Educational organizations, particularly elementary and secondary schools are deeply institutionalized and notoriously resistant to change. British Columbia's "Program for Quality Teaching" (PQT), an innovative professional development program based on peer consultation, is described and analyzed in this paper. A portrait of PQT's 5-year…

A case study was done of the possible role of strategic planning processes for smoothing the transition period experienced by colleges and universities when changes in top leadership occur. The study was conducted in a medium-sized midwestern state university that had begun, 3 years earlier, a strategic planning process which had been…

Ways in which restructuring approaches to school improvement are likely to promote advances in educational equity are discussed in this paper. The first sections briefly define restructuring and equity and examine three ethics that drive efforts to make schools more equitable: competitive/utilitarian, social justice, and caring ethics. A…

The theoretical and practical notions of school-based management (SBM) are critically examined in this paper. Literature is summarized pertaining to the definitions of SBM, philosophical and theoretical issues, leadership, productivity, the degree of innovation, market factors, and funding. Conclusions are that structural change does not always…

This document describes the steps for redesigning public schools into Championship Schools, a comprehensive approach to transformation. Eight transformational processes are outlined: organizational conditioning, clarifying values, strategic planning, measuring, communicating, coaching, team building, and community building. To successfully…

This article suggests that a critical postmodern organizational perspective offers significant ways to assess an institution of higher education's effectiveness. The first part of the article outlines what is meant by "critical postmodernism" and then delineates a definition of multiculturalism in higher education based on the work of…

This brief describes political challenges to systemic reform and explores the conditions under which coherent policymaking might occur. A focus is the role of states in achieving policy integration. The first section describes political challenges to systemic reform, which include a lack of consensus on student standards, a focus on inputs and…

In recent years, a clear trend toward the decentralization of education has emerged in both developing and more developed countries. This paper examines issues in decentralization and identifies common factors for the transfer of power within the educational system. The paper identifies advantages and disadvantages of decentralization, identifies…

The Chicago Public Schools have experienced major reforms since the late 1980s. This has resulted in increased power to local school communities and the creation of local school councils (LSCs) that employ its principals. This paper presents findings of a study that examined principals' perceptions of their changing roles under Chicago's school…

This paper describes school restructuring efforts undertaken since 1991 in the Virginia Beach Public Schools (Virginia). These efforts are based on a resolution adopted by the school board in December 1991, which supported the implementation of school-based management and shared decision making. Several common restructuring themes were shared by…

This document reports on the governance of the Texas system of public higher education. The first section of the report describes the Texas public higher education system as it exists today. This section discusses the history of Texas education, its structure of governance, facilities, academic and research programs, health-realted institutions,…

Strategies utilized by district superintendents to implement school improvement plans in response to state-mandated change are examined in this report. Methodology involved document analysis of written plans and interviews with 30 Maine superintendents and assistant superintendents who were identified as successful developers of school improvement…

Exploring relationships between organizational and personal characteristics and responses to innovation, this study surveyed teachers--including identified innovators--in 10 small rural secondary schools. The research was informed by a developing theory viewing receptivity, or variation in acceptable conditions of risk, as determined by the…

Redesign of teacher education is not a process to be undertaken except in response to carefully identified goals and objectives. It is essential to involve, in every phase of the process, those who will be most affected by the redesign effort. Prior to undertaking the task of redesign or reform however, it is important to identify the source of…

The development of a conceptual framework for the design and management of planned institutional change for continuing education programs is described, based on a change project developed by Hanna and Pollicita. Conceptual approaches to planned change in complex organizations and the views of Havelock and Lindquist are considered. The importance…