LONG RANGE PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES: AN ANALYSIS OF PENNSYLVANIA'S LONG RANGE PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS

The Problem. This study examines the efficacy of the Long Range Planning Guidelines devised by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, using the Philadelphia School District as a case study.;Data Collection. The data were collected from the following sources: (1) In-depth interviews focused upon the Guidelines with: (a) State Department of Education personnel from the Office of Planning and Evaluation who were most directly responsible for the Guidelines. (b) Members of the Philadelphia School District's Board of Education. (c) Selected Top Administrators of the Philadelphia School District. (d) Selected members of the Philadelphia School District's appointed Long Range Planning Steering Committee. (2) Planning materials provided by the State Department of Education, the Philadelphia School District and corporate planners.;Data Utilization. A content analysis of the interview responses was conducted to ascertain areas of agreement and disagreement regarding the Guidelines and the planning process.;Methodology. The case study method was employed because it required a comprehensive view of the Guidelines. Three research questions provided direction for the study and formed the basis for the focused interviews: (1) Do the Long Range Planning Guidelines consider the complexities of large school districts? (2) Is the intent to involve school districts in significant planning procedures limited because of the Guidelines' format? (3) Could planning mechanisms utilized by other complex organizations, such as corporations, be more useful to urban school districts than the present Guidelines?...