In recent years the disquieting evidences regarding the poor performance of public education in the United States have led Americans to believe that their nation was at risk. This apprehension has been translated into numerous recommendations for educational reforms. A brief overview of the American public school system uses qualitative examples…

Although school restructuring and school reform are widely talked about topics in educational administration, a difficulty exists in coming to an agreement about definitions of terms. This paper presents findings from a study that surveyed school district superintendents and school board members from 362 school districts in a seven-state area…

In every state of the United States, efforts are under way to improve the way education is provided; however, no single reform strategy dominates. This document summarizes major statewide reforms under way in each of the 50 states. The impetus for reform, the driving agencies or institutions behind reform, as well as the intended results, vary…

A major alternative in school choice is the concept of charter schools: public schools delivering public education and using public dollars, but organized by individuals or groups, not school boards, and operating legally as private, nonprofit organizations or cooperatives. This paper explores the charter school as another option in the search for…

Schools have been intractable to change and the attainment of goals set by reformers. A major failure has been the inability of reformers to confront this intractability. As a result, each new wave of reform learns nothing from earlier efforts and comes up with recommendations that have failed in the past. Nine chapters explore why reform efforts…

Integral to school restructuring is the need to create time for school staff to participate in developing a vision, setting goals, formulating plans, training, and exchanging experiences. The use of time is both the object of and the chief impediment to change. The study surveyed educational literature, and business management journals,…

The Governor's Institutes of Vermont are summer programs for Vermont high school students. The students are chosen for their strong personal motivation and interest in art, science and technology, and international affairs. Coordinated with the Institutes, the Lead Learner program is designed to enhance teacher and school efforts in restructuring.…

Traditional approaches to education use the level of inputs as a measure of effectiveness. Outcomes-based education (OBE) is based on the concept that educational success should be measured by what students learn, rather than by what they are taught. As a systems-level restructuring tool, OBE calls for success for all students, not just academic…

This three-part sourcebook identifies school restructuring initiatives with a national scope and presents comprehensive information about them. Part 1 identifies and describes national restructuring programs (e.g., Coalition of Essential Schools, Learning Tomorrow, Success for All). Each program description provides an overview of the program as…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined educators' perceptions of restructuring in nine Oregon Network schools. These schools participated in a federal grant designed to help schools focus on the "central variables" of restructuring--learner outcomes, curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment. Variables that…

This booklet presents steps Arizona has taken to reform education in order to improve student achievement. This guide is divided into four parts: (1) overview; (2) moving toward a student-centered system; (3) student achievement; and (4) school finance. The importance of having a well-educated work force is emphasized, as is the importance of…

A set of belief statements outlined by Texas educators that express fundamental assumptions about individual responsibilities, school obligations, and educational system goals are described in this educational policy bulletin. The following five criteria are used to test each belief statement: relevance; importance; common meaning; context; and…

Recommendations for implementing school-based management and shared decision making are presented in this educational policy bulletin. Based on a literature review and reported experiences of educational practitioners, four recommendations include: transformation of authority at district and school site levels; development of a systemwide…

Findings from a study of school restructuring models and their impact on the teaching/learning process are presented in this report. Following an overview of different restructuring approaches, a theoretical model for restructuring is described. Next, the restructuring practices implemented by the Stearns Elementary School in Pittsfield,…

As the decade of the 1990s began, there was uncertainty concerning the educational reforms attempted in the 1980s. This paper focuses on how deregulated schools in South Carolina reacted to the opportunity to create new programs to meet the needs of the community and students. Research indicates there is an improvement in the teachers' working…