Chaos theory provides a useful mental model for guiding change as leaders garner the energy from unpredictable events for realizing transformation goals. The paper considers chaos theory as a framework for managing school change toward Total Quality Management work cultures. Change is possible to manage when plans are made and then followed by a…

The 27 school reform models presented in this publication have been supported, at some time in their development and dissemination, by the National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department Education. As part of its mission, the Institute supports the development of…

Educational restructuring concerns a deregulated, decentralized system replacing central planning, control, and supervision. Such restructuring in relation to curriculum, teaching, and learning and the impact of restructuring on key stakeholders at the school-site level is the focus of this book. It uses a selection of international policy-based…

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) adopted the middle school concept in 1987-88. Generally, the middle school setting serves students between the ages of 11 and 14 and includes grades 6 through 8. In 1995-96, five middle schools met the criteria for funding under Title I. To make middle schools more responsive to the special needs of…

This evaluation of the Detroit (Michigan) public schools was designed to restructure the ninth grade in ways that improve academic performance, develop positive attitudes toward learning, improve the school environment, reduce the dropout rate, and increase the graduation rate of students. Features of the program were instructional and direct…

The three papers in this collection provide testimonial descriptions of the power of successfully implemented innovative procedures to advance the academic achievement of students whose life circumstances place them at risk of academic failure. In the first article, "20/20 Analysis: A Citywide Computer-Based Application," David J.…

Bronx Community College created a three-year College Discovery (CD) master plan for 1998-2001 to help restructure its counseling programs and support services and enable CD students to acquire an associate's degree level of education. The first area of restructuring is in the role of the director of College Discovery and Counseling. General…

This report reviews projected enrollment growth of the three segments of higher education in California: the University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges (CCC). The report concludes that in order to serve the enrollment growth of the next decade, the three segments should move to…

This paper discusses three topics related to the issue of the changing environment for community colleges. It first explores the market forces impacting community colleges and how these forces affect organizational design. Second, the tensions that reside within community colleges and act as impediments to change are addressed. The internal…

Over the past decade, preschool initiatives, reading reform, and class size reduction efforts have helped focus attention on improving education at the elementary school level. Policy attention has also been paid to middle schools as educators have tried to figure out how best to reach students who are no longer children, but not yet adults.…

Discusses organizational development and its importance to the competitive community college. Suggests new tactics to renew colleges by changing competencies, redesigning structures and systems, and developing new alliances. Closes with a basic design that emphasizes narrowing the gap between a college's current core values and future…

Describes the program at Carter G. Woodson elementary school, Baltimore (MD), an urban school serving many at-risk students which has adopted the curriculum and techniques of the Calvert School, a predominantly white, selective private school. There have been readily observable and measurable gains in academic achievement at the public school.…

Discusses the content and impact of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990, which redesigned the state's education system, including new finance, governance, and accountability mechanisms. Although funding differences between school districts declined, the basic proportions of allocations changed very little. The KERA strategy appears…

The first year of shared governance in a Canadian urban elementary school and the responses of the school's 14 teachers to the system of equal rights and responsibilities for teachers and the principal were described. Shared governance worked well, although not without conflict, but the group eventually used shared governance to resolve conflicts.…

Describes a state-sponsored pilot project to facilitate the quality of organizational change within Florida schools and districts. Guided by quality standards fashioned after national Baldridge criteria, the project is a partnership venture between the University of South Florida and 13 West-Central Regional Leadership Network districts, which…