Five key issues can serve to summarize the complexity of the restructuring process and some of the challenges being faced: (1) developing a vision that unites projects; (2) identifying outcomes that will be assessed; (3) obtaining the active support of the community; (4) redefining the role of principals from power-wielders to facilitators; and…

Although educational reformers frequently use the words "system,""systemic change," and "systemic approach," many lack a fundamental understanding of the systems concept. This paper describes the application of systems theory to the problems of educational reform and educational assessment. It introduces basic concepts and principles and describes…

This testimony on charter schools is based on a report prepared at the request of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies by the General Accounting Office. Remarks focus on charter schools' instructional innovations, autonomy, accountability systems, and the challenges they pose for federal programs.…

The implications of decentralization reform on the amount of serious attention and effort that teachers give to teaching and learning activities are explored in this paper. The discussion is informed by the results of two case studies of school districts recognized as exemplary cases of decentralization. The first section describes limitations of…

This case study reports on a program that permits waivers of individual rules in order to encourage local innovation. Enacted in 1989, Washington State's Schools for the 21st Century program allows participating schools and districts to request waivers from state rules believed to impede restructuring efforts. The pilot project also supplies…

This case study of a restructured high school in Baltimore, Maryland, demonstrates an approach to the education of gifted and talented students utilizing principles of the Coalition for Essential Schools, an education reform movement headed by Ted Sizer. The case study first examines Coalition principles, which call for a commitment to…

Findings of a 1992 survey that examined Oregon educators' perceptions of the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century, a law designed to bring about fundamental change and radical restructuring in public education, are presented in this journal article. Data were derived from questionnaires that were mailed to 2,140 teachers and 120…

This report examines a 30-year history of educational change to identify differing perspectives, strategies, and useful principles. The three most influential perspectives in educational change are the rational-scientific perspective, which proposes that change is created through the dissemination of innovative techniques; the political…

This paper describes "Building Local Leadership for Middle-Grades Schools Improvement," a school-improvement effort implemented in six schools (three urban and three nonurban) within two neighboring districts in the south central United States. Methodology involved a survey of faculty members' perceptions conducted in 1988 and 1989, interviews…

This guidebook is designed to serve as a resource and road map for restructuring schools, focusing on the development of a systematic process to implement and manage change. Chapter 1 defines restructuring as the reform of school-organizational relationships and processes to increase student learning and performance, with a focus on the following…

This bulletin presents findings of a study that examined the meaning of school restructuring to those who are involved in it. Data were derived from a survey of 238 practitioners actively involved in restructuring projects--131 principals, 95 teachers, and 12 others--from 12 elementary, middle, and high schools in 30 states. Findings suggest that…

A framework for designing academic standards and for refining these standards through a curriculum- design process is provided in this book. The book is intended as a step- by-step guide than can be picked up and followed by any interested educator. Chapter 1 begins with a brief discussion concerning the need for standards and examines several…

The human side of school reform and the difficulties of implementing innovation are examined in this book. The book suggests that one of the main reason efforts to reform schools stall is that educators resist change because they feel burdened or conflicted by the process. The book, therefore, focuses on realistic expectations concerning the pace…

This handbook explains site-based management (SBM) in schools to help those who wish to decentralize their operation so that the campus-level staff have flexibility in making decisions that affect the students at their location. The text is divided into four major sections, each devoted to a particular area of concern under the SBM concept.…

Few of the empirical studies on school restructuring adequately describe the role of site teams in school reform. This paper addresses this gap, an analysis of what site teams do, how they are configured, and how they operate. This paper presents empirical measures of variables relating to the decision-making and communication practices engaged in…