An educational reform effort to implement a comprehensive school act in British Columbia (Canada) is analyzed with a focus on some sociotechnical and political aspects. An overview of the content, background, and implementation of the reform effort is followed by identification of seven contradictions inherent in the plan. Contradictions are as…

In the emerging world of restructured schools, site-based management, and shared decision making, the traditional roles of teachers and administrators have become blurred. A central feature of this emerging world has been the development of the lead teacher--a person who continues to teach while at the same time accepting greater responsibility…

Collaborative school cultures have been associated with achieving various school reform objectives for both teachers and students. One central dimension of school restructuring is the empowerment of teachers within a school culture that is both shared and technical. Little is known about how such cultures develop and whether or how school…

More than 20 states have adopted some form of regulation-relief legislation for their public schools. Two major issues confront the movement to deregulate the schools. The first is that there have been surprisingly few takers of regulation waivers; and second, whether, even if current deregulation efforts are successful, the end result is really…

This comprehensive statewide plan was developed to revitalize the Maryland educational system on the school, school system, and state levels by 1992. The plan incorporates the following elements: (1) a set of data-based areas that are considered most useful to inform and guide the school's instructional results for each student; (2) a computerized…

The author describes the process of randomized study for charter schools. Because most charter schools have more applicants than places, which are awarded by lottery, it is possible to follow a charter school's entire pool of applicants. The author contrasts the ability of using the entire applicant to pool of charter schools to a study that…

This report analyzes the results of a bold set of initiatives designed to stimulate and support public responsibility for public education in 14 locales around the country. Local education funds (LEFs) led these initiatives, which received support from the Annenberg Foundation through the LEFs' national organization, the Public Education Network…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) A State of the States Roundup: State Governors Address High School Reform and College Preparation; and (2) "Big…

This book concentrates on the connection between organizational behavior and the clamor for school reform, whether market-based, standards-based, or whole-school reform. It explains the great need for school leaders to develop a theory and practice that draws on what is known about organizational behavior in education. Educational leaders need a…

The final report of this federally supported 3-year direct research project describes products developed in the project's investigation of inclusive education of students with severe disabilities and models of collaboration in inclusive urban schools. Year 1 resulted in research on inclusive education in the context of school reform. During Year 2…

The nation's higher education community is watching, waiting with anticipation to see the outcome of Virginia's 2005 Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act (Restructuring Act), which amounts to a significant renegotiation of the relationship between the Commonwealth of Virginia and its renowned public colleges…

This research brief examines the potential of technology to further the goals of restructuring U.S. schools. Strategies are presented for restructuring schools with technology. Although restructuring means different things to different people, the restructuring movement has generally focused on reorganizing school processes, taking a…

This book provides the background to the movement of lifelong learning and is a practical guide to focusing the needs and motivations of the individual learner. The guide recognizes that progress is made through the development of individual personal potential and examines the new roles of education, government, and business organizations, and of…

An Effective Rural Schools delivery model for small rural high schools was developed by teachers, parents, community members, and principals in a southwestern Alaska district. The model aimed to replace the typical "bush" high school model with effective resource management and delivery strategies that would work in small high schools.…

This report explores the technical, political, and socio-cultural dimensions of the scaling up process of Success for All (SFA), one of the nation's most successful and extensively researched whole-school change models. SFA, a reform effort aimed at elementary schools serving disadvantaged children, is currently being implemented in over 475…