Almost a third of all schools in Australia responded to an invitation to express views about how Australia's schools might be made more effective. This report presents the views that schools should have a full-blown view of what Australia wants for its children and youth, and they should be concerned with personal and social as well as…

A study examined teacher stereotypes as a factor in teacher resistance to change in schools. Based on a poststructuralist perspective, the study views teachers as both objects and subjects of reform and argues that research informs practice in ways that often result in socially constructed stereotypes. Methodology included a literature review, 129…

Focusing on teacher teams and their use as a lever for change, the author examines the importance of teachers becoming knowledgeable, skilled, and increasingly articulate about their leadership and participation so that they may take their rightful place in the school reform movement. Ten chapters focus on teams sponsored by the Rockefeller…

Restructured schools should be centers of inquiry and reflection, not of unexamined tradition; curriculum and instruction courses in teacher education programs should facilitate critical inquiry and reflection. A graduate level curriculum models course at the Wichita (Kansas) State University was restructured around the basic tenet of critical…

In response to a legislative request, this seminar convened to make a comprehensive study of ways to improve the governance effectiveness of the state's county boards of education and county school board members. Participants were county school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers, service personnel, parents, community leaders, and…

Collaboration between schools and institutions of higher education (IHE) is usually effective only when values are shared and mutual dependencies are recognized. These conditions are uncommon. The foundation upon which such collaboration could be developed requires several building blocks: (1) developing shared goals regarding teacher learning;…

Effective strategies for developing early childhood centers in public schools are discussed in this paper, which draws from a research-based literature search and intensive case studies of six Northwest sites. The sites represent a range of rural, suburban, and urban programs; large and small schools; and a variety of program features. The sites…

Although the United States has the largest economy in the world, it has vulnerabilities. The growth rate of productivity has slowed. The U.S. net national savings rate is at an all-time low. The nation's educational system is performing well below the best international levels. A disenchanted electorate views federal institutions with increasing…

The role of the local school board in delivering quality education is examined in this booklet, which provides a set of expectations and principles for drastic change in the role and operation of school boards. Now that fundamental, systemic change is being called for, the performance of school boards is under greater scrutiny. Following the…

This paper reports preliminary findings from a research project in progress which is based on a comparative case study of four elementary schools involved in site-based decision making legitimized by labor/management agreements. The study examines several issues: (1) how teachers exercise power in response to opportunities for affecting…

Although American students have always been somewhat diverse, newly identified groups with special needs appear on community horizons every year. Education is one arena from which response to diversity is necessary. Ethnic, socioeconomic, disability, and gender status differ from one region to another making communities the ideal nexus for change.…

Because information is quickly becoming the key resource in many industries globally, it seems natural to utilize and incorporate it as the primary resource in education, an institution that affects our entire society. A definition of an information-based organization (IBO) is proposed, steps to making an organization an IBO are identified, and a…

This study finds that the New York City version of school-based decision making, School-Based Management/Shared Decision Making (SBM/SDM), fails to bring school-based management or shared decision making to the schools. This report begins by describing the seriously dysfunctional structure of the New York City public schools and explains the…

The goal of this practicum was to have building-based special education personnel support classroom teachers so that mildly disabled elementary students in an inner city school could be included in the classroom successfully. Through inservice education sessions, the staff were provided with current information on facilitating the inclusion of…

This report examines the issue of educational choice in detail, beginning with a historical review and concluding with a look at the future of choice in the United States. Focusing on both opposing and supporting sides of the debate, this report examines equity issues, including access to information, adequate and appropriate transportation, fair…