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In 1991, the New American Schools (NAS) Development Corporation was founded by a group of business and foundation leaders interested in investing in innovative designs for school transformation. This book describes the first 3 years of development and evaluation of 9 NAS whole-school restructuring designs. The designs were very diverse, as were their implementation sites, which included many small schools, some very large urban schools, and schools serving American Indian students. Following an introduction, "Bold Plans for School Restructuring: Nine Designs from New American Schools" (Sam Stringfield, Steven Ross, Lana Smith), the chapters are: (1) "Sharing the Vision: Creating New American Schools" (David T. Kearns, John L. Anderson); (2) "Audrey Cohen College System of Education: Purpose-Centered Education" (Audrey Cohen, Janith Jordan); (3) "ATLAS Communities: Authentic Teaching, Learning, and Assessment for All Students" (Cynthia J. Orrell); (4) "The Co-NECT Design for School Change" (Bruce Goldberg, John Richards); (5) "The Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound Design" (Meg Campbell, Emily Cousins, Greg Farrell, Mieko Kamii, Diana Lam, Leah Rugen, Denis Udall); (6) "The Modern Red Schoolhouse" (Rob Heady, Sally Kilgore); (7) "Reform at All Levels: National Alliance for Restructuring Education" (Robert Rothman); (8) "Roots and Wings: Universal Excellence in Elementary Education" (Robert E. Slavin, Nancy A. Madden, Barbara A. Wasik); (9) "Community Learning Centers" (Wayne B. Jennings); (10) "Los Angeles Learning Centers: An Initiative of Los Angeles Unified School District, United Teachers Los Angeles, and Los Angeles Educational Partnership" (Judy Johnson, John McDonald); and (11) "Lessons Learned: RAND's Formative Assessment of NAS's Phase 2 Demonstration Effort" (Susan Bodilly). (Contains contact information for New American Schools and Design Teams, along with reference notes in some chapters and an index.) (SV)

An educational planning model and instructional approach to prepare school administrators for the role of strategic planners are described. The model, ED QUEST, integrates future research techniques and divergent thinking modes into a participatory group process that provides visions of alternative futures. Primary activities in the process include preparation, development of a notebook of future projects, organizational assessment, analysis of the impact of future trends, development and assessment of scenarios, selection of strategic options, and incorporation of options into a strategic management process. The model is also useful as a teaching-learning vehicle in administrator education programs. One figure is included. (15 references) (LMI)

This paper presents findings of a study that examined educators' perceptions of restructuring in nine Oregon Network schools. These schools participated in a federal grant designed to help schools focus on the "central variables" of restructuring--learner outcomes, curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment. Variables that enable restructuring include learning environment, time, technology, and school-community relations. A questionnaire was sent to four groups of educators at each of the nine schools. A total of 219 teachers, 15 other certified staff, 14 administrators, and an unidentified number of counselors responded. Findings regarding the effects of the project on teacher behavior and practices include the following: (1) There was a lag between teachers' adoption of an outcome-based philosophy and the alteration of instructional techniques; (2) schools that were most highly involved in the Network saw the greatest changes in the central variables; (3) there were few differences in teacher perceptions across age, gender, years in education, and years at the school; (4) schools with the highest amount of change in the central variables showed the greatest amount of change in their learning environments; (5) changes in the enabling variables require more consensus and group commitment to action; (6) network schools are successfully achieving a clear focus and are enhancing teachers' perceptions of efficacy; (7) the project offers a successful model that involved teachers in recreating their practices; and (8) much variation existed among the schools' perceptions of the project's effects. (LMI)

In June 1992, the firm of Towers Perrin/Cresap released its management study of the Baltimore (Maryland) City Schools and offered numerous recommendations to restructure the school system. The Maryland General Assembly accepted most of this report and directed the State Department of Education to monitor implementation of the recommendations. In January 1995, an independent consulting firm found that the Baltimore County Public Schools had not fully implemented most of the Cresap recommendations. A number of lawsuits have been filed concerning the provision of an adequate education for the children of Baltimore. In 1995 the city actually sued the state, claiming that it had failed to provide a thorough and efficient education as required by the Maryland constitution. The state countered that the problems resulted from poor management by the city school system. After extensive negotiation the Maryland State Department of Education, the Baltimore City Public Schools, and other parties in the litigation reached a settlement that infused more funds into the city's schools while giving the state more control in running the city's schools. If the Maryland General Assembly does not approve the funding by May 1997, the agreement will be voided and the state must go to trial. If the funding is approved and modified, all parties may challenge the changes. (Contains three tables.) (SLD)

