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39 . What are some basic rules that can facilitate shared decision <br /> making? <br /> The law contains language such as "assist" or "consult with" the <br /> principal . Clearly it envisions that councils will share in <br /> decisions that are the formal prerogative of principals, to whom <br /> the law has given increased responsibilities for the operational <br /> management of the school . <br /> Experience suggests that there are a few basic rules that can turn <br /> shared decision making into a collaborative and positive <br /> experience. <br /> Rule No. 1: Explicitly state the issue that must be decided and <br /> why. Where does the problem originate? What values are at stake <br /> if the problem is not addressed? <br /> Rule No. 2: At the outset, communicate clearly who will make the <br /> decision and identify any constraints that will affect the scope or <br /> content of the decision. <br /> The authority to decide and the ability to implement are two <br /> different matters. Accordingly, all of the constraints on <br /> schools -- budget, staffing, time, pre-existing regulations, --d so <br /> on -- should be laid out on the table as the group begin is <br /> decision-making process. <br /> Rule No. 3 : Keep in touch. Communicate formally with all of tho=e <br /> involved in the decisions that are being made. "Fo ncal <br /> communication" means that a commitment to communicate is exp-. -cit <br /> and is bound by a timeline. For example, when a council Conducts <br /> a survey, a needs assessment, or when its members formally consult <br /> their constituents, these outreach efforts should culminate in <br /> subsequent feedback from the council on how this information was <br /> used by the council . In the same spirit, principals, school <br /> committees and other school officials who are the recipients of the <br /> council' s recommendations should agree on a timeline and a format <br /> for a response even, and especially, when a recommendation cannot <br /> . be approved. <br /> C. Representation and Community Outreach <br /> 40. Now can school councils maximize their representativeness and <br /> become more inclusive in their decision making? <br /> "Inclusively" refers to a way of doing business that provides for <br /> continual contact between the council and the school and community <br /> constituencies it represents . Councils can become more inclusive <br /> by: <br /> 16 <br />