This paper claims that broad educational policies and the"one best model" approach are not conducive to rural school improvement. It examines the problems with state policies and offers some solutions. Teacher certification has become increasingly narrow. Certification should allow for more generalist certifications, easier access to obtaining…

Findings of a study that examined Chicago teachers' opinions about school reform, the quality of their schools, and their perspectives on instruction and its improvement are presented in this paper. A survey mailed to 12,708 Chicago public elementary school teachers in late May and June of 1991 elicited an overall response rate of 70 percent.…

Plans for restructuring Tennessee public education have been interrupted by the prolonged national recession and a $276.4 million reduction in the 1991-92 state education budget. The state's 1991 Annual Joint Report identified 26 essential educational objectives. Although progress in some areas has been limited, Tennessee has achieved a 25 percent…

School finance is once again a hot topic across the country. Despite the current turmoil in education finance, reform remains a priority at both the state and federal levels. This report examines the school finance issue and proposes that education funding be tied more closely to systemic reform initiatives. It next describes past trends in school…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether library media specialists and teachers perceived that the restructuring approach in the Coalition of Essential Schools has changed the performance of 37 services of library media specialists. The perceptions of library media specialists and teachers provided data to determine whether library media…

This case study examines an effort to restructure secondary education in a small rural Massachusetts public high school. Data documenting the change process include archival records, participant observation, and interviews and questionnaires conducted with community members, school staff, and students in grades 7-12. The restructuring effort…

In 1991 a committee was created by Iowa's Legislative Council to study issues related to the reform of Iowa's education system and examine the status and future of education in Iowa. The committee also analyzed nationwide trends and, based on their findings, developed a comprehensive blueprint for school transformation in Iowa. This blueprint…

When created and operated appropriately, school-site councils can be a very useful component of school renewal. Councils are difficult to create, since members must shift roles, compromise strongly held beliefs, and invest considerable time, energy, and know-how. Advantages of group decision making are bringing diverse experience and expertise to…

Designs for Change is a multiracial research and advocacy group with a commitment to understanding why large urban school systems fail and what can be done about it. After 5 years of study, Designs for Change reached the conclusion that parent organizing and advocacy would not be sufficient to change the problems of Chicago (Illinois) schools…

This theme issue on talent development in students who are gifted or have special talents contains several feature articles, editorials, and a calendar of events. Articles have the following titles and authors: "Talent Development in Education" (John F. Feldhusen) proposes four domains for fostering talent in all youth:…

Higher education institutions and systems must change to respond to the demands of a more complex era. Increased demand for education, continuing decreases in available funds to support institutions, rising costs, and questions about the quality of higher education suggest that the current system is inadequate. Much of the shape of higher…

Schools must change to meet the demands of an increasingly diverse population of children, many of whom are at risk of leaving school unprepared for a productive adult life. Research-based evidence indicates that the process of change has been a neglected area in policy implementation. The key factor is "facilitative leadership,"…

Despite current interest with the concept of the "New American School" model discussed in "America 2000," school systems continue to approach educational reform and restructuring by tinkering with key organizational components in isolation. The total school organization requires assessment and profiling to determine which key components are drags…

The Accelerated Schools model attempts to restructure schools with high at-risk student populations and mainstream these students by the end of elementary school. A 6-year process of collaborative unity is used to identify challenge areas and move the school toward individualized solutions. The Accelerated Schools Satellite Center Project emerged…

Outcomes of the Orchard Plan, an experiment designed to reorganize funding to support new models of instructional delivery, are described in this report. Basic elements of the program include an extended school calendar; a reorganization of categorical funding into intersession enrichment courses for at-risk students; a reduction in class size…