This paper examines the demands on teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and practice associated with reforms commonly attempted in high schools and the corresponding opportunities for teacher development. Data come from a study of comprehensive school reform to illuminate the degree of fit between high school reform agendas and teachers' professional demands and opportunities. The paper examines two issues: the contribution of professional development to a school's capacity for reforms targeted at teaching and learning and how working in a reform-active environment affects teachers' practice and commitment. Section 1 examines high school traditions and reforms (the California School Restructuring Demonstration Program and the School Restructuring Study). Section 2 discusses student experience in the restructuring schools and why teacher development matters. Section 3 highlights restructured learning conditions. Section 4 presents three cases of restructuring schools, focusing on reform and professional development. Section 5 examines contributions of professional development in the context of whole school reform, highlighting: reform focus and the value attached to professional development, reform goals and the magnitude of change for individual teachers, the significance of professional community, and the role of administrator and teacher leadership. (Contains 42 references.) (SM)

Since 1988, a team composed of staff from 10 educational regional laboratories, teachers, administrators, and students have worked to become a learning community. This report describes the development and activities of the restructuring collaborative that gathered information on students and learning. Chapters 2 through 8 present case studies from an elementary school, three high schools, a network of reforming schools, a group of reform-minded teachers, and a survey of Kentucky students. The case studies represent the views of over 1,000 students from diverse communities and schools on school restructuring. Methods included interviews, small focus groups, surveys, and observation. Chapter 9 discusses common themes that emerged from the case-study data: (1) Students are keen observers of how people relate to each other within the school walls; (2) a variety of learning styles exists, which necessitates providing a variety of learning activities; and (3) students continue to view success in school in very traditional terms. Chapter 10 discusses how schools can systematically gather information from students in a short time, outlining three "data-in-a-day" strategies for gathering, collecting, and analyzing data. Twenty tables are included. Appendices include copies of the interview guides, the survey instrument, and contact information. (LMI)

Since 1988, a team composed of staff from 10 educational regional laboratories, teachers, administrators, and students have worked to become a learning community. This report describes the development and activities of the restructuring collaborative that gathered information on students and learning. Chapters 2 through 8 present case studies from an elementary school, three high schools, a network of reforming schools, a group of reform-minded teachers, and a survey of Kentucky students. The case studies represent the views of over 1,000 students from diverse communities and schools on school restructuring. Methods included interviews, small focus groups, surveys, and observation. Chapter 9 discusses common themes that emerged from the case-study data: (1) Students are keen observers of how people relate to each other within the school walls; (2) a variety of learning styles exists, which necessitates providing a variety of learning activities; and (3) students continue to view success in school in very traditional terms. Chapter 10 discusses how schools can systematically gather information from students in a short time, outlining three "data-in-a-day" strategies for gathering, collecting, and analyzing data. Twenty tables are included. Appendices include copies of the interview guides, the survey instrument, and contact information. (LMI)

The focus of this hearing was on lessons learned in the District of Columbia public schools in the year preceding the hearing. In his opening remarks, Senator Brownback (Kansas) remarked that one of the first lessons is that the academic quality of the schools is not good enough and is in dire need of improvement. A second set of lessons focuses on discipline and school safety. The first hearing witness was Gloria L. Jarmon, of the U.S. General Accounting Office, who spoke about the funding of school repairs in the District of Columbia. Delays in school repairs hindered the operation of the District schools in the preceding year. The second speaker, David L. Cotton, accompanied by Ed Fritts and Marvin Allmond who were members of a firm that audited the District of Columbia schools procurement process. Irregularities in the procurement process and the need for further investigation were pointed out. The statement of Joyce Ladner of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority discussed the steps taken to improve the poor condition of the District's schools and instructional effectiveness. Accomplishments that began to put into place the foundations of better learning, including administrative changes, were outlined. The testimony of Julius W. Becton, Jr., the Superintendent of Schools, reviewed the progress made in the relatively short time in which the newly appointed administration has operated. Improvements to facilities and personnel and financial management were outlined. The final panelist was Taalib-Din Uqdah, businessman and custodial parent of D.C. public school students, who spoke about the expectations and experiences of parents for their children's schools. An appendix contains supporting material from the Government Accounting Office and the school system, as well as prepared statements of some of the speakers. (SLD)

