American educational policy was rapidly transformed between 1980 and 2001. Accountability was introduced into a sphere that had long been loosely coupled, both major political parties reevaluated longstanding positions, and significant institutional control over the schooling shifted to the federal government for the first time in the nation's…

For decades, policymakers and researchers have struggled to understand the reasons that schools in disadvantaged contexts have relatively more trouble responding successfully to reform demands. This analysis extends theory regarding the challenges of school change in disadvantaged contexts by illustrating how the internal resources that schools…

The present research examines the developmental outcomes of elementary-aged students engaged in student voice efforts. Using a case study of fifth-grade girls, the authors compare their experiences to research examining secondary school. The authors find marked similarities in the growth of agency, belonging, competence--the ABCs of youth…

In 2000, Cook, Murphy, and Hunt published a multilevel study of Chicago inner-city schools in order to evaluate James Comer's School Development Program (SDP). One main finding was that SDP reduced the rate of change and final posttest mean when delinquency was assessed annually between Grades 5 and 8 using a self-report measure of acting out. The…

Studied the effects on engagement of school reform initiatives that are consistent with educational theories. Also studied patterns in student engagement in a sample of 3,669 students from restructuring elementary, middle, and high schools. Hierarchical linear analysis suggests that reform initiatives substantially influence engagement in a…

This study examines patterns of literacy instruction in schools adopting three of America's most widely disseminated comprehensive school reform (CSR) programs (the Accelerated Schools Project, America's Choice, and Success for All). Contrary to the view that educational innovations seldom affect teaching practices, the study found large…

Proponents of school restructuring often promote the purported benefits of professional forms of management that call for staff cooperation and collegiality, teachers' participation in school decision making, and supportive leadership by school principals. A theoretical perspective on organizations known as contingency theory refers to such…

An in-depth analysis is presented of four secondary social studies departments that have made structural changes in school organization while promoting higher order thinking. In these departments, certain organizational structures, combined with clear curricular emphases, appear to be associated with higher levels of classroom thoughtfulness. (SLD)

The origin of the idea of systemic educational reform is traced, placing the concept within the context of educational developments in the 1980s and 1990s. How systemic reform is being interpreted and applied by analysts and policymakers today is explored. Systemic reform should be a useful step toward genuine improvement. (SLD)

This article develops a conceptual framework for studying how three comprehensive school reform (CSR) programs organized schools for instructional change and how the distinctive strategies they pursued affected implementation outcomes. The conceptual model views the Accelerated Schools Project as using a system of cultural control to produce…

The type of professional community found within a school and its consequences for teachers' sense of responsibility for student learning were studied at 24 elementary, middle, and secondary schools through questionnaires completed by 910 teachers and interviews with 144. Results suggest wide variation in professional community among schools. (SLD)

How changes in teacher pay can contribute to systemic educational reform and school restructuring is discussed, focusing on knowledge- and skill-based pay, job enlargement, and collective incentives. These alternatives have the potential to improve teacher motivation and support other reforms. (SLD)

This examination of the New American Schools Development Corporation initiative in Bensenville (Illinois) details the controversy over the reform effort and argues that factors such as school governance, local control, and school finance played major roles in determining program outcomes. The importance of political influences in reform efforts is…

Two normative interpretations, professionalism and democracy, are advanced for research that argues for such school reform as decentralized management, a team approach to school operation, and more autonomy for teachers. It is argued that a democratic conception is distinguishable from, and preferable to, a conception of teachers as professionals.…

A study of restructuring in three urban elementary schools with ethnically diverse populations found that the schools did change, with new student grouping patterns, new ways of allocating time, increased teacher collaboration, and new ideas for professional development. Changing teacher practice was primarily a matter of learning rather than…