This publication contains a brief description of secondary education in Estonia. The first section provides an overview of the societal and political context in which the educational system exists. The second section discusses current educational issues, including policy formation, finance, the school role in the community, administration and…

This paper argues for the sustained study of the organizational nature of schools, which should be conducted through a search for good theories. It outlines what such theories would look like and what might reasonably be expected of them. The essay argues that there now is broader recognition of the organizational characteristics and conundrums…

What would a school that is responsive to the needs of girls look like? This paper presents findings of a study that sought to synthesize research and commentaries that develop, articulate, or use a feminist critique. It also attempted to identify a set of feminist thought and action to serve as building blocks of an alternative structure for…

This design proposal for "Schools of the Marketplace" describes a system that does not rely on government bureaucracy to operate. Instead, it allows parents and students to choose their teachers, evaluates student performance more on results of projects and papers than on standardized tests, empowers teachers to form professional groups…

The Governor's Institutes of Vermont are summer programs for Vermont high school students. The students are chosen for their strong personal motivation and interest in art, science and technology, and international affairs. Coordinated with the Institutes, the Lead Learner program is designed to enhance teacher and school efforts in restructuring.…

To provide policymakers, practitioners, and other education leaders with the knowledge needed to consider the issues surrounding charter schools, a survey of these schools is offered. The text opens with an overview of charter-school basics, including the types of schools that are permissible and the legal status of charter schools. It analyzes…

As the decade of the 1990s began, there was uncertainty concerning the educational reforms attempted in the 1980s. This paper focuses on how deregulated schools in South Carolina reacted to the opportunity to create new programs to meet the needs of the community and students. Research indicates there is an improvement in the teachers' working…

Arguments for beginning new schools as a robust alternative to the incremental improvement of existing schools are presented in this paper. The educational improvement approach of starting new schools or programs, rather than making incremental improvements or generating comprehensive change in existing schools, is advocated. Two major types of…

The loosely coupled organizational approach is evaluated in this paper. This essay evaluates this line of research by focussing on an analysis of schools, which are usually considered to be the epitome of loosely structured organizations. It is argued that distinguishing the mode and degree of organizational coupling and control depends on where,…

Trends of educational change in (formerly) East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria are examined as restructuring takes place during the establishment of democratic political processes. These trends are culled from over 50 onsite semistructured interviews in August 1990, as part of a longitudinal study to document educational…

Restructuring is a reorganization that replaces central planning, control, and supervision with a deregulated, decentralized system in which the "bottom line" counts most. Seven explanations for restructuring are outlined, each reflecting a particular position or perspective : (1) a crisis in legitimization involving the dimensions of the…

The general aim of this book is to provide a focussed discussion on decentralization and school-based management. In part 1, chapter 1, some problems, anticipations, and a recommendation concerning decentralization are presented. In part 2, chapters 2 through 6 review literature about the structural view of organizations, rationality and…

Analysis of data collected in six elementary schools reveals that the amount and quality of choices in school are strongly linked to positive attitudes about teachers and school and thus to learner interest. (Author)

Public elementary education in the United States and South Vietnam are compared with respect to governance, support, teachers and teacher training, school organization, curriculum and many other characteristics of schooling. (JH)

Explores judgments and values in three distinct, though interrelated, areas of the elementary school: organizational and instructional plans, instructional designs and methods, and pupils' perceived needs. (Author/SDH)