The dominant expectations, at the school level, for SBM appear to be:
a) involvement of staff in decisions about programs and organization;
b) involvement of parents and others in the community, in the school;
c) efficient and effective allocation of resources, based on a school budget;
d) strong instructional leadership and a focus on educational concerns;
e) an environment supportive of professional growth and collaboration;
f) long term academic improvement;
g) positive attitudes toward, and support for the school demonstrated by staff, students, parents, and the community;
h) positive behaviour, modeled by the staff;
and
i) the school should be successful and effective in meeting its goals (Caldwell, 1990) (Herman, J., & Herman, J. 1993) (Murphy & Beck, 1995) (Neal, 1991) (Reeves, 1992).
Consistent with the preceding, a case study of three Edmonton Public Schools identified school improvement as the underlying reason for the transition to school-based management (Delaney, 1995, p. 123).
The pillars of school-based management are collaborative decision making and efficient resource allocation. The commitment generated by collaborative decision making and the allocation of resources to meet local student needs are expected to lead to increased student learning.