This report examines the first generation of professional development schools (PDSs) sponsored by the Centers for Professional Development of Teachers (CPDT) in Texas, noting challenges faced, issues raised, and lessons learned. Section 1 offers an introduction and overview. Section 2 presents the background of the PDS. Section 3, Texas CPDT and the Development of PDSs, discusses cultural differences between universities and schools, planning of PDSs, and stages of development. Section 4, An Evolving PDS: McCallum High School, describes service learning projects, professional development opportunities, and opportunities for scholarly inquiry. Section 5 discusses the PDS as a Catalyst for Restructuring Teacher Preparation. Section 6, the PDS as a Catalyst for Restructuring Schools, examines professional development and the PDS as a learning community. Section 7, the PDS as a Catalyst for Generating Knowledge, discusses PDS research strategies. Section 8, The Role of Technology in the PDS, examines technological resources of PDSs, technology as a catalyst for change in PDSs, the effect of PDS technology on school students' performance, and sustaining the technology infusion. Section 9, Benefits of Joint Ownership, discusses school-university collaboration, changes in school-university perceptions and roles, increased mutual understanding, and strengthening of collaboration. Section 10 presents Challenges to PDSs. Section 11, Need for Continuing Support, discusses university, school district, and state support. (Contains 31 references.) (SM)

The nation is currently struggling with the question of educating American children for a successful future, but little discussion has examined how to prepare both the educational system and adults within that system to help each student achieve. One such effort, Valuing Diversity in Schools, addresses policy, leadership development, and multicultural education in a restructuring process that focuses on the appreciation of diversity. The Center for Equity and Cultural Diversity at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), has collaborated with several Indiana school districts to develop a restructuring approach that creates supportive structural conditions at the district and community levels. Although implementation differed at each district, some of the first-year results include: a working model for multicultural schools; positive parent-teacher relationships; a strengthened link between schools and religious institutions; staff development programs; and increased interaction among diverse community groups. Using a pluralistic perspective, the Valuing Diversity in Schools model addresses four components of restructuring--student experiences, teachers' professional lives, school governance, and school-community collaboration. The model is based on the belief that democracy must be modeled in the educational system, and includes these program elements: district and school-site teams; trained peer facilitators; a team-member conference; climate surveys and data collection; and action plans. (LMI)

This book relies on three categories (visions, contexts, and roles) to explore school renewal as promulgated by participants in the National Education Association's Mastery in Learning Project. Following MIL Project Director Robert McClure's introduction covering participants' collegiality-building experiences, the "Visions" section considers the conditions that presage reform and pave the way for restructuring. Arthur Costa's essay envisions school as a home for the mind and stresses the importance of creativity, deliberation, perseverance, humor, and wonder--activities circumscribed by standardized testing. In chapter 2, Dorothy Massie's urges the need for authentic performance-based assessment. The next two chapters, the first on multicultural education and the second on cooperative learning, consider particular strands in envisioned schooling fabrics. Dorothy Massie's chapter on school climate, which taps MIL faculty inventories for ways to improve school settings, closes the "Visions" section. In the "Contexts" section, essays by Lynne Miller, Madeleine Grumet, Carol Livingston, and Shari Castle examine various renewal contexts, settings that enable and constrain renewal, and the need for documentation. The third section, "Roles," highlights certain individuals within renewal settings: change facilitators, teachers, students, and parents, featuring essays by Marilyn Wentworth, Gary Rackliffe, Terry Mazany, and Dorothy Massie. Gary Griffin's reflection on the emergence of learning communities through school restructuring summarizes themes and provides an encouraging afterword. References accompany most chapters. (MLH)

