This report examines a 30-year history of educational change to identify differing perspectives, strategies, and useful principles. The three most influential perspectives in educational change are the rational-scientific perspective, which proposes that change is created through the dissemination of innovative techniques; the political…

Education reform efforts across the United States are dramatically raising expectations for student achievement. However, the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) found that teachers have not been adequately prepared for the changes in practice needed to meet new student learning goals. This publication briefly examines research…

The purpose of this article is to describe how two partnering organizations, the College of Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Independence School District, experienced a successful partnership leading to simultaneous renewal. A demonstration of this successful partnership is described not by student achievement outcomes or…

This literature review focuses on the application of technology (primarily the computer) to education. No single vision drives the infusion of technology into the schools, although social, vocational, pedagogic, and catalytic rationales have been proposed. Technology has a role in school restructuring by standardizing and automating procedures.…

State boards of education are routinely placed in the challenging position of reacting to emerging problems or responding to policy proposals generated by other actors in the policy arena. This policy briefing paper was written to help members of the North Carolina Board of Education identify educational policy issues they are likely to confront…

Despite the world of rapid change, many have argued that, compared with other social systems, schooling has not changed appreciably in the past century. In an attempt to address this problem, educators, in conjunction with parents and business, have begun to push for the restructuring of time, space, organization, resources, and focus of schools.…

This book was designed to help school, parent, and community leaders acquire the skills necessary for the successful restructuring of middle-level schools. Chapter 1 defines middle-level education and describes the forces that shaped and continue to shape middle-level education, the evolution of middle-level schools, and current middle-level…

The majority of funds for the development of educational technology programs should be spent on computer software and teacher education with emphasis on technology as a process for developing effective instruction. The development of technology-based solutions can help resolve the educational crisis in elementary, secondary, and higher education…

This book points to the need to attend to ever-present inequalities of education in the light of new political correctness, technology, and curricula. Following the introduction, chapter 1 offers a review of neoconservative, liberal humanist, and radical theories of education. Chapter 2 suggests that one way to rethink and restructure the nature…

This monograph presents a synthesis of the literature on the educational tools and procedures used with students who have severe intellectual disabilities. The review focuses on how: (1) the goals of education for students with severe intellectual disabilities are consistent with the educational goals of all students; (2) current school reform…

Effective strategies for developing early childhood centers in public schools are discussed in this paper, which draws from a research-based literature search and intensive case studies of six Northwest sites. The sites represent a range of rural, suburban, and urban programs; large and small schools; and a variety of program features. The sites…

A summary of the school restructuring movement and an outline of strategies for implementation are presented. The underlying principles of restructuring are included in four broad strategies, which include school-based management, teacher empowerment, voice/choice, and teaching for understanding. New responsibilities for state policymakers include…

Many educators suggest that deteriorating academic quality in schools can be addressed with the help of an approach to curriculum development called "curriculum integration," which presents a holistic view of knowledge to learners. One reason among many to move from subject-focused curriculum to curriculum integration is that the former fails to…

Computers have become one of the expected trappings of today's classroom, and schools have exhibited an insatiable appetite for hardware; but systemic curricular integration of computers is still more of a promise than a reality. Resources have been allocated and spent, but many students and educators remain technologically illiterate. Section 1…

This report provides an in-depth review of school reform research that presents evidence of college preparation for all students. It examines the predictors of college-going behavior and how they have been addressed within the high school reform movement. The report then draws out the promising practices from existing reform initiatives and makes…