In the spirit of educational reform efforts, this digest examines the concept of teacher-as-researcher, a concept rooted in action research. Action research is designed, conducted, and implemented by teachers themselves to improve teaching in the classroom. The research is often a collaborative activity promoting reflective teaching, critical…

Site-based management has become a popular school reform strategy. However, conflicts can arise when school districts with collective bargaining try to implement site-based management. Site-based management depends on collaboration and cooperation among educators, both of which conflict with collective bargaining's adversarial nature. There is…

During the 1980s, Massachusetts' public commitment to increase educational funding was not carried through. To determine state educational funding for the decade, the Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight compared Massachusetts with nine other comparable states in expenditures per pupil, expenditures per capita, and expenditures per $1,000…

This document presents findings of a study that examined the impact of teacher teaming on the implementation of a comprehensive program of curriculum and instruction. The program, Complex Instruction (CI), was implemented in four middle schools in the Riverdale School District (Arizona), each of which utilized some form of teaming instruction. CI…

This digest discusses issues in the selection of an appropriate focus for a focus school. Schools with a theme and schools targeted for particular students, which are both components of the focus-school genre, have long been a part of the nation's education system. A number of school districts, especially in urban areas, have established focus…

Living in a world-class society with information-age technology challenges American educators to improve their communication and collaboration skills. Recent discussions concerning the school counselor's role in education emphasized the need to achieve a clearer understanding of this role in educational reform, and a desire to improve counselor…

To answer the question of how to build the capacity of state and local educational systems to implement systemic reform, the National Governors' Association (NGA) convened two meetings of educators and policymakers and commissioned three supporting papers from knowledgeable educators. This volume contains an overview report of the conferences and…

The recent movement to restructure schools has raised fundamental questions: Can changes in school structure improve student performance? Under what conditions might some structures be more effective than others? This document presents findings from Lee and Smith's study that examined the role of school restructuring on student performance.…

School/site-based management requires shifting the initiative in public schools from legislators, school boards, superintendents, central administrative offices, and unions, to individual schools. The purpose of school/site-based management is to increase student achievement and success by making those closest to the delivery of educational…

Outcomes of a restructuring project implemented in a North Carolina high school in 1987 are described in this paper. The Lead Teacher Model restructured the decision-making processes for both resource allocation and school scheduling. At the Alpha County High School, eight elected lead teachers taught part-time and, in addition assisted the…

Five key issues can serve to summarize the complexity of the restructuring process and some of the challenges being faced: (1) developing a vision that unites projects; (2) identifying outcomes that will be assessed; (3) obtaining the active support of the community; (4) redefining the role of principals from power-wielders to facilitators; and…

Although educational reformers frequently use the words "system,""systemic change," and "systemic approach," many lack a fundamental understanding of the systems concept. This paper describes the application of systems theory to the problems of educational reform and educational assessment. It introduces basic concepts and principles and describes…

This testimony on charter schools is based on a report prepared at the request of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies by the General Accounting Office. Remarks focus on charter schools' instructional innovations, autonomy, accountability systems, and the challenges they pose for federal programs.…

The implications of decentralization reform on the amount of serious attention and effort that teachers give to teaching and learning activities are explored in this paper. The discussion is informed by the results of two case studies of school districts recognized as exemplary cases of decentralization. The first section describes limitations of…

This case study reports on a program that permits waivers of individual rules in order to encourage local innovation. Enacted in 1989, Washington State's Schools for the 21st Century program allows participating schools and districts to request waivers from state rules believed to impede restructuring efforts. The pilot project also supplies…