One prominent approach to school improvement focuses on strengthening school accountability. This paper explains how three main issues keep the theory (which links school accountability to school performance) from working in practice. The issues involve: (1) implementation controversies dealing with standards, incentives, and constituencies; (2) insufficient efforts to build organizational capacity; and (3) failure to recognize the importance of internal school accountability. The study examined the nature and extent of accountability in 24 "restructuring" elementary, middle, and high schools in 16 states. The data indicate that strong accountability was rare; organizational capacity was not related to accountability; schools with strong external accountability tended to have low organizational capacity; and strong internal accountability tended to reinforce a school's organizational capacity. The findings suggest that external agencies trying to increase school accountability should pay more attention to stimulating the kind of internal accountability that is linked to organizational capacity. The data were derived from observation, interviews, surveys of teachers and students, and document review. Appendices contain methodological notes, 2 figures, and 2 tables. (Contains 17 endnotes and 57 references.) (LMI)

This report describes specific reform practices schools are implementing to realize the vision set forth in the National Association of Secondary School Principals document, "Breaking Ranks," which calls for changes in curriculum, instruction, assessment, school organization, professional development, community partnerships, and leadership in U.S. high schools. The first section reviews a general critique of public high schools articulated in the 1980s and describes the reform practices that have emerged over the past decade in response to that critique. The second section offers examples of schools that have pulled together a number of those reforms into a comprehensive school restructuring effort, focusing on one school in depth. The third section identifies challenges schools can expect to encounter when implementing the set of reforms, drawing on the experiences of several schools with which researchers from the Center for the Education of Children Placed at Risk have worked since 1994 as part of the Talent Development High Schools project. (Contains 1 table and 79 references.) (Author/SLD)

Educators and policymakers are beginning to realize that students aged 10 through 14 are not well served by the "miniature high school" atmosphere of the typical junior high school, where the primary emphasis is placed on academic achievement in departmentalized course offerings. A program that is student-centered and that better responds to the unique social and learning needs of preadolescents is more appropriate. In response to a recommendation from the Governor's Commission on Excellence in Education, the Virginia Department of Education developed a 4-year (1988-92) plan that permitted individual schools to determine, within guidelines, the most effective organizational plan and instructional methods for their students. Chronicled within this document are the experiences of chosen core committees from Monelison Junior High School in Amherst County and Prince Edward Middle School in Prince Edward County as they worked with their faculties and administrators to redesign their schools' organization and programs and begin the transition to true middle schools. Additionally, the responses to 15 open-ended questions of the committee members regarding their experiences during the first year of restructuring are included. The Virginia Department of Education goals for middle school program design and the 15-item project description form are appended. (105 references) (KM)

Findings of a study that examined how information is used in schools that have adopted shared decision-making practices are presented in this paper. The study focused on how first- and second-year principals access, use, and value various kinds of information. A total of 24 out of 29 Louisiana LEAD schools responded to a questionnaire, an approximate 83 percent return rate. Respondents included 22 principals and 134 teachers from 12 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, and 8 high schools. Findings demonstrate empirical support for a positive relationship between shared decision making and the valuing of information. In schools where teachers reported high levels of involvement, shared decision making involved greater use of external information. Teachers who did not report high levels of involvement perceived the shared decision-making process as time-consuming and tended to rely on group experiences for decision-making information. It is suggested that beginning principals utilize university facilitators, acquire training in the use of informed decision-making processes, and act as information providers. Two figures and four tables are included. (Contains 15 references.) (LMI)

The second day of creation -- The structure of the western organizational model -- Numbers and ciphers -- The fundamental dysfunctions -- "Doctor, heal thyself." -- Paradoxes and safe havens -- The educational system and its boundaries -- Anchors at boundary one-setting sail -- Changes at the core-boundaries two, three, four, and five -- The student-the key to quality and the ultimate worker -- The system as learner-the oversite committee -- The school as learner-the site council -- Teacher and student as worker -- Parents and community-the customer as energy and resource -- Some final thoughts-on pace, pain and gracefulness

The second day of creation -- The structure of the western organizational model -- Numbers and ciphers -- The fundamental dysfunctions -- "Doctor, heal thyself." -- Paradoxes and safe havens -- The educational system and its boundaries -- Anchors at boundary one-setting sail -- Changes at the core-boundaries two, three, four, and five -- The student-the key to quality and the ultimate worker -- The system as learner-the oversite committee -- The school as learner-the site council -- Teacher and student as worker -- Parents and community-the customer as energy and resource -- Some final thoughts-on pace, pain and gracefulness

