This paper describes the recurring behavior patterns exhibited by first-year schools in the Louisiana Accelerated Schools Network during the evaluation process conducted during the years 1992 and 1993. These patterns are viewed through the lens of one of the three guiding principles of the accelerated schools process--empowerment coupled with…

This document contains selected proceedings from an Education Finance Workshop. The workshop addressed various perspectives about the appropriateness and cost of some currently popular reform approaches. Two introductory papers are: (1) "Our Task: Building the Links," by Ron Henderson; and (2) "Is Public Education Necessary to a Democratic…

The goal of this report is to formulate a true alternative to the current form of governance for public education. Based on studies of governance in other large decentralized service organizations and of local educational reform efforts, the report concludes that there is a real alternative. The alternative allows the schools to be operated by a…

State legislative policies for educational restructuring are examined in this handbook, with a focus on restructuring from the perspective of state elected officials. Following an executive summary and introduction, the second and third parts explain the need for restructuring and features of the restructuring movement. Problems and obstacles are…

Cycles of educational reform initiatives and their effects on practice are reviewed in this paper, which focuses on the relationship between state and federal policy and local practices. The first part discusses the first generation of reform that began with the passage of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Such reforms were…

In light of the 10th anniversary of "A Nation at Risk," this report attempts to answer some of the questions about the southern states' educational accomplishments of the past decade. After the introduction, three sections address the following questions: (1) What is different today? (2) Why are we disappointed? and (3) What are we…

Testimony about the role of federal leadership in facilitating district-level reform efforts is presented in this report. Data were derived from a literature review and consultation with school reform experts. Further data were collected from visits to four districts--Johnson City, New York; Moss Point, Mississippi; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and…

Testimony on the role of federal leadership in facilitating district-level reform efforts is offered in this report, which focuses on four districts with many years of participation in systemwide educational reform. Five key components of systemwide reform are identified: standards for all students; curricula tied to those goals; high-quality…

In 1988, two metropolitan and four country schools (two of which were remote) in Australia received federal grants to implement technology education. This paper presents the outcomes of the six schools' attempts to implement curriculum innovations associated with technology education and interprets those outcomes in the context of a school-based…

This policy brief clarifies the definition of charter schools and explores their place in school restructuring and reform by describing existing charter schools in Minnesota and California, examining legislative and contract guidelines, and discussing the future possibilities of charter schools. Charter schools are sponsor-created and…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the role principals play as schools institute democratic governance structures. During 2.5 years, data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis at six schools engaged in a shared decision-making (SDM) project. Findings suggest that for principals to foster SDM in…

Schools are being increasingly encouraged to "restructure" to improve education in schools. However, restructuring has many different meanings for different people. This book addresses the origins, purposes, and methods of restructuring schools and clarifies the definition of restructuring. It also advocates comprehensive change in thinking about…

A charter school is an autonomous entity that operates on the basis of a charter or contract between the individual or group (teachers, parents, and others) that organizes the school and its sponsor (local school board, county, or state board). Once granted a charter, the school receives educational formula-driven funding as though it were a…

A study examined two traditional, comprehensive high schools, both of which had been involved with the school restructuring efforts advocated by the Coalition of Essential Schools. Shortly after their commitment to essential school changes, the schools became involved in a series of vocational education reforms referred to as Tech Prep. Case…

Comprehensive school improvement is based on reorganizing and revitalizing the entire school rather than focusing on specific student populations or programs. An overview of 17 schoolwide reform programs is provided in this book. The purpose of the text is to give education leaders basic information about some of the best-known externally…