Examined the priorities in early childhood education program development from the perspectives of school staff and families. The results revealed important differences between the staff and family perspectives and indicated a need for greater staff training in the processes of delivering relationship-based, consumer-driven family services, and in…

One fiscally poor elementary school created a place for quality work by staff and maintained the standards for many years through various ongoing teacher development activities. An essential factor in developing the school culture was believing that teachers must be honored, supported, and trusted before they could honor the students. (SM)

Discusses the importance of teacher development in achieving fundamental school change, and argues that such change occurs best when teachers collaborate to raise student achievement levels. The article provides an account of the frustrations and successes of teachers in a Rhode Island reform effort. (GR)

The trend in special education toward integrating students with disabilities into general education schools and classrooms and the trend in general education toward systematic reorganization of school governance structures, policy, and resource utilization present an opportunity for amalgamation of these viewpoints through broad-based, school…

Discusses the process of educational change at a small rural elementary school in Gosport, Indiana. A design team made up of school staff and community representatives is explained, and design team activities and presentations are described. The importance of effective communication is emphasized, and suggestions for community involvement are…

A school superintendent describes the restructuring in his Springfield (Massachusetts) school district. The effort to desegregate from the perspectives of race, color, ethnic background, and gender has involved organizational, pedagogical, social, attitudinal, and political transformation. Emphasis is given to the district's choice system. (SLD)

The new postindustrialism is marked by three momentous developments: the electronic computer revolution; the emergence of a competitive global market; and the prospect of serious environmental damage. This article summarizes major themes of the author's book "Education and Work for the Year 2000," stressing the need to resolve the…

Two national reports, "Facing the Challenge" and "Governing Public Schools," recommend sweeping changes in the ways school boards are organized and operate. In practice, the state of Kentucky and the city of Chicago, Illinois, have embarked on radical experiments in school governance. Other areas, especially urban school…

Ability grouping persists because few practical, financially feasible, and politically palatable alternatives have been explored. Built to accommodate a team of 6 teachers and 135 to 150 students, 1 Virginia middle school's parallel block scheduling plan exchanges tracking for a practical method of working with heterogeneous groups of students.…

A union lawyer contends that, for school-based management to be implemented, teachers must want greater control over school operation, and management must be willing to share its power. A management representative states that the biggest obstacle to school-based management has been a reluctance of some unions to agree to deviate from a master…

Discusses educational reform at three New England elementary schools. It examines one school's exploration of new organization and leadership ideas, another school's efforts to improve the educational quality of ethnic and minority students, and another's increase in parental involvement by means of a family center. (GLR)

Discusses the constitutional issues involved in government funding of religious schools. Argues against school choice and suggests that religious schools do not offer a real choice. Warns against state involvement in religious schools as a threat to freedom of religion, separation of church and state, and the independence of private schools. (DK)

In the coming century school psychologists must concentrate on proactive strategies for developing a prosocial orientation in children. A "perestroika" (restructuring of priorities) must enable school psychologists to promote an orientation focusing on prosocial behavior and related cognitive and affective aspects. (SLD)

Describes how massive school restructuring in Kentucky is affecting school facility planning and construction. (MLF)

Reports current ideas from the general organizational productivity literature to provide a broader context for restructuring schools. The article discusses work culture patterns (involving schoolwide planning, professional development, program development, and school assessment) and describes how to manage productive schools, presenting…