The author kept a journal during the year he worked to establish a Division of Accountability for the Akron, Ohio, public schools system. Trenta had been the chief personnel officer for the school system with supervisory responsibility for the Department of Research and Evaluation. This journal begins in October 1991. At the time, the school…

This paper presents findings of a study that evaluated the impact and institutionalization of Project READ/Inquiring School, a school-reform project for systemic change. The product of collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and several school districts in western Pennsylvania, the project's goals are: (1) to help schools build literacy…

This collection brings together writings on two powerful approaches to education, outcome-based education (OBE) and mastery learning. OBE is about refocusing on the people in the educational system and their success in achieving excellence as learners and teachers. The following papers are included: (1) "Toward a Network Description of…

Findings of a study that examined the extent to which transformational forms of leadership contribute to teacher commitment are presented in this paper. Teachers' commitment to change is expressed as a function of personal goals, two types of personal agency beliefs, and emotional arousal processes. Alterable variables giving rise to commitment…

This document describes outcomes of the Arizona School Restructuring Pilot Project, implemented in Arizona in 1990. The project provided 11 elementary and 4 high schools, selected in a competitive grant process, with the opportunity to pilot their restructuring plans over a 4-year period (1990/91-1993/94). Data were obtained from a survey of key…

Findings of a study that investigated the impact of a 4-day school week in an Idaho suburban school district (Shelley School District) are presented in this paper. Data were derived from: (1) surveys of all district stakeholders, which included 2,039 K-12 students, 492 parents, 103 teachers, and 85 support staff; (2) a comparison of…

Many states are adopting results-oriented school accountability systems. Some of the difficult issues that states are working through as they set up and implement strategies for academic intervention are discussed in this report. The report examines the "machinery" that needs to be in place to enable and support a program of state intervention…

The first part of this text on school development provides a detailed historical review of school reform in Europe and North America. The middle part of the book gives an overview of the theoretical basis for educational improvement, and the book concludes with an analysis of educational change strategies. The chapters are: (1) "The New…

Four promising programs for raising student achievement are described. All four attempt schoolwide improvement and primarily affect curriculum and pedagogy. Each program has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they all show evidence of: (1) high standards; (2) effectiveness; (3) replicability; and (4) support structures. Success for All, an…

This document provides a background for understanding the conflicts surrounding educational reform and the reactions of the religious right, and it outlines critical implications for policymakers, educators, business leaders, and other interested citizens in North Carolina. Both educational reformers and the religious right agree on the need to…

The 1994 and 1995 School-Based Decision Making (SBDM) Surveys were conducted in the fall of each of those years for the Study of Education Policy. This report compares the 1994 and 1995 responses to three questions: (1) What do people think of the effectiveness of SBDM? (2) Who is involved in the SBDM decisions? and (3) What are councils doing?…

The idea that changes in school organization can improve teaching and enhance learning has heavily influenced educational reform over the past decade. With a goal of enabling teachers to promote students' construction of knowledge--so-called "constructivist" teaching--school restructuring has tended to focus on changing: (1) how schools group…

To aid the effort to shift management decisions to the classroom level, suggestions for realigning management structures where the classroom is the first consideration are offered. The text is intended for senior administrators, "educationalists" teachers, and headteachers (principals). It has two main purposes: to act as a reference book and as a…

The Chicago School Reform Act of 1988 gave a Local School Council (LSC) strong powers not typically seen in such bodies. An overview of how this LSC has worked is offered here. The report draws primarily on the results of a survey of LSC members conducted between May 1995 and February 1996. It examined three primary areas: the background of LSC…

A preliminary study described the effects of collegial coaching (classroom-based collaborative, self-reflective professional dialogue among teachers and administrators for the purpose of improving practice) on middle school teachers' classroom restructuring efforts and their conceptual understanding of effective literacy instruction and…