This synthesis report examines the 30-year history of educational change to identify differing perspectives, strategies, and adoptable principles. Three influential perspectives in educational change have been: (1) the rational-scientific perspective positing that change is created by dissemination of innovative techniques; (2) the political…

Productive partnerships between educators and business result in better educated students and a more productive work force. Although the training industry has increased over the last decade, funding for public schools continues to diminish. Partnerships benefit both education and industry. The current emphases upon quality in business and…

Findings from descriptions of successful practice and studies of school effectiveness are presented in this collection of readings, which provide a background of the rationale and recommendations for implementing school improvement. The readings also serve as a detailed reference for school improvement teams who have participated in training…

During the 1991-92 academic year, Clark State Community College's (CSCC's) Task Force on Institutional Effectiveness met on approximately 20 occasions to develop an instrument to assess the degree to which the college was achieving its goals. The group began with the assessment model produced by the Ohio Board of Regents in 1989-90, which had been…

The role of teachers in bringing about educational improvement in the American schools is described in this guidebook. Based on a model of school improvement that incorporates several bodies of educational research, the central thesis is that teacher empowerment begins with teacher knowledge. Following the introduction, chapter 2 describes the…

The impact of state-mandated testing on an urban school district in New Jersey is examined in this paper, which describes the evolution of the testing program and its shift in emphasis from individual student assessment to its use as the primary indicator of school success or failure. To meet state certification standards, 75 percent of the third,…

A 5-year study examined third-graders' perceptions of school climate in 16 Louisiana schools. Part of the Louisiana School Effectiveness Study (LSES), Phase III and IV examined student perceptions in 1984-85 and 1989-90, respectively, and also gathered demographic data and multiple measures of student outcomes through student surveys and classroom…

This document describes the steps for redesigning public schools into Championship Schools, a comprehensive approach to transformation. Eight transformational processes are outlined: organizational conditioning, clarifying values, strategic planning, measuring, communicating, coaching, team building, and community building. To successfully…

Educational outcomes of the Alberta education system for 1991-92 are presented in this report. Progress toward each of the 13 priority areas set forth in the provincial action plan, "Vision for the Nineties," is described. The ratings were based on the collective judgment of senior Alberta education managers. Information is presented on…

A major goal of the Shoreline School District is to develop partnerships with the community, other community agencies, and businesses. The development of a "Long Range Facilities Utilization Plan" led to a 10-year districtwide modernization program to enhance technology and instruction. Now at its midpoint, the design and development of…

Prepared as background for participants in an exploratory conference, this paper examines whether school-business partnerships and other forms of business assistance are contributing to fundamental change and reform, in the education system. Five questions are investigated. (1) How are businesses currently working with public education? The four…

This paper, which provides a summary of an exploratory conference on school-business partnerships, relies heavily on a background paper for the conference disseminated as Occasional Paper #1. The current status of school-business partnerships is divided into the major categories of adopt-a-school programs, school improvement and support…

Chicago's city leaders, unlike other city leaders, are going after fundamental and radical restructuring of the nation's third largest school system, but have found that it is hard to achieve. This paper provides a snapshot of the growing political involvement of Chicago's business leadership with the city's troubled school system. The need for…

This resource document presents four papers that were prepared by members of the Task Force on Institutional Effectiveness of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation concerning issues related to assessments of institutional effectiveness and the use of assessment in the process of institutional accreditation. The first paper, "Outcomes…

The impact of action research on student academic and social performance is examined in this paper. Project LEARN (League of Educational Action Researchers in the Northwest), a cooperative initiative with school districts to train teams of educators in collaborative action research, was evaluated in five participating schools--two elementary, one…