The Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico-Rural Systemic Initiative (UCAN-RSI) supports standards-based reform in mathematics, technology, and science education for rural students in its states. This guide provides UCAN schools and communities with a set of measures that describe the location of a school/community on the developmental continuum of…

This theme issue of "Service-Learning Network" explores some challenges and rewards of integrating service learning into school and community culture. The lead article, "Integrating Community Service Learning with School Culture" (Sheldon Berman), surveys the integration of community service learning in the culture of school…

This is a companion study to "Shaping the Future: New Expectations for Undergraduate Education in Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology (SMET)" (NSF 96-139). Both the original report and Volume 2 focus on a collaborative approach to developing and implementing strategies to improve undergraduate SMET education. The reports, compiled…

Contributors to this collection examine how today's federal education programs work and show how, instead of working for school improvement, these programs have begun to function as obstacles to the efforts of reform-minded states and schools. The following essays are included: (1) "Overview: Thirty-Four Years of Dashed Hopes" (Chester…

Federal intent is conveyed to states and localities through a series of actions that include authorizing legislation, legislative history, formal legal framework, administrative decisions, and congressional oversight. Program implementation, in turn, requires states and localities to modify organizational structures, processes, and behavior.…

Describes the new directions, or paradigm shift, that schools must learn to deal with under the 1994 Improving America's Schools Act as subsumed under five headings: (1) standards; (2) focus on teaching and learning with an accelerated curriculum; (3) flexibility for local initiative; (4) links among schools, parents, and communities; and (5)…

Higher education is challenged to provide greater accountability, cost reduction, and collegial inclusivity. Olivet College has created a model for institutional transformation through a cost-effective service-learning program based on character education. Olivet's redesigned curricular and cocurricular offerings help students discover ways to…

Presents an overview of school inclusion programs for students with disabilities and describes specific strategies for designing and implementing successful programs which prepare students for the real world. Outlines strategies involving organizational change, curriculum and instruction modification, and school culture transformation. (GR)

Describes a successful school-wide reading program at one high school which sought to change students' attitudes toward reading. Discusses envisioning the program, promoting it, gathering momentum, and ensuring its continued success. (SR)

Shows how five key dimensions of efficient production organizations have been applied directly to improving school productivity through a national school reform effort, the Accelerated Schools Project. Substantial productivity gains can be obtained at a marginal cost (less than 1% of the school budget) through transforming schools to improve their…

Summarizes the findings of several studies and evaluations of South Carolina's Educational Improvement Act. Generally, South Carolina educators claim that the reform movement has created excessive demands on their time, while the benefits of many prescriptive requirements are unclear. Several questions are raised about reform intent versus…

Describes the stages of the change process when redesigning an education system: (1) initiating the process, (2) designing the new system, (3) planning the implementation, and (4) implementing the design. The common obstacles encountered during the change process (derived from a survey of 60 schools nationwide) are analyzed, and the status of each…

The implementation of bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language programs in public schools was examined as part of a larger study on school district personnel's perceptions of change and roles played in change efforts within school systems. Results suggest a need for more sophisticated knowledge of program implementation techniques. (10…

This article summarizes the 1992 British report, "Getting in on the Act," which examines implementation of the 1981 Education Act and recommends provisions for students with special needs. Criticisms of the 1981 Act focus on its lack of clarity, lack of accountability, and lack of incentives. A new relationship between local education…

Discusses ways in which educational technologists can help educators accept changes in schools that are occurring through the use of technology. Characteristics of people involved in change are described; and a framework for implementing innovations is presented, including supportive organizational arrangements, training, consultation and…