Coalition building and school restructuring unfortunately do not always occur together. But the two forces can complement each other and combine their resources and strengths. Coalitions are organizations or groups of individuals who share a commitment to a particular issue. Although coalitions involved in school restructuring may in the long run…

In 1987, Western Australia implemented a school-based management program called "Better Schools," which attempted to create "self-determining schools." Central to the restructuring effort was the establishment of school-based decision-making groups (SBDMGs), which permitted school staff and community representatives to exercise…

Substantive arguments on school reform may be disguising a hidden debate over the process and politics of such reform--a debate over who should be responsible for educating our youth, the parties responsible for the current difficulties, and how severe these difficulties are. This document attempts to identify the attitudes that drive this hidden…

This book is a collection of 30 "Schools in the Middle" newsletters that were published from 1981-90. These articles, which focus on the melding of theory and practice, reflect exemplary middle-level practices, issues, and concerns about early adolescents during the past decade. Among the articles contained in Part 1, titled "Successful Middle…

While innovation advocates have focused on the need to reform Philippine schools to meet the needs and demands of society, little has been done to change the teachers' practices. Recent studies have pointed to inadequate teacher training as one of the reasons for Filipino students' low achievement. This study was conducted to identify specific…

Before charging blindly into the issues of implementing educational choice programs, states and local districts need to stop and think about direction for efforts to improve and restructure education. Recent research shows that the most successful choice systems are tailored to their community's needs. Among the plans that have been implemented…

Technologies can play a role in restructuring schools, but they can also effectively support existing school structures depending on how they are designed and used. This paper contrasts the organizational impact of two technology systems in terms of the physical location in the school, the curriculum, how time is scheduled, and the opportunities…

A view of teacher empowerment based on professional knowledge is presented in this paper. A new definition of "professional knowledge" for teachers is also proposed, based on teachers' knowledge of professional community, educational policy, and subject area. After a year of field study and a literature review of structural, formal, and…

The issue of teacher absenteeism has become an increasingly important topic in educational policy, as teachers have gained generous sick day and personal leave benefits. The financial cost of teacher absenteeism is also problematic. In one national survey, the combined costs of absent teachers and substitutes came to $2 billion yearly. The…

Incorporating school-site management into the nation's educational systems will demand wholesale changes involving the very structure and organization of schools. Aimed at practitioners desiring to implement school-based management (SBM), this book is organized into chapters designed to enhance the sequential phases of application. Chapter 1…

This paper briefly describes the Accelerated Schools Project, presents ideas concerning an appropriate evaluation model, and conveys some early results achieved across the nation. The Accelerated Schools model attempts to restructure schools with high concentrations of students in at-risk situations so that they enter the mainstream by the end of…

An in-depth examination of restructuring is provided in this policy brief, which shows how the meaning of "restructuring" changes according to the setting and participants involved. After a review of the current context of the restructuring movement, different types of reform efforts are described, which include restructuring of…

Education needs to change to ensure individual success and survival as well as retain the United States' position in the world. Expectations must be raised for students, teachers, parents, school boards, administrators, and the public at large. Partnerships are essential among school boards, staffs, businesses, students, parents, communities, and…

Technological and economic changes throughout the world as well as social and demographic trends at home have overshadowed efforts from schools to deliver on the promise of education. The Creativity Schools Initiative encourages a rethinking of schools' mission, design, schedule, structure, and instructional approaches as a fundamental first step…

Changes in education have direct implications for the role and responsibility of professional development. This eighth guidebook in a series of nine video conferences examines the meaning of professional development in light of recent educational innovations. Included are an outline of new priorities and expanded functions of professional…