The second day of creation -- The structure of the western organizational model -- Numbers and ciphers -- The fundamental dysfunctions -- "Doctor, heal thyself." -- Paradoxes and safe havens -- The educational system and its boundaries -- Anchors at boundary one-setting sail -- Changes at the core-boundaries two, three, four, and five -- The student-the key to quality and the ultimate worker -- The system as learner-the oversite committee -- The school as learner-the site council -- Teacher and student as worker -- Parents and community-the customer as energy and resource -- Some final thoughts-on pace, pain and gracefulness

The author, one of a number of consultants from secondary schools and colleges participating in a session concerning the possible restructuring of the College Entrance Examination Board's American History and Social Studies Achievement Test, addresses himself to the general subject of the changing relationship in the secondary schools between American history and the social studies, and, more specifically, to questions concerning the extent to which American history is a core subject of social studies curricula and the extent to which other fields have been integrated into the study of American history. A comparison of New York state social studies curriculum with other state guidelines illustrates that the conceptualization of American history has undergone a transformation, and that attitudes toward a core have undergone a change. On the national level, fields other than American history are comprising a larger proportion of secondary social studies curriculum. The second question suggests the possibility of a modest study to furnish the necessary answers. It is the author's impression that other fields have had a major impact upon the study of American history through the curriculum materials developed. (Author/SJM)

In successful schools, a significantly larger percentage of students graduate with knowledge, skills, and a positive attitude toward citizenship and work than students in other schools of comparable socioeconomic status. Using data from the "Tennessee Looks at Its Schools" project, which was based on fourth-grade Stanford Achievement Tests administered in May 1980 to six selected Tennessee elementary schools, this study addressed the norm-setting behavior of principals in effective schools. Behaviors collected from principals and teachers at the 6 schools were categorized into 13 ways that principals set norms. For analysis, any of the 13 categorized behaviors used by at least 4 of the principals were considered instrumental in norm-setting. A total of four norm-setting techniques occurred and were classified as "Human Relations,""Resource Provider,""Authority of Position," and "Modeling." Of these, Resource Provider may have the most potential for principals' effectiveness. Additionally, 35 norms identified in a review of effective school literature were compiled into a checklist; the principals and teachers of the six schools were asked to check the norms they perceived were occurring in their schools. The norm groupings indicated that principals fulfilled their obligations to teachers, respected teachers' professional autonomy, and helped define high expectations for students. (25 references) (KM)

After identifying the aspects of classroom life that school restructuring might influence, this paper summarizes findings on school principals' perceptions concerning the potential effects of fundamental school reform. Because so little is known about principals' views on restructuring, an exploratory study employing qualitative methodology (indepth interviewing of a small sample) was used. Participants included 15 principals (2 women and 13 men) from public schools in New York, Illinois, and Tennessee. Findings were organized around the major areas of inquiry: conceptions of restructuring; potential impact of restructuring; prerequisites for successful implementation; and changes at the classroom and school levels. Generally, observed differences in principals' responses did not conform to patterns related to schooling level, geographic location, district context, or years of administrative experience. Principals felt that restructuring would have its greatest impact on the teacher's role. For themselves, principals forecast fewer decisions to be made by themselves, leading to a loss of power. Most principals felt that students would remain largely untouched by restructuring efforts. Principals' perspectives on radical change, restructuring goals, performance accountability, and curriculum and instruction are also discussed. Although the principals as a group were fairly supportive of restructuring, their beliefs emphasize the myriad difficulties associated with fundamental reform and its implementation. (34 references) (MLH)

In some countries there has been a general trend toward centralizing control in areas such as the development and measurement of school goals while also increasing responsibility at the school level for financial and staffing decisions and for structuring learning activities to achieve those goals. The British and New Zealand educational reforms of the late 1980s are a case in point. While a national curriculum and evaluation system was being introduced, control of staffing and school budgets was being devolved to the school. A similar trend toward a national curriculum and statewide testing is evident in Victoria, Australia, particularly in the Schools of the Future. This paper examines data from school-effectiveness studies over the last decade and a half to answer the following questions about decentralization: whether or not there should be further decentralization of decision making; what arrangements should be made to ensure effectiveness; and how such decentralization should be funded. The research is inconclusive about whether the self-managing school will improve student outcomes. Certainly the case could be made that if student outcomes remain the same, but are achieved at considerably less cost to the public, then the move toward decentralization has been worthwhile. However, initial findings suggest that the decrease in funding has entailed a human cost in the form of increased workloads for principals, teachers, and parents. (Contains 69 references.) (LMI)

