The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of Ramp Up to Advanced Literacy, an unbundled Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) model, on the reading achievement of ninth grade students in a large urban school district in Kentucky. Using a pre- and posttest impact evaluation design, data from participating and non-participating…

"Social Network Theory and Educational Change" offers a provocative and fascinating exploration of how social networks in schools can impede or facilitate the work of education reform. Drawing on the work of leading scholars, the book comprises a series of studies examining networks among teachers and school leaders, contrasting formal…

It is possible that human capital produces positive externalities to the society indirectly, through non-market channels such as health or crime. Another such channel could be the effect of education on the functioning of democratic decision-making. Measures of the functioning of democracy are bound to be controversial, but one such measure--voter…

Since 1988, considerable state and school/district energies have been devoted to implementing Re:Learning in Pennsylvania. This paper summarizes Re:Learning activities in the school district of Lancaster, in particular, McCaskey High School, which was recognized for the scope and quality of its implementation efforts. Re:Learning is a national…

D. B. Bailey and S. A. Palsha (1992) proposed two modified versions of the Stages of Concern Questionnaire for measuring teacher concerns during a reform effort. Their analysis suggested the use of a 5-factor model with 35 items or 15 items rather than the original 7-stage, 35-item Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM). The present study was…

The problems facing public education in the United States today are many. School-based management is one type of reform that takes into consideration the diversity of student populations and builds shared goals among the students, staff, school, and community. This paper summarizes research findings on the components of effective school…

Over the past 10 years, New York has more than doubled its spending on elementary and secondary education, in a fervent attempt to produce greater student achievement and prepare our young people for the fast changing world in which they will have to earn a living. Better results have not been produced as the education system has focused on more…

The California agenda for middle-grade reform is based on 10 regional networks, each composed of 1 foundation school and approximately 10 partnership schools. An interim evaluation of the reform effort, which occurred from 1988-90, is presented in this executive summary of two annual reports, "Technical Report 1" and "Technical…

This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of the first-year implementation of the school restructuring pilot project in Baltimore City Public Schools. Implemented in 10 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools, the project sought to implement school-based management to enhance student achievement. Data were collected from a survey of…

In Senate Joint Resolution No. 117, Virginia's General Assembly endorsed the process for restructuring education in the middle school grades and requested that the Board of Education determine the appropriateness of designating the middle school as a separate level in the educational structure. The study summarized in this report first considered…

Economic and demographic changes in the United States signal a new mission for education--one in which the schools are responsible for ensuring that all students learn. This paper argues that this changed mission requires a new paradigm for school reform policy, one that shifts from designing controls intended to direct the system to developing…

This paper argues that the realities of school restructuring in Canada are experienced and perceived differently among different teachers, by the same teachers at different times, and between teachers on the one hand and students on the other. Realities of restructuring are often divergent and dissonant in nature. No one group has an inherently…

This document is a collection of five reports on school restructuring in Iowa from 1989 to 1993. The first report summarizes the restructuring activities in Iowa school districts during 1989, addresses problems that developed during the year, and chronicles future restructuring events. It also gives a historical perspective on school restructuring…

The vision of school restructuring seems to be taking shape. New themes and patterns in curriculum, instruction, and assessment have begun to emerge in American schools. A new focus on social issues and practical application opens the doors to more community and parent involvement. Teaching strategies are becoming more congruent with the needs,…

Change is easier to demand than to endure. The deeper we go into reform, the rougher it gets and the higher the degree of public impatience and frustration. The higher the frustration, the greater the temptation for policy makers to try the quick fix. Inadequate funding is another reality faced by "ideal" reform plans. At least 30 states…