In 1983 California enacted a comprehensive bill containing dozens of education reform provisions (Senate Bill 813). A sample of 17 secondary schools was selected in order to understand if a number of state-level education reform features could be implemented locally. The major study findings listed below are described in greater detail in the…

Discusses the power that local school districts and schools exert over the eventual success or failure of state government initiatives. Analyzes three major hurdles that reform efforts must surmount at the district and school levels: affecting classroom instruction; eliciting a commitment of local resources; and becoming integrated into other…

Procedures are presented for state departments of education and the local educational agencies to share the responsibility of showing that a minimum competency test is a fair measure of what is taught. It is recommended that the state lead in technical assistance, provide models, and monitor and evaluate the entire process. (CM)

Discusses the use of instructional systems design for setting instructional objectives in public schools. Goals for elementary and secondary schools are reviewed, the ways teachers use instructional materials and develop learning activities are described, and prospects on the national, state, and local levels are discussed. (24 references) (LRW)

This publication builds a conceptual framework that categorizes alternative policy instruments for educational reform into actions. It defines four categories of policy instruments and hypothesizes how each will operate in addressing different policy problems in different political and organizational contexts. Subsequent research will assess…

This book provides insights into how one state department of education perceived its role in the interpretation and implementation of educational reform legislation. It is based on the experiences of a former state department of education employee and her coworker, who were hired to administer three new programs to increase teacher retention--a…

Ontario public school systems are responsible for ensuring that Ministry of Education documents, such as subject guidelines, are implemented in their schools. This paper describes an implementation plan developed and used in Simcoe County by a large rural school board with modest program support staff. Four distinct phases characterize this…

By June 1983, California enacted Senate Bill 813, a sweeping, comprehensive education reform program that contained over 80 education policy and program reforms. The state legislature asked the research team to analyze schools that were effectively responding to reform stimuli and to identify how Senate Bill 813 aided, hindered, or was irrelevant…

A paper on the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (P.L. 94-142) provides information to state legislators on requirements and application procedures and speculates on significance of compliance for rural New Mexico school districts (New Mexico has never implemented P.L. 94-142). The five purposes of the paper are to describe major…