This book brings together ideas and strategies of prominent advocates of school reform. Discussing their experiences, especially in urban schools, in forming coalitions, framing court cases, and dealing with state politics in New Jersey, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, Kentucky, and Washington, the contributors to this collection explore what…

This paper describes a study of teachers in an elementary school, how they constructed and viewed their understandings of social and professional organization, how these understandings were modified as the central values of the organization, and how its social and political context underwent significant changes. The report focuses on the values…

Teacher empowerment is a cornerstone of educational reform efforts. This study measured dimensions of teacher empowerment with a census of the 3,677 teachers in 169 Ohio public elementary schools initiating self-designed state-funded restructuring. Mailed surveys examined six dimensions of teacher empowerment (decision-making, professional growth,…

When Kentucky established a comprehensive reform of its schools in 1990, it targeted the nature of professional culture, norms, and activities in education. To explain this reform movement, a narrative analysis of research reports targeting various aspects of the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act is reported here. The focus is on identified…

This study analyzes high school students' leadership roles and experiences during an urban school's restructuring. For the study, interviews, focus groups, documentation of meetings and activities, document analysis, and the involvement of students were considered. The report emphasizes the roles that students played within the school and why; who…

This paper reviews the actions of several state reform programs and examines the methods by which they funded or failed to fund their educational reform programs. Results of reform in seven states--California, New York, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina--are highlighted. Fiscal and political issues are also identified. Data…

The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) was passed in 1990 as a result of a Kentucky Supreme Court order to establish an efficient and equitable system of public education. This report is a guide to the implementation of school-based decision making, which is the most immediate of the reform initiatives being implemented. A review of the role of…

Two distinct "waves" characterized the efforts to change public schools in the 1980s. The first wave called for increased academic standards (increased graduation requirements, longer school days, and strict accountability standards), but neglected educational practice and the roles that parents, teachers, administrators, and community members…

The relationship between policymaking and implementation and its impact on educational change is explored in this descriptive study of a proposed doctoral research project. Attention is given to how the theory-practice relationship is conceptualized by key participants in the formation of a particular reform. Methodology will involve interviews…

Outcomes of a series of meetings held in 1990 by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) Roundtable on Public School Choice are summarized in this document's six chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the components (including motivations, vision formation, leadership, the design process, and the types of choice available) involved in…

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…

Findings of a case study that examined teacher perceptions of the implementation of a destreaming program, the "Transition Years," in a secondary school in Ontario (Canada) are presented in this paper. Interviews were conducted with the principal, vice principal, and 11 teachers in the school, which was engaged in restructuring its…

This booklet challenges assumptions about the hopelessness of educational reform in urban high schools by presenting the stories of: (1) Theodore Sizer's Coalition of Essential Schools; and (2) Metro High School in Cedar Rapids (Iowa), a school that participates in the Coalition. Following an introduction, the Coalition of Essential Schools…

Practical suggestions for superintendents to use in reforming their schools are presented in this document, which focuses on "renorming" as a way to develop cohesive school district attitudes. Chapter 1 describes the concept of school culture, defines the concept of systemic cultural renorming, and provides an overview of the concepts of…

Findings of a study that compared educational theorists' and practitioners' thinking about school restructuring are presented in this paper. A questionnaire mailed to 43 theorists elicited 27 responses, a 63 percent response rate. The same questionnaire was completed by 131 principals, 95 teachers, and 12 other school personnel from 129 out of 178…