Describes a consensus-building meeting, in which stakeholders representing students attending alternative schools, teachers and directors from alternative schools, high school teachers, directors of special education, and university teacher trainers participated. Participants reviewed and reached agreement on important indicators of educational…

This paper presents educational collaboration as a structured process and interactive relationship among individuals that focuses on multiple outcomes in a school's organizational structures. The paper describes characteristics of a collaborative school and the professional behaviors that support collaboration; outlines strategies that facilitate…

Presents a new image of education, called Learning Sphere 2000, which is emerging from the educational needs of an information society. Features of this paradigm are explained, including learning experiences, teacher roles, clusters of students and teachers as schools, learning centers, learning contracts, developmental levels, children with…

Discusses anthropology's role in policy-relevant educational research, drawing on experiences in evaluating Chicago (Illinois) city schools' restructuring. Questions raised by case studies in school restructuring include qualitative researchers' role in studying educational policy, issues of objectivity in policy research, and networking…

Describes approaches for solving the problem of students' declining motivation and performance when they move to middle-level schools. Urges educators to examine school policies, practices, and procedures, and to make changes that will make it very clear to students that effort, challenge, improvement, and mastery are the goals of schooling. (16…

One of five articles on professional development schools in this theme issue. Naturalistic research methods were used to identify the characteristics that supported changes in professional development initiatives, restructuring, and teaching and learning in Crescentview School (Michigan), a multicultural, multilingual, elementary professional…

Muhlenberg College (Pennsylvania) has refocused its efforts on serving student needs and being perceived as a substantial value for the tuition charged. A merit-pay plan rewards faculty and administrators demonstrating extraordinary concern for and commitment to students. (MSE)

Explains why desegregation is an important practice that must not be allowed to lapse and discusses some pressures that have often made it less than satisfactory for African American children in local contexts and national patterns. Also discusses magnet schools as a tool that can help or hurt. (SLD)

Describes the Padeia schools of Chattanooga (Tennessee), where the Padeia movement has taken root. In keeping with the founding proposal of Padeia (the Padeia Group, 1982), the course of study is generalized and has a single-track curriculum. Concepts of democracy, participation, and responsibility pervade the schools' climates. (SLD)

Project CHILD is a research and development project for grades K-5, which covers reading, language arts, thinking skills, and mathematics. Project CHILD provides the model, supporting materials, and applications of technology. Three classrooms form a CHILD cluster (K-2 and 3-5); each teacher becomes a subject specialist; and the children work in…

In England, vast amounts of energy are being spent on changing organizational structures and school financing systems to produce a market accountability on the schools. Raises a series of questions that should be considered in restructuring efforts in the United States. (MLF)

Introducing a wider perspective of evaluation into the school by developing school-based evaluation mechanisms is discussed. The approach is based on conceptual development derived from U.S. perspectives on program evaluation, actual work in schools with teachers and principals in Israel, and empirical studies in the United States. (SLD)

A survey of 290 South Dakota superintendents, principals, and school board presidents examined personal, interpersonal, and institutional barriers to school-based management. Most school administrators, but not school board presidents, were skeptical about changing the management of school districts and implementing school-based management. (LP)

If schools became true communities of learners they could spread community throughout alienated urban areas. Some major themes defining cooperative community are explored. Stages that schools should go through in building community are detailed. Providing outreach to other potential communities is a later step in the process. (SLD)

Describes a case study focusing on the first year of a three-year change initiative in which holistic curriculum was implemented in a kindergarten through grade-eight school (Simcoe Street School) in Ontario (Canada). Documents the success of the implementation and its continued use as part of school philosophy. (SLD)