A Case Study of the Impact of School Administration Computerization on the Department Head’s Role

The computerization of school administration was found to have a significant impact on the role of the department head. The nature of this impact is presented and analyzed. Accountability, instructional evaluation, supervision, feedback, frequency of meetings, and shared decision making were found to be significantly affected. A “chain reaction” of hierarchically oriented tightening was observed: the principal, and school computer administrator on her behalf, over department heads, and department heads over their teachers. Relations among department heads themselves remained unchanged.