In England the balance of responsibilities between national and local government for the governance of education is changing. Relationships between schools are shifting and new structures, groups and alliances are being created in response to national policy. The article is part of a project to understand how the new local education landscapes are…

School effectiveness, rather than distribution of power, is the key school reform issue. The structure of shared decision making should be driven by what administrators and teachers believe is important for kids. In a recently restructured San Diego community school, the principal's primary function as chief executive officer is "keeper of…

Describes planning backwards, the Coalition of Essential Schools' educational policymaking strategy for high schools. The article discusses five possible dilemmas in planning backwards: outcomes or exhibitions, local or remote authority, rigid or flexible standards, apartness or authenticity in assessment, and curriculum scaffolds built of courses…