Today, the division of large schools into subschools or subunits is often recommended as the answer to a number of problems in education. This paper examines the several forms of school-downsizing efforts and the somewhat diverse purposes for which they are being established. The data come from a review of literature and an evaluation of 22…

Designed to assist educators in formulating Total Quality Improvement (TQI) plans, this book examines the processes of TQI, which allow for the review of college administration, student services, teaching, and institutional culture, and provides information on its implementation at two-year colleges. Chapter 1 describes background to educational…

Although the general perception in the United States may be that downsizing in companies is pervasive and increasing, the facts show a slowing of the trend in downsizing and a net gain in employment. Many workers have found new jobs at or near their former pay rates, although only half of older workers are able to find jobs comparable to the ones…

This guide offers a comprehensive set of practical tools to lead novice and veteran practitioners through the complexities of business process redesign. This hands-on kit integrates systems theory, economics, and psychology to provide the detailed procedures, checklists, data analysis worksheets, and other resources essential to identify, analyze,…

The education literature has not adequately considered the notion of change at its most fundamental level. This paper considers notions of institutional or social change from the ontological perspective of H. R. Maturana. The pattern of organization in living systems is defined by Maturana and Varela (1980) as "autopoiesis," a coined…

This strategic plan outlines the goals and objectives of the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (IDVR) for fiscal years 1996-99. The plan begins with a mission statement, a list of rehabilitation values, and an explanation of the services IDVR provides and how IDVR works as a change agent. Values associated with the importance of client…

This study examined faculty service at colleges and universities in New England to determine the characteristics of service enclaves on campus. Interviews were conducted with faculty and administrators at Bentley College, Lesley College, Salem State College, and the University of Massachusetts-Boston in Massachusetts; Trinity College and the…

In recent years, new economic pressures have been placed on community colleges as a result of increased expectations for accountability on the part of governing bodies and the public. In responding to these pressures, colleges must consider new approaches to management, while the tools and approaches developed in private industry can provide…

Education in the United Kingdom has been shaped by the advent of local school management and the rapid growth of grant-maintained schools. Total Quality Management (TQM) offers a new way of looking at management principles and structures by identifying the needs of both internal and external customers. This book applies principles of TQM…

This document describes the restructuring actions taken by the Lake Oswego School District in response to recent state legislation that significantly reduced resources for Oregon education. The first section presents the district's core beliefs, values, and areas of emphasis that define Lake Oswego's vision for 21st century education. Strategic…

This report describes a 2-year effort begun in fall, 1988, to improve the child care provided at the Child Health and Development Institute, located in an unidentified Middle Eastern country. The report begins by stating eight guidelines that governed the project. Discussion then turns to the three phases of the project: (1) identifying and…

The main goal of this book is to provide an understanding of education and effective educational leadership, now and for the future. Although the book focuses on Canada, it presents widely applicable information. It examines how and why education changes in society, and how it can be effectively managed and led. The changing order in society and…

The eight papers collected here bring to bear a complex set of perspectives on a common problem: how to make education more effective now and in the future. The papers speak to the need to understand education as an individual-driven, learner-centered activity. Following Ronald J. Anson's introduction called "Personalizing Systemic Reform," the…

This paper describes an educational innovation that survived only 2 years. The pilot program introduced team teaching, based on a middle-school philosophy, into three high schools in a relatively large midwestern school district. The interdisciplinary team sought to help ninth-graders make the transition from middle to high school. Despite…

This book chapter describes the 14-year evolution of Community Behavioral Services, a provincial government-operated program in Edmonton, Alberta. The program began in 1976 as a residential treatment facility for individuals having mental retardation and severely challenging behaviors. Later, a specialized family home was established as a halfway…