Recent reforms in the governance of schooling have affected roles relationships and decision-making within schools and between them and the wider community. Using empirical and theoretical approaches this book describes analyses and compares the effects of devolved management on secondary schools in a number of countries. It casts a critical light upon policy assumptions and aims challenging assumptions about the way policy works in practice. Through a comparative international perspective which looks at countries including the UK and the US the conflicting options for school governance are addressed. These include:*parental participation and school management policy*professional managerial and market principles in education*school-based decision-making and the implications of overarching government policies*devolution and centralisation. This is a timely study for practitioners in education policy-makers in local and central government academics and students of education policy and management. Language: English