The League of Professional Schools consists of 5 self-governing chapters in 3 states and has more than 100 member schools. For this study, a total of 1,379 teachers from 43 Georgia public schools (29 elementary, 7 middle and 7 high schools) were surveyed to determine their sense of efficacy about teaching effectiveness and their degree of…

The study reported in this paper inquired about the extent to which perceptions of teacher leadership were influenced by factors similar to those that influence perceptions of transformational principal leadership. The study consisted of a survey of all staff members in one large school district and interviews with teachers in six secondary…

The time has come to shift the focus from the "what" of knowledge (content) to the "how" of learning (processes). This book is the third in a series of three books in the Process as Content trilogy. The book offers suggestions and strategies for educators beginning the journey of transferring education into a process-oriented paradigm. The book…

If schools are not changed in dramatic ways very soon, public schools will lose their place as a vital component of the American education system. The first three chapters of this book describe the crisis in American education, arguing that what the schools were designed to do no longer serves the needs of American society. The presence of…

Many school districts and schools find that they have an incomplete understanding of site-based management (SBM). This guidebook provides a systemwide approach to site-based management, using SBM as a strategy for school improvement and increased student success rather than for managing the status quo. It identifies nine essential perspectives and…

This book examines the personal, moral, cultural, and political dimensions of teaching in the context of rapid and far-reaching change within teachers' work and in the world beyond it. The chapters in Part One examine the powerful forces for change in society and how those forces are exerting pressure on existing institutions. Issues such as the…

The processes of school improvement at the secondary level are not well understood. This report summarizes activities conducted during 1990-91 in the Asheboro (North Carolina) City Schools in cooperation with personnel at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The partnership created Teacher Collegial Groups (TCGs), which were leadership…

Proponents of school restructuring agree that it must occur with support from all stakeholder groups. This paper presents findings of a study that examined to what extent educational personnel engaged in restructuring (principals, teachers, and external facilitators of change) agreed or disagreed that 60 conditions identified in the research…

The Maryland Middle Grades School Policy Initiative addresses the polices and practices that support improved school and student performance. To document changes in policies and practices, this series of publications entitled "Milestones" was developed. Each publication traces the development, implementation, evaluation, and refinement…

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…

Outcomes of Project A+, a school-based improvement (SBI) partnership developed between International Business Machines (IBM) and the Austin Independent School District, are described in this document. SBI is a vehicle for restructuring schools to meet the goal that all students will function successfully at or beyond their appropriate grade…

Most current writing about American public education describes it in terms of a crisis situation. However, schools often serve as scapegoats for the failure of other institutions and for social ills that they had no part in creating. This book presents a collection of essays and commentaries on recent proposals for educational reform and actions…

In 1991, the Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE), a federally funded education laboratory, began a study to identify the barriers to school reform in six southeastern states--Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. This document presents findings of that study and the second area of study it…

This paper examines the role of politics in the restructuring of Chicago public schools. The Chicago educational system was deliberately altered to change the way decisions were made at the school level. Based on recent research on citizen participation and renewal of democratic institutions, the paper advances a theme that is germane to Chicago…

Meaningful school reform requires a deeper understanding of how high schools evolved to their current condition. This book presents an objective history of American public secondary education in two ways--as a social history and as a synthesis of literature. Chapter 1 offers a brief history of American education, beginning with the debate over…