Researchers who have focused on issues of interpersonal communication in organizations have concluded that it is an essential component of organizational life. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the role conceptions of principals in the Centenial Schools Program (CSP) and those of principals in non-CSP schools. Communicator Style Measure (CSM) was sent to 136 Alabama members of the Society for Human Resource Management. A total of 109 managers responded, an 80 percent rate of return. Seventy-two percent of the respondents reported a positive communicator image. However, nearly 30 percent were uncertain or held a negative opinion about their personal communicator style. CSP principals report practices emphasizing shared decision making and partnerships; however, there is little differences between CSP and non-CSP principals regarding some significant reform elements, e.g., involving parents in core technology activities. Future research is necessary to determine the impact of human resource managers with low communicator images on the success of organizations. The findings have implications for all leaders, including principals, who are the instructional supervisors and human resource managers for their schools. A principal's communicator image may affect his or her ability to attract the best teachers for the school (Contains 18 references.) (LMI)

The purpose of this report is to provide information to Tennessee EEs that may help them make decisions about whether to work with their assigned school to align curriculum and instruction with state standards or choose another strategy for helping the school to improve student academic performance. The report includes a description of the topics and cognitive demand included in the Tennessee Content Standards and locally developed district curricula. The report also presents comparisons of the content standards and locally developed district curricula as well as the comparisons of teacher survey results and state standards.

This study provides the first analysis of closure and restructuring trends for essentially all schools nationwide over the past 30 years. We analyze the annual closure and restructuring rates of all schools across the United States, how these rates changed over time, and what factors predict closure and restructuring. [For the Technical Report, see ED622010.]

A study was conducted to identify and measure theoretical dimensions of teacher empowerment in 307 venture capital schools in Ohio. (The Ohio state legislature established venture capital grants to support school improvement; these grants serve as catalysts for local schools to redesign their internal structures.) Data were gathered from 4,091 classroom teachers working in 183 schools. Teacher empowerment was measured by the School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES) which considers six dimensions: decision-making, professional growth, status, self-efficacy, autonomy, and impact. Teacher respondents rated their overall sense of empowerment between the neutral midpoint (3.00) and the "agree" (4.00) point of the 5-point rating scale. The three dimensions on which the teachers rated their empowerment between "agree" and "strongly agree" were status (4.07), professional growth (4.19), and self-efficacy (4.12). The data suggested that, overall, teachers perceived that they had status within their schools, that their schools provided opportunities for them to grow as professionals, and that they had the skills and ability to help students learn. Teachers were more neutral about whether they had opportunities to participate in decision making, to interact with colleagues, and to make an impact beyond their classrooms. Findings suggested that: (1) professional development strategies to strengthen classroom teachers' skills and knowledge should be designed as both preservice and inservice programs; (2) teacher educators should help the classroom teacher build specific and general skills for working with and within groups; (3) experience and skill-development in information gathering, information synthesis, group processes, and consensus building should be included in teacher education programs; and (4) restructuring teams need to provide more opportunities for collaboration. (Contains 32 references.) (ND)

In 1990, Kent-Meridian High School in Kent, Washington, decided to implement four schools-within-schools, each with its separate academic and career focus. The first school, focusing on the area of health science, was implemented in 1992. A second school-within-the-school, the International Business and Global Studies (IBGS) School, was implemented during the second year of the restructuring effort (1993-94). This paper contains two papers that report evaluation results for year 2 of the Health Science School (HSS) and for year 1 of the IBGS. Both schools feature an integrated curriculum, cooperative learning, the direct application of learning to life situations, flexible scheduling, cohort learning, and alternative assessment strategies. Findings indicate that second-year HSS students continued to receive a unique educational experience; however, the results of the Classroom Environment Scale (CES), faculty interviews, and parent questionnaires indicate that the degree of innovation, cohesiveness, and integration declined. First-year participation in both schools did not translate into higher grades. Faculty for first-year HHS and IBGS students believed that they had achieved limited success in implementing the desired program. Recommendations include: that each program resolve its long-term leadership question, move forward with curriculum development, practice faculty evaluations of the curriculum, prevent curriculum integration from dominating the restructuring effort, and improve parental involvement. Thirteen tables are included. (LMI)

