This report describes two studies on the extent of the implementation of the Kentucky Education Technology System (KETS), part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA). Study 1 was an external evaluation using 8 university field observers (names are given); study 2 was a self-assessment study using 47 anonymous district technology…

The Boston (Massachusetts) Public Schools present a comprehensive plan designed to bring all students to an acceptable level of mastery to meet state requirements or their own new higher standards. For the first time in decades, all the elements of school reform are in place, with public and administrative support. The primary goal of the Boston…

Since 1993, school reform leaders from Chicago (Illinois), Denver (Colorado), New York (New York), Seattle (Washington), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) have come together in the Cross City Campaign to work for the improvement of urban education. In each of these cities rhetorical pleas for decentralization and the investment of decision making in…

This paper reports on research conducted in Scotland as part of a 2-year European Union project, Management for Organisational and Human Development (MOHD), through which seven research centers in five countries examined strategies for whole organizational development. Work within the Scottish network of MOHD focused on the understanding of…

This paper provides a basic description of the methods used to make available non-instructional time and presents profiles of seven schools in the Network for Educational Renewal (NER). Each profile describes the school's unique background, approach to providing non-instructional time for teachers, and lessons learned. Some strategies identified…

Although the federal Goals 2000 program provides supplemental funding for systemic education reform, states' fiscal abilities to finance systemic reform are stressed. This paper presents findings of a study that analyzed the extent of fiscal equity present in the southern states and examined the status of systemic reform, school-finance…

This monograph describes how team- and process-oriented change techniques such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Business Process Reengineering (BPR), were adapted to an academic environment to effect a comprehensive change program at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). The $3 million program, begun in 1993, produced radical…

Restructuring of small school districts calls for power changes, including relationships: (1) between the community and the school; (2) among teachers, administrators, and students in the school; and (3) between teachers and students in the classroom. A trip to 25 small town school districts in 21 states revealed few instances of democracy, and…

The Teachers Network created The Teachers Voice Initiative to bring teachers together and empower them to create their vision of the future of education. This book presents the perspectives of participating teachers, who report on their experiences as agents of change and designers of curriculum. Papers include: "Teacher Leadership for Creating…

Social, cultural, political, and organizational characteristics of urban schools that make them difficult settings for teachers are discussed. It is suggested that, while an emphasis on professional community would be beneficial for all students, it is particularly pressing for urban schools where other resources for school reform are limited.…

This book provides insights into how one state department of education perceived its role in the interpretation and implementation of educational reform legislation. It is based on the experiences of a former state department of education employee and her coworker, who were hired to administer three new programs to increase teacher retention--a…

This videotape and viewing guide present an emerging learner-centered paradigm of teaching and learning and contrast this new paradigm with traditional concepts. An associated guide describes the elementary school in the videotape, noting the full inclusion of 50 students identified as disabled, the team approach in which teachers are renamed…

Based on a 1994 symposium and intended to be used with a video, this monograph attempts to bring together the perspectives of gifted education and school reform. Individual chapters address the following topics: (1) changes in gifted education, changes in general education, the need to find a balance, a history of tensions, and remaining tensions;…

This resource book was compiled for the United States Department of Education's Goals 2000 Orientation Conference. Sections present information about the numerous components of successful comprehensive reforms based on high standards, such as the National Education Goals, systemic education reform, standards, student assessment, professional…

Educational reform efforts toward school restructuring are examined for their impact on the education of gifted and talented students. Considered first are implications of societal changes including changing demographics (e.g., increasing student diversity), changes in family structure and in interactions between school and family, and changes in…