The vision of school restructuring seems to be taking shape. New themes and patterns in curriculum, instruction, and assessment have begun to emerge in American schools. A new focus on social issues and practical application opens the doors to more community and parent involvement. Teaching strategies are becoming more congruent with the needs,…

The management team concept, which developed in response to increasingly complex problems facing schools, is not only compatible with democratic concepts but has also proved responsive to teacher and parent pressure to redistribute power, broaden decision-making participation, and improve administrative efficiency. The school management team,…

Faculty participation in college or university decision making is accepted as intrinsically good and as having positive effects on institutional functioning, but it is reflected in varying degrees in actual practice. The rationale for faculty participation is related to increased employee satisfaction and performance; faculty also tend to afford…

Through a series of organizational and instructional changes, comprehensive planning aims to make it possible for all children to reach the same high academic standards. Educators and parents of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students, as well as other members of tribal communities, must participate in this planning to ensure that the…

This ERIC digest discusses civic education in U.S. schools in terms of: (1) its meaning; (2) its place in the curriculum; (3) its effects on learners; and (4) suggested methods of improving it. Civic education involves the development of skills in making decisions about public issues and participating in public affairs and encompasses the…

Multiage education involves placing children of different ages, abilities, and emotional maturity in the same classroom. Research indicates that heterogeneous grouping promotes cognitive and social growth, reduces antisocial behavior, and facilitates the use of research-based, developmentally appropriate instructional practices. Because multiage…

From a synthesis of findings culled from a study that examined partnerships of families and communities with middle schools at multiple sites, researchers derived eight "lessons" that can help foster understanding of the nature of family-school partnerships in the middle grades. Researchers also elaborated implications of these lessons,…

A growing number of educators are focusing their efforts on improving the work environment of teaching. In place of the typical school's norms and practices that isolate teachers from one another, collaborative schools have norms that encourage teachers and principals to cooperate for school improvement. Such schools are characterized by frequent…