Confronted by complex and divisive issues and by groups seeking participation in policymaking, the Salt Lake City Board of Education adopted a shared governance policy in the middle 1970's. The policy mandated creation of two related councils at each school site. The School Improvement Council (SIC) consisted of the principal and specified school personnel; the School Community Council (SCC) incorporated the SIC and added parent-teacher association officers and other nominated parents. These councils had authority to make school level decisions by consensus within legal and district policy limits. To determine the effects of these councils, researchers used a comparative case study design to analyze council operations at four elementary, two intermediate, and two high schools. Interviews, surveys, and a review of documents provided data. This report presents the findings, dealing with the following topics: (1) the character, roles, and attitudes of council participants; (2) the scope and salience of the issues addressed and the emphasis given to the budget, personnel matters, program goals, and program evaluation; (3) the dynamics of council agenda-setting, conflict management, and response selection; and (4) the effects of council actions on school policy, school operations, educator-patron relationships, and individual council members. (PGD)