This paper presents the Chicago Urban League's (CUL) proposal for desegregating Chicago's public schools, developed in response to the demands of the State Board of Education and to local resistance against integration requirements. The CUL plan is based upon revisions of administrative sub-districts,and allows for a variety of racial compositions…

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…

Attention is focused on the possible loss of efficiency associated with efforts to increase size by closing schools and consolidating school districts. Empirical evidence from New York State is presented that shows that lower levels of efficiency exist in large compared to small school districts. Implications for policy are explored. (Author/CT)

Reviews recent court cases and federal policy decisions that may affect the degree to which newly consolidated school districts will be obliged to achieve racial balance. Explores some directions that the courts and the federal administration may take in the future regarding these issues. (PGD)

Seven schools each in five Florida school districts were examined after they had received a rating of F by the state's accountability plan. The ratings are based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test levels for reading, math, and writing as well as attendance-related data. Using criteria developed by the U.S. Department of Education's…

Oakland Unified School District may embody the failures of public education, which makes it worth examining for causes of failure and for potential reforms. This district has the second highest parental dissatisfaction in the nation, with two-thirds of graduates not able to meet minimum eligibility requirements of the state's colleges. It is also…

Few educational responsibilities have greater far-reaching importance to the people of a State than the establishment of a sound local district structure for administering the schools. Keeping that structure adapted to changing conditions in society by reorganization of small ineffective districts into larger administrative units more capable of…

By recognizing the expanding dimensions of education's responsibility and by designing appropriate patterns of finance and structure, the educational system can weather its crisis and achieve flexibility. (Author/SP)

Small school systems can have more program and budget flexibility by working collaboratively with neighboring school systems. This article describes the efforts of three school systems in the Detroit, Michigan, area to share services and resources. Common values, communication, mutual support, and trust proved more important than scheduling and…

Responding to Joe Nathan's praise of Minnesota's school choice programs in the same "Kappan" issue, this article cites teacher opinion poll deficiencies; mistaken correlations involving open enrollment, rural district cooperation, and enabling state legislation; and insufficient program implementation and evaluation data. The hidden…

Describes the substantive changes made by Superintendent John Stanford in the Seattle public school system over the last two years. (LMI)

The national trend toward consolidating schools has been driven by numerous factors, including fascination with economies of scale. Although small schools can claim advantages arising from a more intimate, caring atmosphere, large schools can boast specialized faculty teaching more sophisticated curricula. There is no optimal school size.…

A study of selected districts in 18 states concluded that economies of scale consistently and significantly influence how educational resources are allocated among schools. District size figures significantly in inequalities present within districts. Equalizing both school and district size is essential for achieving equitable distribution…

A systematic approach to school redistricting that was developed over the past half-dozen years utilizes a computer. Crucial to achieving successful results are accuracy of data, enrollment forecasting, and citizen participation. Outlines the major steps of a typical redistricting study. One figure illustrates the redistricting process. (MLF)

Summarizes the status of teacher pension plans in Canada's 10 provinces and considers their current role in renewing and downsizing educational systems in some provinces. Discusses pensions' use as economic instruments for provincial and national development and questions assumptions underlying the rhetoric celebrating their contribution to the…