In addition to common goals that schools have, there should be locally determined goals related to the needs of children in distinct communities. In a core-plus curriculum, the "core" represents state mandates, and the "plus" is determined by the community. (JOW)

In Victoria, Australia, every government school in the state is a self-managing school. The Victorian system of school-based management is called "Schools of the Future." This paper presents findings of a study that sought opinions of the school community toward various aspects of the Schools of the Future program and its outcomes. A…

In some countries there has been a general trend toward centralizing control in areas such as the development and measurement of school goals while also increasing responsibility at the school level for financial and staffing decisions and for structuring learning activities to achieve those goals. The British and New Zealand educational reforms…

When the new government of the Australian state of Victoria was elected in 1992, it began the most radical change to an education system in the history of the country, introducing the Schools of the Future initiative. The underlying rationale, which has its roots in 20 years of experience in Victoria, is that quality outcomes of schooling can only…

In recent years there have been substantial changes in the way in which education is structured, financed, and managed in Australia. The move towards more self-management in schools, is now operating in the Australian school systems. Similar changes have been occurring in other countries, spurred on, by the governments' desire to save money. In…

The new government of the state of Victoria (Australia) announced its "Schools of the Future" program in 1993. The emphasis on the role of the community in education and self-management by schools seemed promising for the quality of education in the state, but after 3 years of implementation, the reality does not match the rhetoric of…

In all states of Australia, the move toward decentralization of education seems to have gained momentum. This is particularly true in Victoria, where the government's "Schools of the Future" program declared the importance of local community control of schools. Recent research, however, indicates that after 3 years, the reality of this…

In recent years there has been a substantial change in the way education is structured, managed, and financed in Australia. The move toward more self-managing schools, with school councils, school charters, school global budgets, quality assurance, and other features has been especially apparent in the state of Victoria, where the Schools of the…

In recent years there has been a substantial change in the way education is structured, financed, and managed in Australia. The move toward more self-management is now a feature of all Australian systems. In the state of Victoria, current decentralization has been a way to generate improved student outcomes, of a way to reduce the amount of…

In Australia as in many other countries, the idea of decentralization of education is an idea being widely adopted. However, it is not clear whether this has resulted in improved student achievement. A review of international research on decentralization provides clear indications that it cannot be asserted that a decentralized system, in itself,…

The international trend toward the devolution of many decisions and responsibilities for managing schools to the schools themselves is a powerful influence changing the understanding of educational leadership. This trend is also apparent in Australia, where there has been substantial change in the way schools are structured, financed, and managed.…