This guide shows how to improve your school's productivity with existing or even diminishing resources.

"The current fiscal crisis is clearly having a negative impact on our schools. This book offers practical strategies to overcome obstacles and constraints, and is essential for all school leaders." —David Freitas, Professor Indiana University South Bend "This reader-friendly and relatable book speaks directly to the practitioner, offering down-to-earth advice and realistic examples." —David L. Flynn, Director, Commission on Public Elementary and Middle Schools, Adjunct Professor of Educational Administration New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Bedford, MA, and Cambridge College, MA A win-win solution to the battle of the budget Are you challenged to improve your school′s productivity with existing or even diminishing resources? It can be done, and School Budgeting for Hard Times will show you how. Author William K. Poston, Jr. has fought and won many budget battles. He and renowned educator Fenwick W. English, who provides the book′s foreword, contend that the needs of curriculum and learning should drive the budgeting process—not the other way around. The solution is implementing performance-based budgeting. This text gives step-by-step instructions for: Using assessment data to determine budget priorities Applying quality enhancement principles to the process Incorporating measurable performance to attain funding Discover how to do more with less. These proven strategies will help you attain the truly important goals while avoiding the dire cutbacks that threaten local educational systems′ effectiveness.

From the publisher. Improve your school's productivity with existing resources by implementing performance-based budgeting. Included are step-by-step instructions for how to do more with less.

Financial planning for education is a difficult task as schools struggle for a share of diminishing tax resources. The presentation of school budgets for voter approval must be done as effectively as possible. When presenting budgets, administrators should take into account that the public has a low tolerance for detail, budgets are boring, a well informed public is more positive, presentation materials should be attractive and brief, support groups are needed, and the media should be used wisely. The most important component of the process is the presentation of the budget support material. Fifteen suggestions for presenting budget proposals to the public are provided. The printed budget should be attractive, be self-explanatory, answer the public's questions, use graphics and easily understood tables, and use clear uncluttered prose. The author provides an example of a "bird's eye" budget that is easy to read, understandable, and inexpensively produced. A checklist for assessing a school's budget presentation is provided. Selling budgets in difficult times is hard work that takes careful planning and thorough understanding of demographics, social climate, and financial capabilities. (MD)

Developing budgets that meet economic constraints and instructional expectations is challenging. This valuable resource is for administrators who want to enhance their instructional, technical, and managerial skills as visionaries, planning coordinators, and budgeting managers.

Create a winning school budget during challenging economic times! This revised bestseller walks school leaders through the budgeting process, focusing on vision and strategic planning as firm guides to resource allocation. With an eye toward tough budgetary climates, the authors provide a budgeting model that helps you align organizational goals with a sound fiscal accountability system. In this new edition you will learn: 25 tips for budgeting during an economic downturn How to develop a school budget using the most effective practices Methods for conducting a needs and program assessment How to prepare and analyze a school action plan Answers to some of the toughest budgeting dilemmas

The SAGE Guide to Educational Leadership and Management allows readers to gain knowledge of educational management in practice while providing insights into challenges facing educational leaders and the strategies, skills, and techniques needed to enhance administrative performance. This guide emphasizes the important skills that effective leaders must develop and refine, including communication, developing teams, coaching and motivating, and managing time and priorities. While being brief, simply written, and a highly practical overview for individuals who are new to this field, this reference guide will combine practice and research, indicate current issues and directions, and choices that need to be made. Features & Benefits: 30 brief, signed chapters are organized in 10 thematic parts in one volume available in a choice of electronic or print formats designed to enable quick access to basic information. Selective boxes enrich and support the narrative chapters with case examples of effective leadership in action. Chapters conclude with bibliographic endnotes and references to further readings to guide students to more in-depth presentations in other published sources. Back matter includes an annotated listing of organizations, associations, and journals focused on educational leadership and administration and a detailed index. This reference guide will serve as a vital source of knowledge to any students pursuing an education degree as well as for individuals interested in the subject matter that do not have a strong foundation of the topic.