The adoption of a school-based management/shared decision-making administrative process (SBM/SDM) was recommended for the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) school district in June 1990. Findings of a study that determined the attitudes of three non-Chapter 1 elementary school communities in Philadelphia toward the adoption of SBM/SDM are presented in this paper. Methodology was based on surveys of parents, teachers, staff, parents, and community members at the three schools, which elicited returns of 27, 56, and 15, respectively. Observation of governance council meetings and interviews with parents, teachers, and parents were also conducted. Findings indicate that no correlation existed between the successful implementation of SBM/SDM and school climate. Recommendations for improving implementation of SBM/SDM include conducting early ethnographic-oriented documentation of progress at the individual school; utilizing a multifaceted analysis; and allowing for variability. Two tables are included. Appendices contain an instructional review day summary, the survey, school demographic data, and pilot survey results. (5 references) (LMI)