This analysis of postupheaval educational change examines the extent to which massive changes in a school system's sociocultural environment lead to changes in the structure and practice of schooling. Framed broadly within systems theory and complexity theory, this examination of two cases of postupheaval educational change--post-1989 Czech…

This article presents findings of a qualitative exploration of prisoners' perspectives on ideal schools. Based on the foundation of systems theory, it suggests that many voices are unheard in the school reform dialogue. The results of interviews with maximum-security prisoners pointed to a need for increased relationships among teachers and…

At the end of August 2005, Hurricane Katrina laid bare a wide swath of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The devastation left in the wake of this natural disaster and the all-too-slow governmental response to it shocked the nation. Hidden even deeper in the media aftermath of Katrina were the stories of the particularly harsh fury that the hurricane had…

Analyzes 106 randomly selected school restructuring proposals from 1,600 submitted to the RJR Nabisco Foundation's Next Century Schools Program. The majority of these proposals emphasized student/parent support and curriculum improvement. Most avoided breadth versus depth and substantive discussion/inquiry issues and left governance structures…

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…

Collective bargaining must be transformed and encapsulated so that more effective vehicles can be used to pursue professional and school-reform goals. Trust agreements, waivers, and a season for bargaining are options needing further exploration. A professional union should reform both its contract language and its attitudes. The adversarial model…

Discusses research in three Australian secondary schools planning to implement school-based decision-making and planning procedures as part of a "corporate-managerialist" restructuring program. Results showed that secondary schools are open social systems comprised of complex relationship patterns. A unitary view of secondary schools is…

Although first-wave reform efforts focused on centralization, higher standards, expanded testing, and teacher shortcomings, second-wave efforts stressed decentralization, teacher empowerment, school-based management, and choice. A third wave recommends systemic restructuring reforms. This article examines evolving new images of schooling, school…

Oklahoma's answer to the cry for reform and involvement in education emerged as House Bill 1017, a comprehensive $223 million school reform and tax act. This article reviews the HR 1017 story, focusing on its legislative enactment history and offering a content analysis of mandated changes in finance, personnel, governance, student assessment,…

Analyzes state statutes to determine which legislation mandating school reform had been enacted between 1987 and 1992. Findings suggest that the plethora of legislation will probably continue, that community involvement in education will probably expand, and that educators should prepare themselves for redefined educational goals and restructured…

Summarizes a study that surveyed school board presidents and school superintendents about their perceptions of school reform. Reports their views on desirable restructuring outcomes, important restructuring ingredients, factors influencing restructuring, and the political emphases associated with restructuring. Although school officials generally…

Discusses what individual schools and teachers can do to examine their practices systematically while linking improvements to school improvement efforts at district and state levels. Action research is a refinement of the process every teacher goes through while trying to improve. Improving the education process teacher by teacher seems society's…

Explores research on principals' teacher evaluation competence, focusing on rating skills, student achievement impact, classroom observation effects, improvement strategies, and monitored performance. Teacher evaluation is frequently ineffective because of improperly selected purposes, excessively complex criteria, faulty or missing theory and…

Although North Dakota boasts the highest graduation rate in the nation at 95.7%, the state is shifting its perspective from a system of inputs and methodologies to a system emphasizing student-centered learning and performance. This article describes North Dakota's progress in consensus building, developing performance standards, revamping…

The structures and symbols of the Chicago (Illinois) school reform movement were explored through a case study in one Chicago elementary school. Changes were built on a framework of organizational symbols and metaphors of the building as a home, the school as a family, and the principal as leader. (SLD)