Teacher empowerment was one of eight criteria required by the Ohio Department of Education for funding as part of its Venture Capital Schools in Ohio program. This report, part of a larger study, identifies and summarizes dimensional definitions of teacher empowerment in school restructuring literature in order to enlarge the vision of Venture Capital School Planning teams and to suggest roles for classroom teachers that might otherwise have been overlooked. In the literature, the conceptual continuum of teacher empowerment ranged from power handed down to classroom teachers through the school's hierarchical structure (usually from the principal) to self-empowerment through professional growth and knowledge. A number of strategies for empowering teachers are examined, along with the results of several studies. The most frequently identified dimension of empowerment was decision making; others mentioned frequently were collegiality/collaboration, professional knowledge, self-efficacy, autonomy, and status of classroom teachers. Less frequently mentioned were authority, curriculum planning/design, impact/causal importance, leadership, mentoring, responsibility, and self esteem. Study findings suggest that to participate in school restructuring, teachers must pursue knowledge beyond that of subject content and pedagogy. Their professional knowledge must include a thorough grounding in both the philosophy and processes of the change model adopted by their school. (Contains 34 references.) (ND)

Factors that can powerfully affect an educator's ability to manage school change are culture, leadership, and readiness. Movement from bureaucracy to community, from isolation to collaboration, involves cultural changes. Managing the change process within a cultural context is influenced by the structural, human resources, political, and symbolic frames of reference that a leader employs when analyzing the organization. Leadership in schools continues to revolve around the role of principal. Principals need to develop a clear, unified focus, create a common cultural perspective, and support a constant push for improvement. Creating readiness for change is a precondition to restructuring. Several models suggest stages that leaders should understand before they begin a transformative change process. Ten commitments to change that a school staff might embrace are identified, and a series of questions are provided that can be used to assess current practices and ascertain which restructuring goals a school is ready to undertake. One effective means of building readiness is to provide staff the opportunity to visit schools that are actively involved in restructuring and ask questions about meaning, organization, and effects of change. (Contains 23 references.) (MLF)

This digest briefly reviews major approaches to restructuring American schools and evaluates their potential for improving student learning and their feasibility--politically, financially, and administratively. The following reasons for restructuring are discussed: (1) poor educational performance; and (2) the changing skills needed for today's jobs. The following restructuring options are evaluated: (1) decentralizing authority over schools, which includes school-based management, more professional teaching conditions, and school choice in public education; (2) holding schools more accountable for performance; (3) altering the content and process of classroom instruction; and (4) strengthening school-community links. Possible problems with these proposals for restructuring are identified. (JS)

Ways in which schools and communities collaborate to create a learning community are described in this fifth guidebook in a series of nine video conferences on school restructuring. Extended school and community roles include enrichment of the learning environment, coordination of a learning support network, and expansion of the community of learners. Also provided are pre- and post-conference activities, a program evaluation, essays and school-based activities highlighting conference topics, information about other video conferences in the series and computer forums, information on course credit, a list of supplementary materials, 37 references and a list of organizations to contact for videos, and a list of 9 regional resources. Biographical information is supplied on the conference presenters. (LMI)

Three phases of any change effort include initiation, implementation, and continuation. This seventh guidebook in a series of nine video conferences addresses later stages of implementation and continuation (initiation and early stages of implementation are discussed in the sixth guidebook.) In the guidebook are definitions of the three phases of change; a discussion of issues involved in carrying out implementation and continuation; an examination of three special attention issues--students' multicultural backgrounds, at-risk children's needs, and reform in rural and small schools; and a summary of the dynamics of change, which stresses fundamental reform as a cyclical process. Also included are pre- and post-conference activities, a program evaluation, essays and school-based activities highlighting conference topics, information about other video conferences in the series and computer forums, course credit information, a list of supplementary materials, 75 references, 9 organizational resources, and 9 regional resources. Biographical information is given on the conference presenters. (LMI)

"Restructuring" is a term whose meaning varies according to which group is using it. National political leaders often use the term in reference to public school choice. At state and district levels, restructuring is often associated with pushing decision making authority to the local level. Leaders in teachers' unions call restructuring a tool for empowerment. The business community can use the term to describe more active partnerships between businesses and schools. To community activists, it can mean heightened parent and community involvement. To researchers and practitioners, restructuring is a movement to promote higher order learning outcomes for students. Brief summaries of regional action and agendas from seven states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and a guest commentary by Lourdes Monteagudo, Deputy Mayor for Education, City of Chicago, are included. A list of 19 references and resources is also provided. (EJS)

