This publication's theme, "Institutional Change," is broadly examined in fourteen articles that range from research and opinion to allegory and satire. A student teacher, a dean, and a state education director are among the authors. Articles concern: 1) key elements of change; 2) relationships between local, county, state, and federal educational…

Findings of three studies that investigated the extent of school restructuring in American schools are presented in this paper. The data are combined from three different sources: (1) a national survey of 268 schools nominated for their successful restructuring programs; (2) a survey of 100 restructuring proposals submitted to a funding…

This report highlights four urban comprehensive secondary schools that are developing, implementing, and evaluating reform initiatives that include vocational and technical education as a key component of these efforts. Efforts of these four high schools are described: Bryan High School, Omaha, Nebraska; Humboldt Secondary Complex, St. Paul,…

Nongraded primary education is the practice of teaching children of different ages and ability levels together, without dividing them or the curriculum into steps labeled by "grade" designations. Changing from graded to nongraded structure requires a major investment of time, energy, and commitment on the part of teachers and…

Schools are expected not only to conserve society's values and standards, but to be dynamic organizations with built-in mechanisms for incorporating rapid, far-reaching change. Although change is unlikely unless at least one highly motivated individual assumes the role of initial change agent, lasting change requires more than the efforts of a…

As part of an 8-year study of education reform in rural Kentucky, this report examines the primary program that has evolved in six rural elementary schools as a result of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), which requires that grades K-3 be replaced by a nongraded program. This change aimed to eliminate failure in the first 2 years of…

A study examined nine strategies for disseminating "The New Occupational Student: Mature Adult Woman," a counseling program for re-entry women at thirty-nine two-year colleges in New York State. The major purpose was to determine whether there was a particular service or combination of services that was most conducive to the implementation of the…

Over the past few years, charter schools have received dramatic popular support. An overview of charter schools, including the arguments of their supporters and critics, is presented in this report. The text presents assumptions about the charter movement and discusses their strengths and weaknesses through a research-based synthesis. Advocates of…

In contrast to the recent back-to-basics movement, which emphasizes rote-learning and the acquisition of mechanistic skills, small-group cooperative learning emphasizes the development of thinking and problem-solving skills. It also seeks to minimize student anxiety and competition by creating an environment in which students feel safe to make and…

Between 1991 and 1995, the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department funded a national evaluation of the implementation of the 5-14 Development Programme based on information gathered from both primary and secondary schools. This interchange is concerned with the primary school perspective alone. Data were gathered from a questionnaire of…

Between 1991 and 1995, the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department funded a national evaluation of the implementation of the 5-14 Development Programme based on information gathered from both primary and secondary schools. This Interchange is concerned with secondary school perspective alone. Data were gathered from a nationwide…

This theme issue of "Service-Learning Network" explores some challenges and rewards of integrating service learning into school and community culture. The lead article, "Integrating Community Service Learning with School Culture" (Sheldon Berman), surveys the integration of community service learning in the culture of school…

The 5-14 Development Programme was a major reform encompassing the whole of the curriculum, assessment, national testing and reporting for students aged 5 to 14 years in Scotland. Between 1989 and 1993 national guidelines were developed for five curricular areas--English language, mathematics, environmental studies, expressive arts, and…

This issue of "EFA 2000" focuses on the theme of inclusive education, i.e., including children with disabilities in general education classrooms. The cover story discusses a 1995 UNESCO survey of 63 countries that showed that integration of children with disabilities in regular schools is a declared policy in almost every country.…

Case studies of five urban high schools illustrate some important factors that appear to be crucial in determining whether or not reform efforts are implemented. Among these factors are the following: (1) teacher participation; (2) collegiality among staff members; (3) shared belief that change can occur; (4) leadership by the principal; (5)…