This paper is a literature review of intensive education, or "macro block-scheduling." Intensive education is a change in the structure of secondary school organization. It involves organizing the school's schedule for efficiency and effectiveness so students study and teachers teach one subject for 30 days. Students stay with one…

Cultural and national history have profoundly modeled Greek society and continue to play a vital role in Greek policy and in cultural and social life. This handbook provides a brief overview of secondary education in Greece. The first part describes the country's societal, historical, and political background; educational history and current…

This paper suggests that higher education will take on increasing importance in the development of economies and societies in the 21st century for three reasons: (1) cognitive resources are supplanting material resources as a development factor; (2) economies, swept along by innovations and technological advances, are becoming increasingly exigent…

Changes in administrative policies and budgetary cutbacks add to the vulnerability of many university counseling centers. Two possible solutions, currently existing within two state-affiliated universities, entail housing student counseling in student health centers and either linking counseling administratively with health services or keeping…

One issue in school restructuring has been deciding exactly how to make schools more autonomous and accountable. Charter schools, a recent concept, offer a viable means of integrating various reform ideas in order to create highly autonomous and accountable learning environments. This publication defines charter schools; highlights the appeal of…

This paper offers a new conceptual framework for thinking about school restructuring by examining the meaning and implications of restructuring as a school improvement strategy. Conceptualization efforts are organized around a set of fundamental questions: (1) What is the meaning of restructuring? (2) What makes restructuring necessary? (3) What…

South Carolina's successful comprehensive school plan to develop and maintain public support for its school reform package, the Education Improvement Act, is offered in this paper, which focuses on the necessity of public support for successful reform. Key components of the plan are described, which include timing and public interest, state…

While the call to restructure schools represents the latest quest for reform and improvement in American public education, efforts to improve have always been ongoing in many schools and districts. The eight elementary schools described in this book have been engaged in the processes of improvement for many years. A major theme that emerges from…

Through scenarios describing the actions of a district restructuring committee, this book shows how the "interlocking spheres of the organization" cooperate, with roles and functions blending in leadership teams and study groups. The book provides a research-based, practical guide for renewal that keeps one goal central: improving student…

At the recommendation of Congress, the U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring a National Study of Charter Schools. This document is summary of the second-year report of this study. The second-year report presents information about charter schools for the 1996-97 school year and is based on a telephone survey designed to collect data from all…

This volume contains revised versions of 16 essays presented at a conference, "Rethinking School Governance," hosted by Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance in June 1997. Part 1, "Introduction," contains two chapters: (1) "School Choice: A Report Card" (Paul E. Peterson); and (2) "The Case for Charter Schools" (Bryan C. Hassel).…

This paper presents a retrospective view of how a school district implemented Site-Based Management (SBM). A pilot study examined the historical development of the site-based decision-making process so as to gain a better understanding of how a large urban school district implemented the process and to assess teachers' understanding of their roles…

While the concept of choice is not new to families able to take advantage of the available options, the idea of giving parents nearly total freedom in selecting their children's public school is new. Proponents of choice claim it results in higher test scores, fewer dropouts, and more involved parents. Critics maintain that there is no proof of…

Dynamic organizations are characterized by a compelling vision that focuses on results and employee commitment to growth. Over a period of 3 years an attempt was made to identify what it would take to create and maintain a dynamic living organization that has the ability to learn and grow on its own. Research was conducted in visits to…

In 1987, the State of Maine encouraged schools to make fundamental organizational changes necessary to ensure that all children are successful in school. This booklet reports on the progress of 10 Maine schools that are wrestling with fundamental questions about the purpose, content, and organization of schooling. Each school is profiled with a…