The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceived implications that principal leadership has on transforming a large comprehensive high school into smaller learning communities (SLCs); and to speculate on possible factors that contribute to the change process after the implementation of SLCs. The study explores the roles,…

The implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001), and the resulting intense focus on standards and student accountability, has changed the education environment significantly (Rammer, 2007). Ultimately, the mounting pressures from federal and state agencies, that all students reach 100% proficiency in reading and math by the year 2014,…

Factors that contribute to the success of an educational consultant and the school partnership were studied through a qualitative exploration of the consultant's role in two reform efforts. The study explored the work of one educational consultant in two school districts, one in which the consultant had been working for 27 years and one in which…

This paper summarizes some of the main conclusions of the Study of Dissemination Efforts Supporting School Improvement, specifically those regarding the process of innovation implementation. The focus is on the contributions of potential assisters to various implementation outcomes, from which implications for policy and practice are derived. The…

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 paper describes the activities and experiences of a technical assistance consultant working with a superintendent and assistant superintendent to implement the Achievement Directed Leadership (ADL) school improvement program during 1981-82. The paper's first section describes the ADL program's "top-down" implementation plan, with…