A common theme in educational change literature is that principals do not truly understand the change process and therefore cannot successfully implement change. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the change processes that Colorado principals utilized when initiating and implementing change in their buildings. The study also…

Vermont is working to reform its educational system, and, according to some assessments, improvements are being made. On average, Vermont's students write reasonably well and fourth graders perform better than national averages in mathematics on selected questions from the National Assessment of Education Performance. However, many students also…

Change in teaching practice is a popular theme in literacy education. A case study examined the nature of the change process in a teacher in a large Caribbean island school district who made a personal decision to change instructional practices from skills-based methods to whole language methods. Through data collection and analysis, a metaphor,…

New approaches to education are being advocated and implemented throughout the Pacific region. This is the first of a series of papers on the broad phase of educational change: initiation, implementation, and institutionalization and renewal. It seeks to provide Pacific educators with updated information about the change process, with a focus on…

Integral to school restructuring is the need to create time for school staff to participate in developing a vision, setting goals, formulating plans, training, and exchanging experiences. The use of time is both the object of and the chief impediment to change. The study surveyed educational literature, and business management journals,…

At the same time that education faculty face challenges to renew and deepen their commitment to teacher education, the arenas for research, teaching, and service are also changing. New types of partnerships are emerging between universities, schools, and communities. The kind of far-reaching change that is needed to deal with new situations…

Ways in which program innovators, policy developers, and educational researchers think about and engage in disseminating innovations to schools can prove a major barrier to reform. A process for effective dissemination using the coaching model in the accelerated schools program is described here. Accelerated schools draw on three principles: unity…

A study examined behaviors of participants trained in a nonadversarial model of contract negotiation, focusing on possible influences of formal and informal power structures, written and unwritten rules, and firmly entrenched adversarial behavior on the bargaining process. Participants were representatives of a district's teacher union and board…

This booklet presents steps Arizona has taken to reform education in order to improve student achievement. This guide is divided into four parts: (1) overview; (2) moving toward a student-centered system; (3) student achievement; and (4) school finance. The importance of having a well-educated work force is emphasized, as is the importance of…

During the 1990s, the charter-school movement emerged as one of the more promising new ideas in education. This paper juxtaposes the charter-school concept with ideas on change theory and curriculum design. The article's purpose is to illustrate how charter schools might be a vehicle for change in education. Research shows that states have enacted…

New American Schools (NAS) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that was founded by business leaders who wanted to improve the quality of public education. To explain how this organization works, an overview of its strategies for helping schools is provided here. The guide is intended for education leaders, policy makers, parents, and…

Technological literacy has assumed a significant position on the national educational agenda. An analysis of technology and its potential to transform education is presented in this report. The text opens by delineating and discussing some of the more urgent questions schools confront as they consider investments in technology. These questions…

The quality of a school's learning climate determines its success or failure. The learning climate includes school atmosphere and leadership. Implementing school improvement programs is a process that involves the whole school community. Among other factors, program success is most likely when administrators and faculty develop plans tailored to…

School counselors have always considered themselves to be change agents. Historically, that change has been related to helping an individual become aware of behaviors or attitudes that might be affecting his/her success and then guiding that individual into new ways of acting or thinking. This skill is transferable to affecting change in the…

This document is a brief presentation of the relation among education, culture, and development in the Latin American and Caribbean countries that focuses on two major aspects: (1) the new development strategies currently being implemented in the region, and (2) the educational actions being undertaken as an answer to the new challenges posed by…