Although the "consensus thesis" assumes that learning difficulties arise from school structural deficiencies, a study of two English secondary schools concludes that the thesis fails to account for complexities of school development. Instead, open-ended dialog between contrasting discourses would foster dynamic school cultures. (SK)

Examines administrative, political. and ideological aspects of decentralization in the South African educational system. Discusses current policy development with special focus on the South African Schools Act of 1996. Highlights the tension between national and provincial educational competencies and decision making. Contains 30 references. (MMU)

Defines the concept of information literacy, based on the American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Committee on Information Literacy report. Highlights include information literacy research; an economic perspective; national and state standards; elementary and secondary education restructuring; information literacy in higher education; and…

Offers insights and themes observed in six restructuring schools studied in 1991-92. Results show that principals' importance varies, sharing of power is fragile, leadership and power are often dispersed, changes in decision-making structures sometimes improve instruction, and power redistribution and shared purpose can foster either increased…

Describes an instructional design process, Learning Environment Design (LED), as being geared to the design of flexible and user-centered learning resources by distinguishing between content and strategy. LED as a possible successor to instructional systems design is discussed, and the potential of LED for restructuring schools is considered.…

It is not that schools are not what they used to be; too many are, while everything else has changed. For public high schools to achieve their new mission, a carefully designed plan for transforming the existing system must address issues of content, rigor, access, and evidence. (SK)

A school's fundamental beliefs and vision about teaching and learning must be incorporated into its goals, strategies, policies, processes, cultural practices, management behavior, accountability systems, and stakeholder roles. Superintendents should work with community members to pin down core beliefs, make supportive changes, and obliterate…

Describes a Tacoma (Washington) high school's efforts to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward fighting. An aggressive communication campaign was used to familiarize parents and students with the new policy. Numbers of violent incidents decreased during the past three years. Two parents who formally challenged the school's expulsion policy lost in…

Examines the perspectives of administrators in Michigan school districts engaged in change processes. Responses from 83 administrators suggest a framing mechanism, or taxonomy, that represents the current state of change efforts in the state. First-wave, or state-mandated, change is driving most reform in Michigan at present. (SLD)

Describes briefly how the junior section of one Hong Kong school handled major problems by adopting a total-quality-management approach to change and restructuring. Describes the school's problems, discusses TQM generally in educational settings, describes the new "homestead" implementation, and comments on teachers' and students'…

Examines the responses of 24 highly restructured schools' responses to balancing the competing aims of providing students with common experiences and addressing differences among individual students. Data show that the elimination of tracking is a goal idealized more than it is attained. Conditions supporting quality instruction for diverse…

Charter schools can foster greed or graft more easily than they can become models for what schools should be, and it is not likely that they can change the educational system. However, charter schools can promote creativity and they have the potential for making small impacts that can change the world one child at a time. (SLD)

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is not going away. In fact, it might not even undergo more than minor modifications before it comes up for reauthorization in a couple of years. The nomination of Margaret Spellings to replace Rod Paige as U.S. secretary of education foretells not only a single-minded focus on test-based accountability but also an…

Most educators deny that value judgments play a role in translating educational research into practice, but Ferrero urges acknowledgement our beliefs as the first step toward fulfilling our broader objectives for schooling in a democratic society. U.S. educators and citizens share certain broad beliefs about, and goals for, the education of…

Even before a single student had signed up for High Tech High School, the founders of the new charter school on San Diego Bay knew they did not want that first school to be their last. They wanted to affect more children. To that end, Larry G. Rosenstock, the founding principal of the highly regarded 5-year-old school, and other leaders of the…