After studying numerous schools involved in restructuring, Fred Newmann and his research team concluded that reform-minded schools must address how learning can have intellectual quality and communities of learners can be built. This interview summarizes insights from five studies recently published by the Center on Organization and Restructuring…

How administrators communicate with stakeholders about alternative student-assessment methods can make or break their reform efforts. This article highlights innovative communication strategies used in Kentucky, San Diego, and other urban districts affiliated with the National Alliance for Restructuring Education. Sidebars offer strategies for…

A review of significant research studies on high school restructuring supports four key findings. Reforms must be connected to instruction; remotely imposed mandates do not improve achievement; restructuring produces modest achievement gains; and high schools with smaller enrollments create a better sense of belonging for students and more…

Curriculum integration, in theory and practice, transcends subject-area and disciplinary identifications without abandoning them. The goal is integrative activities that use knowledge (to pursue new meanings) without regard for subject or discipline lines. As boundaries disappear, curriculum integration may engage knowledge not easily ascribed to…

Emphasizing factual knowledge undermines educators' attempts to engage students in meaningful activities. Students involved in process work are more deeply engaged, retain more, and perform better on achievement measures. Teaching methodology, types of knowledge, and school structure are intertwined. Methodology drives structure, and structure…

Project learning, with community and school staff assistance, helped a fifth-grade class transform the school lunchroom and their own behavior. A $2,500 Alcoa grant spearheaded an Italian restaurant project. Children served on five committees: public relations and advertising, management, art and design, planning and budgeting, and research. The…

Examines the emergence of "third wave" school restructuring from the fields of educational technology, instructional design, and systems theory. Argues that its core principles--social functionalism, efficiency and productivity, individualism, and expertism--will likely reinforce existing practices instead of substantively transforming…

Summarizes a study examining attitudes, decision-making processes, and interpersonal expectations of school personnel in over 50 school renewal projects in Georgia. Identified nine elements essential for helping restructuring schools become more empowering organizations. Discusses how professional educators can use their knowledge of these…

To support systemic restructuring, many organizations must redesign their internal structures, operations, and relationships with district and school clients. The article recommends systemic restructuring methods, identifying implications for helping organizations related to the nature of relationships formed with district and school clients and…

In July 1992, New American Schools Development Corporation (private, tax-exempt organization) announced selection of 11 designs to serve as models for schools of future. Nationwide competition sought to improve existing public schools with new ideas and money from corporate donations. Winning proposals incorporate concepts such as longer school…

School renovation projects, such as those undertaken by two Boston elementary schools, allow principals opportunity to influence quality and usefulness of renovated space as well as values expressed by school environment. Despite tight budgetary constraints, architects designed a series of vivid graphic images throughout Patrick O'Hearn School to…

Addressing the needs of active learners calls for a total rethinking of students and teachers; why, how, where, when, and what teachers teach; who governs and pays for schools; and the role of technology and professional development. (Author)

A framework for applying the vision-building process to community education includes (1) rationale for change and need for clear vision; (2) community profile; (3) new values and beliefs; (4) divergent thinking; (5) creating the vision; (6) building the roadmap; (7) enabling participation; and (8) restructuring communities. (SK)

Several years' experience with the NEA School Renewal Network discloses six necessary conditions for successful interactive networking: encouragement of affinity group development, equal portions of "high touch" and "high tech," the availability of qualified facilitators, an empowering network structure, a distributed expertise…

Analyzes 106 randomly selected school restructuring proposals from 1,600 submitted to the RJR Nabisco Foundation's Next Century Schools Program. The majority of these proposals emphasized student/parent support and curriculum improvement. Most avoided breadth versus depth and substantive discussion/inquiry issues and left governance structures…