This book is about the threats to education quality in the developing world that cannot be explained by lack of resources. It reviews the observed phenomenon of service delivery failures in public education: cases where programs and policies increase the inputs to education but do not produce effective services where it counts--in schools and…

This paper discusses the concept of school-based management (SBM), often also called whole school reform. The paper is in four sections: (1) A description and discussion of what is meant by school-based management; (2) a review of the literature about its implementation; (3) a review of its effects on students; and (4) some general conclusions.…

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory study assessed school reform in Chicago, using case studies, school and central office audits, expert review of reform indicators. Shows partial success in achieving reform goals through site-based management. Local school improvement plans have not been integrated into a set of goals or visions;…

This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of the first-year implementation of the school restructuring pilot project in Baltimore City Public Schools. Implemented in 10 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools, the project sought to implement school-based management to enhance student achievement. Data were collected from a survey of…

The 1988 Chicago reforms require the school system to raise its student achievement levels to national norms in five years, reallocate resources away from the administration and toward schools, and establish local school councils as the basis for school-based management. So far, this reform implementation has not significantly affected student…

A year-long, intensive case study of a Los Angeles school involved in school-based management (SBM) showed that four commitments drove successful reform: a learning imperative, strong sense of community, staff and parent leadership, and a capacity-building imperative. SBM facilitated individuals' actions without influencing decision-making…

The provision for schools to waive local education authority control and become self-governing was the most radical element of Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act. A survey of five opted-out primary schools shows that larger schools succeed better at self-governance because of economies of scale; clustering smaller schools into groups with single…

Two years into five-year study of school-based decision making under Kentucky Education Reform Act, preliminary findings offer guidance and warnings considering decentralization. Across state, number of parents running for school councils and voting in elections is small. Most councils consist of six people with little teamwork or representative…

This paper discusses the Collaborative Action Team (CAT) process, which was initiated by the U.S. Department of Education, and which encourages the development of partnerships among families, community members, school personnel, and students in communities with histories of ongoing and underserved needs. CAT is based on a set of core principles…

Since 1989, the Chicago Public Schools have been undergoing a major restructuring that has shifted responsibility for running schools from the central board and administrative staff to local school councils comprised of lay people. The reform legislation aimed to raise achievement, attendance, and graduation rates to national norms. On these three…

Arising from the first 2 years of a 5-year project studying Chicago school reform, this report analyzes local school council meetings, principal evaluation and selection, and school improvement plans in 14 sample schools. Findings are based on observing 177 council meetings during 1990-91, interviewing principals and Professional Personnel…

Findings of a study that examined the outcomes of longterm institutionalization of school reform are presented in this paper. Project Excellence, implemented in 1984 in a secondary school in Cochrane, Ontario, involved a comprehensive change in curriculum, instruction, and professional roles. An initial evaluation of the program, conducted during…

This paper explores the impact of school reform on learning outcomes and on the professional culture of the principalship. The report draws on findings from several research projects involving surveys and case studies in the period 1993 to 1998, with special focus on the Schools of the Future reform in Victoria, Australia. The article describes…

The Dade County, Florida, school system selected 32 schools to participate in a pilot program for shared decision making. Evaluators found similar problems and solutions in a variety of school settings and classified them into 9 categories. (MLF)

During the first 10 years of reforms, New Zealand schools had two kinds of inspections: assurance (compliance) audits and effectiveness reviews to measure academic performance and contributing factors. In 1998, accountability reviews were introduced to judge whether schools were satisfying their charter (contract) objectives. The program is…