The call to restructure American education has captured the imagination of reformers across the country, yet it has not produced a coherent agenda for changing schools. This study investigates how the structure of secondary schools affects learning. Using a sample of 9,631 students in 789 U.S. high schools with 3 waves of data from the National…

"Success for All" and "Roots and Wings" are comprehensive restructuring programs for elementary schools designed to make the idea that "all children can learn" into a practical, daily organizing principle for schools, especially those serving many children placed at risk. This book describes the programs in detail,…

The last 2 decades of the 20th century have witnessed a growing movement to reform the American education system. While people debate why and how reform should be accomplished new initiatives are being developed and applied in many different areas: student performance standards, curricular innovation, assessment, accountability, professional…

Pennsylvania school reform in the decade following the publication of "A Nation at Risk" can be divided into three distinct phases. As these phases parallel those of the nation, Pennsylvania is a representative state in which to explore the nation's efforts to repair its ailing school system. The first phase was that of adding inputs, of…

The Chicago (Illinois) School Reform Act was signed into law in 1988 and the Reform School Board of Trustees was appointed in July 1995. There have been several reports of teachers' opinions about the Reform Act, but the opinions of teachers about the Reform School Board have not been studied. Almost half of teachers have reported at least some…

The central issue in educational reform should be how to confront educational inequalities, but the conservative movement has tried to transform the issue from one of inequality to one of "choice." The choice being promoted by conservative forces comes at the expense of community in that it seeks to set up schools that respond to the…

This research brief examines trends at the federal and state levels in educational reform and implications for reform for students with disabilities. After briefly reviewing the historical background of standards-based school reform, the brief stresses the importance of a three-pronged reform strategy, involving: (1) a unifying vision and goals,…

This report presents an examination of the use of a participative model in the strategic planning process at a publicly-supported, comprehensive institution in the middle Atlantic region of the United States. Specific attention is given to the process of developing the vision statement, an undertaking of approximately 15 months preceding Board of…

This annotated bibliography lists approximately 650 resources on theory, research, and effective practices for the inclusion of all learners, including those with severe and multiple disabilities, into general education classrooms and other integrated learning environments. The bibliography is organized into eight topics: (1) rationale for…

Two years prior to a 1995 comprehensive evaluation visit by the North Central Association, Iowa's Hawkeye Community College initiated a self-study process and began developing a strategic plan to effect a transition from a technical institution to a comprehensive community college. Staff involvement and open communication were identified as…

Most of the industrialized world retains an obsolete, tracked, multitiered public education system that prepares some children for university and others for blue-collar jobs. This educational design neglects changes in technology, family structure, and community life, and its bureaucratized management values uniformity and process over initiative…

This book re-examines the reflective, controversial voice of John Dewey. Educators and policymakers must take into account various social, political, economic, philosophical, and professional considerations that influence both formal and informal education. Following the introduction by Harvey Neufeldt called "School Reform in Dewey's…

The Rural School Consortium for Educational Leadership and Reform was formed by four rural Indiana school districts in 1991 to coordinate resources for providing staff development that would support reform and restructuring efforts. In the first consortium-sponsored activity, teachers, administrators, support staff, board members, and parents…

There is growing evidence that establishing school-university partnerships for the purpose of restructuring schools has impacts on teacher education, the elementary and secondary curriculum, and the knowledge base that undergirds the profession. In 1988 the National Education Association (NEA) created the Teacher Education Initiative (TEI) to…

Society's concepts of children, schools, and communities are undergoing significant changes. These changes are reflected prominently in federal and state policy initiatives. Substantive, rather than political, indispensability, may require careful rethinking of school psychology's fundamental identity, training, and practice to match these…