California's new Statewide System of Support is grounded in the fundamental principles of the Local Control Funding Formula, especially its emphasis on the central role of local educators in determining the best approaches to improvement. This report examines the early implementation of the System of Support, with a focus on the work of the county…

For months, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been debated throughout the media, legislatures, education organizations, and households across the country. Education groups have released statements both in favor of the standards and opposed. As these arguments are being tossed around, 44 states and D.C. are implementing CCSS and other…

This article is a follow-up to Mary Devin's report on the collaborative efforts required to create the "Kansas Educational Leadership Institute" in 2010. The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute (KELI) moved from planning to implementation on March 30, 2011, as a statewide systematic support system for the recruitment, development,…

As a result of the Great Recession of 2007-2009, most states experienced declines in employment, consumer spending, and economic productivity (Alm, Buschman, and Sjoquist 2011). In turn, these events led to historic declines in state tax revenues (Mikesell and Mullins 2010; Boyd and Dadayan 2009), resulting in major cuts in public spending. Local…

Educational expectations and demands on the principal have changed markedly over the past few decades, so an updated set of standards or competencies is needed to effectively evaluate school principals today. Increasingly, many states require that administrators qualify for the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) certification.…

This study examines why 51 schools declined an invitation to participate in a state-funded educator incentive initiative, the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) program. Using data from an ongoing evaluation of the TEEG program conducted by the National Center on Performance Incentives (NCPI) under contract with Texas Education Agency, this…

New superintendents' most common mistakes include extolling a previous district's way of doing things, assuming they are the only experts, having answers before knowing the questions, developing person-specific rules, having either an open- or closed-door policy, redecorating, and being a conspicuous consumer. Avoidance strategies are outlined.…

Study of reform activity in 57 urban school districts found the typical urban district had launched almost 12 significant initiatives from 1992 to 1995. The problem is not too little reform, but too many high-profile initiatives and transitory superintendents. Quick fixes are inimical to sustained improvement and distract attention from such…

Explores the effects of California's Class Size Reduction Initiative on district leaders, examines initial district-level implementation efforts, investigates how district implementation proceeded, and analyzes leaders' perceptions of benefits and challenges. Districts that implemented the program smoothly operated at a businesslike speed,…

Describes an assistant superintendent's experience in developing and implementing similar school reform plans in two high school settings. The less affluent but more successful school tied its restructuring plans to Coalition of Essential Schools principles. The key elements for success were energy, vision, and faculty and community commitment.…

The nation's school boards, as currently constituted and empowered, underlie most school governance problems. The superintendent frequently must sidestep the board in order to move the district forward. The experts (administrators) take marching orders from an educational laity. Superintendents should be intermediaries; principals need full…

In July 2000, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) launched a partnership for the 2000-2001 school year with the University of Pittsburghs Institute for Learning to provide a framework for guiding leadership and classroom practices to ensure that all students in the district have the opportunity to reach the high standards of the Texas…

Solid research evidence links smaller schools to fewer discipline problems, lower dropout rates, higher student participation levels, and steadier academic progress. Large buildings are no obstacle. Creating small schools requires top administrators to lend impetus and support, facilitate teacher volunteer groups, develop clear policies, adjust…

Examines two reform efforts that indicate promising strategies for changing and improving urban school district decision- and policy-making systems, particularly as those systems reflect the relationships among boards of education, school superintendents, and the school district bureaucracy. (Author/IRT)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and the efficacy of regional special education programs. Focus groups were conducted in an independent school district and two special education cooperatives. Focus groups were conducted with general education teachers, special education teachers, principals, paraprofessionals,…