This report expands on earlier research that found evidence of strong links between school restructuring and improved learning among students in the first 2 years of high school. This report, based on 1992 National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) data, analyzes data collected for most of the same students in their last 2 years of high school.…

This paper, the fourth in a series, looks at the critical role that teachers play in the success or failure of educational change. The most powerful impact on learning occurs when teachers change their practices and beliefs. The paper describes the experiences of two K-6 Pacific schools--Waialae (Honolulu) and Blanche Pope (Oahu) with systemic…

Conversations among educators, business leaders, legislators, and educational reformers have generated support for the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) to education. This paper considers whether TQM is indeed the solution to education's problems. After a brief explanation of TQM theory, the paper is organized around four broad issues…

Since the late 1980s, education reformers in the United States have emphasized "restructuring" of schools. This book synthesizes 5 years of research conducted by the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools (CORS). From 1990 to 1995, the center analyzed data from the following sources: (1) the School Restructuring Study (SRS), an…

This paper presents findings of a study that utilized Elliott Jaques' theories of organizational depth structure and time span of discretion in administrative work to examine administrators' responsibilities in two Ontario (Canada) school systems. The theory predicts that the time-span of discretion associated with the administrative tasks will…

Since the 1980s, shared decision making (SDM) has become a significant part of school-reform efforts. Advocates say that SDM will improve student learning, create teacher satisfaction, and develop new forms of leadership. This digest presents an overview of research that investigated whether SDM delivers on these promises. Studies indicate that so…

Shifting from traditional, hierarchical bureaucracies to participatory governance and decision making is a major theme in school restructuring. This paper focuses on the involvement of teachers in key aspects of school decision making. Specifically, the paper describes how changes in power relations supported teachers' focus on improving the…

Despite ethical directives, most consultants do not understand fully how issues such as race, ethnicity, class, and gender impact organizational functioning. This paper presents a model of organizational culture that includes race and multicultural concerns. The cultural synergy model is based on the assumption that organizations have multiple…

Despite the widespread attention given to education reform, no substantial knowledge base has existed for identifying and implementing specific effective reforms. This document, the first of three volumes, presents findings of a study that sought to identify the essential mechanics of effective reforms for students at risk. The study also…

This student activity book and teacher's guide address specific economic terms and concepts correlated to specific student learning objectives. The concepts presented are those essential to any student developing a basic understanding of economics. Each lesson follows a specific format with a basic core of information, comprehension questions,…

Teacher collaboration is characterized by joint work; shared responsibilities; and the existence of high levels of trust, respect, and mutuality. This paper presents findings of a study that identified some of the forms and contents of self-initiated collaboration among high school teachers. Data were gathered through interviews with 10 teachers…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined the techniques used by companies to perpetuate or change beliefs and values. GAO staff discussed organizational culture with five academics who have researched the subject and with officials of nine large companies that have diverse, global interests and that are concerned with inventory management.…

This is a study of the current role of scholars and scholarship and their impact outside the academic realm. Chapter 1 presents an ideal scholarly paradigm, followed by a review of the literature on issues of scholarship and creativity in Chapter 2. In Chapter 3 a topology is proposed and explained to classify different types of scholars. These…

"Vision" is one of the most frequently used buzzwords in the education literature of the 1990s. This digest presents an overview of visionary leadership, which many education experts consider to be a make-or-break task for the school leader. It discusses various definitions of vision, the significance of vision for organizations, the…

As a major place of employment for occupational therapists within a rural community, school systems present the therapist with a foreign and oftentimes bureaucratic organizational form. The therapist is trained in the medical model of occupational therapy, and the transition to an educationally based care model is difficult and fraught with…