In this essay, the author reviews "Education Reform in New York City: Ambitious Change in the Nation's Most Complex School System," by Jennifer A. O'Day, Catherine S. Bitter, and Louis Gomez. The book under review explores a larger set of issues, and some time has passed. But many of the issues studied remain relevant and the consistent…

Meier is no bleeding-heart liberal who oversimplifies difficulties involved in creating classrooms and schools reflective of productive learning contexts. Larger system of school governance is inimical to creating such contexts. In his book "How Schools Might Be Governed and Why" (Teacher's College Press, 1997), author argues that the…

The experience of Tufts University (Massachusetts) with environmental engineering has shown that efforts to reduce adverse environmental effects on campus need champions who can push the issues forward and who have the authority to act. The demonstrated commitment of top management is essential to a successful program. (Author/MSE)

To help New Jersey parents and other citizens increase their involvement in schools, this handbook describes school-site management, a form of decentralized administration that can help broaden effective citizen participation in educational management. Part 1 first defines school-site (or school-based) management--a type of school governance in…

The California School-to-Career Plan, developed by the state Governor's office with funding from the federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994, outlines a system of workforce development emphasizing partnerships between schools and business and the integration of academic and vocational education. The Plan has several implications, however,…

Explains the development of an electronic information network in Maryland called Seymour that offers bibliographic records; full-text databases; community information databases; the ability to request information and materials; local, state, and federal information; and access to the Internet. Policy issues are addressed, including user fees and…

This report examines political conflict in decision making in three public schools, and describes how the Teacher Participation Project (TPP), which was implemented in two of the schools, sought to minimize such conflict by institutionalizing local governance structures for teachers. The report consists of two parts. Part I investigates various…

This guide to school management is based on a systems approach in which well defined procedures and processes provide the basis for improvement and renewal of existing educational programs. The process begins with needs assessment. School climate, students' social behavior, discipline, and academic achievement are assessed, along with the level of…