The real-life drama 25 years ago when Apollo 13 was rescued through a collaborative team of colleagues provides a model for changes in many public schools. In Texas, the state code specifies that site-based decision making address planning, budgeting, curriculum staffing patterns, staff development, and school organization. (MLF)

The main strength of this book is that it is grounded in an array of research on school reform efforts that it combines with practical suggestions about what works and what does not. It constitutes a useful addition to the educational literature on school reform efforts; unfortunately, it lacks adequate discussions of the complex causes of…

Investigates the extent to which external pressures on community colleges have affected the traditional mission of educational access. Findings show that the community colleges in Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Oregon, and Washington resisted restructuring and retrenchment to preserve student access. Contains 1 data table and 42…

To realize NASSP's reform goals in "Breaking Ranks," educators must first personalize high schools. This means every student should have a personal adult advocate and a personal progress plan; teachers must teach to students' learning styles; and no school should be larger than 600 students. A 1996 national student survey underlines the…

Investigates social communications skills of 709 principals working in restructured schools, using the Social Skills Inventory. Results suggest generally marginal social skills among these principals. Positive associations were found between social competence and female gender, higher education levels, larger school size, urban school locus,…

For six years, the Project on High Performance Learning Communities, in partnership with the Illinois Middle Grades Network, has been studying a network of 97 schools as they undergo restructuring based on the Carnegie Council's "Turning Points" visions. Preliminary findings show that high-quality, well-implemented reforms can contribute…

The evolution of a school-linked service integration model that is geared to school restructuring processes is described, and systemic restructuring components are discussed. Information on the inclusion of all students with disabilities in the model is provided. A case study is presented of a first grader with emotional disturbances, who, after…

Discusses how collaboration between the special education department of the University of South Florida and local schools addressed problems with the schools' inclusionary practices. Describes a collaborative model of inclusion and a systemic school restructuring project that emerged as a result of the university-school collaborations. (CR)

Presents reviews and abstracts of 11 articles that examine the following topics: math education, school accountability, instructional improvement, linkage problems between secondary and postsecondary education, the connection between learning-related social skills and academic outcomes, class size, school restructuring, support services for…

Provides a brief overview of historical trends in classroom instructional practices and explains the emergence of constructivist theory. Describes two instructional practices at the secondary level: curriculum integration and teaming. Reports findings of a case study examining one high school faculty's teaching practices while engaged in…

The article describes how Susan Derse, principal of a Seattle high school, works with her school to facilitate and encourage change, focusing on her approach to staff development. Ms. Derse uses a collaborative, participatory style of leadership that allows plenty of time for teachers to meet and work together. (SM)

Focuses on a model of school-based management (SBM) and on generalities that can be drawn from recent research on SBM in several southern states. A case study of SBM in Kentucky, where the Kentucky Education Reform Act mandated SBM, illustrates issues in its implementation. (SLD)

In most schools, restructuring involves a fundamental, comprehensive reformulation of school operations accompanied by intense scrutiny of everyday activities. This article traces a high school social studies teacher's growing bitterness and feelings of powerlessness as mandated restructuring efforts progressed at his school. A transition plan is…

Current school restructuring challenges passivity and rigidity and provides new openings in experience, which creates good contexts for art education and aesthetic education. The paper discusses how such education opens people to visions of the possible rather than the predictable, thus creating a community of distinctive individuals. (SM)

Reports on a study that assessed the impact of school restructuring on academic achievement and student engagement among 11,794 10th-graders. Finds that students' gains in achievement and engagement were significantly higher in schools with restructuring practices and were associated with smaller high schools. (CFR)