Two persistent dilemmas haunt school reform: curriculum politics and classroom constancy. Both undermined the 1960s' new social studies, a dynamic reform movement centered on inquiry, issues, and social activism. Dramatic academic freedom controversies ended reform and led to a conservative restoration. On one side were teachers and curriculum…

Barry M. Franklin's new work uses the concept of community as a lens for interpreting urban school reform since 1960. Focusing on the curriculum and employing case studies, he applies the concept to reform initiatives in a number of city school systems. Included are compensatory education, community control, mayoral takeovers, educational…

As the issue of school reform grows ever more intense, it is imperative that we learn what we can from previous efforts. The new social studies was a 1960's attempt to transform the teaching of history and the social sciences in schools. With origins in the Cold War, the movement sought to develop critical thinkers through "inquiry" and…

During the past two decades, Taiwan's Ministry of Education has responded to globalization by restructuring school curricular, instructional, and decision making practices along western lines in an attempt to attain legitimacy on the world stage. As a result, Taiwanese principals, once kings within their schools, now must share power with other…

This book is a survival guide as well as a valuable tool for making our schools more effective and appropriate places for students to learn and achieve. Exploring the often complex, multifaceted, and co-occurring problems in the education system, the book addresses specific problems, discusses the real reasons they developed and persist, describes…

In 1990, in response to court orders, Kentucky took the unprecedented step of throwing out the state's entire public educational system. Using outside consultants, they fashioned a model for education reform that many experts have hailed as the best in the United States. The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) has become a beacon of hope for a…

This book is a collection of 30 "Schools in the Middle" newsletters that were published from 1981-90. These articles, which focus on the melding of theory and practice, reflect exemplary middle-level practices, issues, and concerns about early adolescents during the past decade. Among the articles contained in Part 1, titled "Successful Middle…

Selections in this reader explore some current and influential thinking about learning and assessment. It provides a theoretical framework for considering past and current developments in research into the mind and learning. The chapters are: (1) "On Becoming Labeled--the Story of Adam" (R.P. McDermott); (2) "Reconstructing Educational Psychology"…

Following substantial changes throughout the Australian education system, primary schools are no longer in the protected position of having a regulated flow of clients, a predetermined curriculum, and marginal levels of staff development. This book reviews the impact of this change on Australian primary schools, the people who are involved with…

This book is the second in a two-volume series of studies of educational change organized around three themes--systemic change, the transformation of policy into practice, and curriculum contexts. The book presents case studies from Australia, Great Britain, Israel, the United States, and New Zealand to illustrate the cross-cultural complexity of…

The time has come to shift the focus from the "what" of knowledge (content) to the "how" of learning (processes). This book is the third in a series of three books in the Process as Content trilogy. The book offers suggestions and strategies for educators beginning the journey of transferring education into a process-oriented paradigm. The book…

In the past decade, states have taken an increasingly active role in designing new policies intended to reform America's high schools. This book offers a systematic, empirical look at the most widely adopted policy reform strategy--mandatory changes in high school graduation requirements. Maryland is used as a case study, exploring five…

The ten papers in this collection present practical examples of the inclusion of students with disabilities in restructured high schools. The papers are: (1) "Preparing the Ground for What Is To Come: A Rationale for Inclusive High Schools" (Susan Shapiro-Barnard); (2) "Equity and Excellence: Finding Common Ground between Inclusive Education and…

This book serves as a resource guide to help people engage in a healthy, informed discussion of restructuring possibilities. Its focus is on creating readiness for school restructuring, which differs from both renewal and reform. Each chapter is similar in structure and designed to stand on its own. Each is short enough to be quickly read and then…

The present system of education in the United States is wasteful of human and monetary resources and is organized to deny learning opportunities to most students. Education is the biggest business in the United States, and it is the most important business because it molds the character and ability of current and future citizens. Schools should be…