtained through 4 focus-group interviews with a total of 49 central-office administrators, elementary school teachers and principals; and an interview with the superintendent. Findings indicate that empowerment is not confined to the granting of decision authority. Decision authority must be complemented by information access and organizational efficacy (the belief that schools can make a difference ior all children) with regard to studen learning. When empowerment includes authority, knowledge, and efficacy, organizational transformation is possible. Two figures are included. (IMI) *****************************************0.**************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS ere the best that can be made from the original document. ***************************************-*******************************