The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of Ramp Up to Advanced Literacy, an unbundled Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) model, on the reading achievement of ninth grade students in a large urban school district in Kentucky. Using a pre- and posttest impact evaluation design, data from participating and non-participating…

It is possible that human capital produces positive externalities to the society indirectly, through non-market channels such as health or crime. Another such channel could be the effect of education on the functioning of democratic decision-making. Measures of the functioning of democracy are bound to be controversial, but one such measure--voter…

"Social Network Theory and Educational Change" offers a provocative and fascinating exploration of how social networks in schools can impede or facilitate the work of education reform. Drawing on the work of leading scholars, the book comprises a series of studies examining networks among teachers and school leaders, contrasting formal…

This report describes Michigan's school restructuring efforts under the No Child Left Behind Act, and includes findings from case studies of nine schools in four school districts: Detroit Public Schools, Flint Community Schools, Harrison Community Schools, and Willow Run Community Schools. Key findings from the report include: (1) more Michigan…

This bimonthly newsletter provides information about the progress of the Honor States Grant Program, a governor-led effort to improve college--and work-ready graduation rates. This issue explores how effective education governance can support innovative state policy development, successful policy implementation, and a redesigned high school…

For nearly a decade, the Chicago High School Redesign Initiative (CHSRI) has worked to improve educational opportunities for Chicago adolescents by opening and supporting small high schools across the city. While the overall results of the initiative have been mixed, several CHSRI schools have successfully improved students' outcomes. This latest…

Increasing competitiveness in today's globalized and knowledge-based economy demands college-educated professionals. Creating an adequate number of college-educated professionals requires an investment in human capital, particularly in postsecondary education. In fact, six out of every 10 jobs in the United States involve advanced skills that can…

Since 1988, considerable state and school/district energies have been devoted to implementing Re:Learning in Pennsylvania. This paper summarizes Re:Learning activities in the school district of Lancaster, in particular, McCaskey High School, which was recognized for the scope and quality of its implementation efforts. Re:Learning is a national…

D. B. Bailey and S. A. Palsha (1992) proposed two modified versions of the Stages of Concern Questionnaire for measuring teacher concerns during a reform effort. Their analysis suggested the use of a 5-factor model with 35 items or 15 items rather than the original 7-stage, 35-item Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM). The present study was…

The problems facing public education in the United States today are many. School-based management is one type of reform that takes into consideration the diversity of student populations and builds shared goals among the students, staff, school, and community. This paper summarizes research findings on the components of effective school…

Over the past 10 years, New York has more than doubled its spending on elementary and secondary education, in a fervent attempt to produce greater student achievement and prepare our young people for the fast changing world in which they will have to earn a living. Better results have not been produced as the education system has focused on more…

The California agenda for middle-grade reform is based on 10 regional networks, each composed of 1 foundation school and approximately 10 partnership schools. An interim evaluation of the reform effort, which occurred from 1988-90, is presented in this executive summary of two annual reports, "Technical Report 1" and "Technical…

This paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of the first-year implementation of the school restructuring pilot project in Baltimore City Public Schools. Implemented in 10 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools, the project sought to implement school-based management to enhance student achievement. Data were collected from a survey of…

In Senate Joint Resolution No. 117, Virginia's General Assembly endorsed the process for restructuring education in the middle school grades and requested that the Board of Education determine the appropriateness of designating the middle school as a separate level in the educational structure. The study summarized in this report first considered…

Economic and demographic changes in the United States signal a new mission for education--one in which the schools are responsible for ensuring that all students learn. This paper argues that this changed mission requires a new paradigm for school reform policy, one that shifts from designing controls intended to direct the system to developing…