The authors argue that from the perspective of distributive justice, school district fragmentation--meaning both the existing reality of hyper-proliferated school districts and the practice of further breaking larger districts into smaller ones--produces three distinct injustices. First, it undermines racial solidarity and the bonds of community.…

Since the days when the country was dotted with one-room schoolhouses, many changes have taken place in school governance and management. In 1940, there were over 117,000 public school districts in the United States. In 2000, there were fewer than 15,000, even though the student population of the country had doubled in that time. While school…

This phenomenological study of school consolidation is an investigation of how education policy that dictates the reorganization of schools and districts impacts educational choices, learning environments, and school culture. Although quality studies of optimal school size for promoting student achievement and cutting costs have emerged in the…

Middle schools in St. Louis (Missouri) were implemented in 1980. Evaluation measures indicate better student attendance and higher scores on achievement tests, fewer discipline referrals, and fewer student suspensions. (MLF)

The problems of a Kentucky county school consolidation as related to its educational program were examined in this case study. Questions about the changes in the instructional program included--(1) what were differences in purposes of the schools, (2) what are the differences in the organization structure, (3) what are the changes in facilities…

Considers the moral/philosophical issue of integrating Catholic schools, the impact of such a decision on parish life, the administrative, technical, and educational concerns. Also presents four ways to integrate the schools with an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each model. (RK)

Declining enrollments in the seven elementary schools in the district caused a decrease in the number of classrooms per building and an unequal distribution of pupils with class sizes ranging from 13 to 32 students per classroom. Smaller classes and fewer teachers restricted the grouping of pupils for multilevel reading and mathematics…

Between 1938-1980, the local administrative units of American education were transformed from small, informal community arrangements into large professionally run bureaucracies. This paper explores this structural change by analyzing variation among states in the speed and extent of school district consolidation. Consolidation stemmed largely from…

For over 10 years, the accelerated schools movement has worked to implement a cohesive philosophy and process for change in over 1,000 schools in 41 states. This paper describes the characteristics of accelerated schools and details the influences that districts have on them. It demonstrates how districts influence the success or failure of…

Professional educators may be behind the times in their thinking about school size. Many educational leaders mistakenly believe that large schools provide better learning environments at less cost than smaller schools. Actually, there are few conclusive before-and-after consolidation studies, consolidation does not seem to save money, and small…

Administrators are looking at decentralization as a solution to issues troubling schools, teachers, and students. The notion of decentralization is accompanied by two assumptions. First, decentralization will produce an improvement in education because classroom decision making will be more responsive to the specific needs of a school. Second, in…

Despite their autonomy in school governance, school districts are creatures of state legislatures, and changes in school district organization are necessary to keep pace with changing needs. Accordingly, the types of Wisconsin school districts are described, and state statutes governing each type of district are provided. The first type--common…

TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, IS AN AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL GOAL, BUT THE EXISTING PATTERN OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES WITHIN MOST STATES IS INADEQUATE FOR MEETING THIS GOAL. WHILE NO UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTABLE SET OF STANDARDS IS AVAILABLE FOR REORGANIZING…

In Hammond, IN, the hierarchical structure of authority typical of most school districts is on its way out. With school based committees making more decisions, teachers are having a say in all matters that affect them and their students. Includes an interview with teacher and union leader, Patrick O'Rourke (Author/LHW)