This paper argues that the realities of school restructuring in Canada are experienced and perceived differently among different teachers, by the same teachers at different times, and between teachers on the one hand and students on the other. Realities of restructuring are often divergent and dissonant in nature. No one group has an inherently…

This document is a collection of five reports on school restructuring in Iowa from 1989 to 1993. The first report summarizes the restructuring activities in Iowa school districts during 1989, addresses problems that developed during the year, and chronicles future restructuring events. It also gives a historical perspective on school restructuring…

The vision of school restructuring seems to be taking shape. New themes and patterns in curriculum, instruction, and assessment have begun to emerge in American schools. A new focus on social issues and practical application opens the doors to more community and parent involvement. Teaching strategies are becoming more congruent with the needs,…

Change is easier to demand than to endure. The deeper we go into reform, the rougher it gets and the higher the degree of public impatience and frustration. The higher the frustration, the greater the temptation for policy makers to try the quick fix. Inadequate funding is another reality faced by "ideal" reform plans. At least 30 states…

Concerned with how new schooling structures, once implemented, will remain in place, this paper reviews findings of the International School Improvement Project (ISIP) about institutionalization and suggests their application to educational restructuring results. According to the ISIP study, indicators of complete institutionalization include…

Although policymakers and academics tend to overlook the behind-the-scenes role that district human resources (HR) departments play in education, the HR office's effect is far from small. HR departments determine whether qualified teacher candidates make it to the classroom, or slip through the cracks. They can help principals find teachers who…

Interest in decentralized decisionmaking for schools (DDS) is on the rise. With state and federal accountability systems placing pressure on school-level leaders to improve student performance, increasing attention is being paid to the question of how to help principals do their job more effectively. "Business as usual" in American…

This Research Brief provides a summary of the following study: Lachat, M. A., & Smith, S. (2005, July). Practices that support data use in urban high schools. "Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk," 10(3), 333-349. The Brief describes the methodology, suggestions for school improvement, and challenges identified in the…

This is the sixth in a series of issue briefs to be written for The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement during 2006. The impact of organizational culture on student achievement is discussed in this issue brief. Gaining a deep understanding of what a strong, positive organizational culture looks like and how it works can help…

The proliferation of high-quality independent charter schools is constrained by the shortage of founders committed to evidence-based school designs and possessing the broad-ranging skills to make good on their audacious plans. The time and energies of such exceptional leaders are deployed over years in building schools that rarely reach more than…

This booklet highlights instructive work and experiences from four demonstration charter schools in Chicago that have developed unique, mission-based accountability measures for their performance contracts with the Chicago School Reform Board of Trustees. These schools developed their new accountability measures between June 1998 and January 2000.…

This guide presents practical applications from a research study about the processes that schools use to initiate and sustain reforms. It examines the history of 10 elementary schools in high-poverty settings, including details of behavioral and attitudinal changes. Ten capacities were associated with the stages of successful reform. The…

In order to fulfill its mission of middle-grades education reform, the Mid South Middle Start initiative works with schools, organizations, and institutions to improve the social and academic outcomes of students aged 10-14. A vital element of this endeavor is the creation of linkages by the core group of organizational partners with relevant…

This book is a layman's guide to 10 of the best known school designs being implemented in the United States today. It is designed for "consumers" who must evaluate which, if any, of these models they may want to pursue. The designs examined are: (1) Accelerated Schools; (2) America's Choice; (3) the Coalition of Essential Schools; (4)…

This paper describes the experiences of five high schools in Boston, Massachusetts, a district with a successful history of career pathways and academies that, in the last 3 years, has encouraged schools to restructure entirely into smaller learning communities. The schools work to benchmark curriculum to high standards, ensure effective…