The authors assert that the present educational system is not responding to the demands of the environment, but schools may be performing at their capacity and unable to improve further. They propose system redesign and implementation as part of an alternative frame of reference regarding reform. (Author)

Describes an instructional design process, Learning Environment Design (LED), as being geared to the design of flexible and user-centered learning resources by distinguishing between content and strategy. LED as a possible successor to instructional systems design is discussed, and the potential of LED for restructuring schools is considered.…

Practical suggestions for superintendents to use in reforming their schools are presented in this document, which focuses on "renorming" as a way to develop cohesive school district attitudes. Chapter 1 describes the concept of school culture, defines the concept of systemic cultural renorming, and provides an overview of the concepts of…

All too often, rhetoric has become the guide for change, rather than philosophical assumptions and value systems. This paper presents three organizational constructs to assist schools in successfully transforming their work cultures into learning organizations. The three components include systems thinking and quality concepts, social…

Education reform solutions often ignore the people involved and concentrate solely on the systems in which they work. This paper presents an overview of invitational education theory and Total Quality Management (TQM) theory and describes their uses for improving education. Both theories are holistic approaches; stress the cooperative nature of…

The effect of institutions on school effectiveness is explored in this book, which argues that school reforms in the United States are destined to fail because of the failure to address the root of the problem, which is found in the institutions of direct democratic control by which schools have traditionally been governed. Methodology involved…

An increasing number of elementary school sites have begun to implement nongraded, multiage, primary developmental learning environments. Nongraded primaries are more than just a loosening of the age limits and a changing of the promotion strategies. This broad educational restructuring strategy provides a unique opportunity for creating new…