The future of school-based restructuring rests on five conditions: a site-specific vision of school greatness for all students; consequent plans shaped by school partners; a work culture that nurtures and expects development and success; staff empowerment and commitment to energize participants; and a quality control system that guides development…

Many school districts are acknowledging staff development's dismal record. Inservice programs traditionally operate on a deficit training model, promote awareness without classroom strategies, and are offered by traveling "experts." Teachers need time and opportunity to direct their own professional development program and "mess…

This second volume of selected readings is designed to accompany Video Conferences 5-9 in the series "Restructuring to Promote Learning in America's Schools." The readings in this volume explore several key issues in school restructuring. Four sections include: (1) Schools as Learning Communities; (2) Many Roads to Fundamental Reform:…

To embed ongoing learning opportunities in routine school practices, superintendents must help schools create the collaborative cultures that enable teachers to work together, engage in collective inquiry, and learn from each others' experience. Suggestions for fostering quality staff development, clarifying priorities, and improving capacity are…

Organizational change will be a major theme of the school reform movement. Despite restructuring efforts, schools are still operated on the factory system model. Using the social norms concept, this paper examines schools as informal organizations and advocates staff development as an essential key for changing informal relationships (roles)…

This report raises fundamental issues that must be explored by educators considering participative decision-making as part of an educational restructuring initiative. In analyzing district readiness to implement a shared decision-making model, several factors must be considered, including school culture and climate, leadership style and attitude,…

This summary highlights implementation strategies from the full report for restructuring middle grade education in Texas. The task force was guided by a central theme--a vision of Texas schools using each other as resources and the campus planning process as a vehicle for implementing research-based concepts and practices in the middle grades.…

The Urban Education Project developed by Research for Better Schools, Inc., has focused on meeting the needs of urban students in a changing and demanding society. In the second contract year of a 5-year contract, the project developed the Urban Education Restructuring Framework by categorizing relevant literature and school-oriented experiences…

Project Achieve was designed to improve the attendance and academic performance of at-risk students. In 1993-94, the program was in the first year of its second 3-year cycle, and operated in 34 New York City public high schools. The program has focused on restructuring the standard grouping of grades into "houses," small units that offer…

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 paper describes an interim evaluation of the Block Schedule Restructuring Program at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Maryland. The program began in the 1992-93 school year, when the school changed from seven 48-minute class periods per day to a block schedule format of four 90-minute class periods. Classes are conducted on a…

As part of an ongoing evaluation of the Chelsea Public School System-Boston University (BU) partnership in Massachusetts, a survey was done of 165 teachers to determine their reactions to this effort at school reform and their opinions concerning several matters related to education in Chelsea and the Chelsea-BU partnership. A year and a half…

This report envisions Texas schools using one another as resources and the campus planning process as a vehicle for implementing research-based concepts and practices in the middle grades. Since Texas' restructuring effort will not succeed without commitment to staff development from all levels of the education community, the need for teacher and…

This paper examines current practice for youth at risk of not successfully making the transition to adulthood in six urban secondary schools. It describes the major elements of at-risk policies and programs and raises concerns about the strategies currently in place at the sites. The following strategies are discussed: (1) curriculum and…

This paper suggests specific changes in Chapter 1 legislation (up for reauthorization in the fall of 1993) to make it more responsive not only to schools and students, but also to current school restructuring initiatives and new understandings of teaching, learning, and assessment. Recommendations are made in the areas of greater equity in access…