The purpose of this document is to encourage school boards to take another critical step in improving schools, specifically by focusing on how the district and each school addresses barriers to learning and teaching. The discussion explores: 1) why school boards need to increase their focus on addressing barriers to learning and teaching 2) the benefits accrued from doing so 3) barriers into a school board's committee structure 4) lessons learned from a major district where the board created a committee dedicated to the matter of improving how current resources are expended with respect to addressing barriers to learning. Appended is: (1) Needed: A Comprehensive, Multifaceted Continuum of Intervention.

Few efforts have been made to inject teachers' voices into discussions on school restructuring. Qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 teachers to ascertain what the "average" teacher thinks about restructuring. The majority of interviewees held positive perceptions about restructuring, but opinions differed on the feasibility of changing schools. Hopes for interdisciplinary curriculums integrated across time and subject matter and for school climates that fostered a sense of unity were widespread. Teachers also expressed desires for more freedom to teach what they think is best and additional support personnel. Almost all teachers felt that more social and academic benefits would be available to students as a result of restructuring. The interview questionnaire is appended. (26 references) (EJS)

Robert L. Larson, Education, UVM, discusses restructuring as a concept and practice in business and government which entered the general educational literature in the late 1980s, and soon thereafter came to the attention of Vermont educators. Since then many schools have stated informally that they are "restructuring." This seminar is a report of in-depth field studies in two Vermont schools that had announced formally that they were involved in the process, Caledonia and Chittenden High Schools (pseudonyms). The research demonstrated that what matters most in restructuring is what happens in the classroom. Curriculum, instruction, assessment, and learner standards and outcomes are the key restructuring variables. All of them have an important impact on student engagement, the most pressing and persistent issue facing students and educators. Without engagement in the learning process, little achievement will occur. But in today's school environments attaining engagement is more challenging than ever, calling for most teachers to change in important ways. And systematically restructuring classrooms requires administrative leadership, community and board support, and a dynamic interplay between goals, resources, and policies at the "top" of the organization and focused, thoughtful, and sustained effort at the "bottom" from the educational staff.

A summary of the school restructuring movement and an outline of strategies for implementation are presented. The underlying principles of restructuring are included in four broad strategies, which include school-based management, teacher empowerment, voice/choice, and teaching for understanding. New responsibilities for state policymakers include taking a leadership role in interacting with educational stakeholders, supporting restructuring principles, and setting accountability standards. A conclusion is that state policy actors' primary responsibilities are policy formation and evaluation, which leaves process and implementation to local participants. (59 references) (LMI)

The implications of restructuring proposals for at risk students are examined in this ninth guidebook in a series of nine video conferences on school restructuring. Contents include a description of four approaches for the identification of at risk students: predictive, descriptive, unilateral, and school factors; a discussion of the relationship between meeting at risk student needs and overall school success; an examination of barriers to academic achievement; and an analysis of alternative approaches and strategies for prioritizing restructuring initiatives. Also included are pre- and post-conference activities, a program evaluation, essays and school-based activities highlighting conference topics, information about other video conferences in the series and computer forums, course credit information and a list of supplementary materials, 69 references, 2 video sources, and 9 regional resources. Biographical information is given on the conference presenters. (LMI)

This paper examines the relationship between demands for site-based management and restructuring as they bear on recent theory and research on power in organizations. It also defines and describes the new face of power in the schools--facilitative power, power exercised through, rather than over, subordinates. The bulk of the paper consists of an attempt to show how power sharing is already in place in many current school activities. Six programs that encourage facilitative power are described: the Individual Educational Program in special education; the consultant teacher model, increasingly a component of special education delivery systems; peer consultation; cooperative learning; thematic, multidisciplinary curricula in which staff members work a specific curricular theme into the school activities; and community/alternative schools, which take curricular themes much further. These programs are discussed in relation to four characteristics of facilitative power: resource management, human resource utilization, supervision, and networking. Conclusions are that many school administrators already possess facilitative skills and knowledge and that the potential of a restructuring plan can be measured by its effect on administrators' ability to utilize facilitative power. One table accompanies the document. (45 references) (LMI)

This paper examines the relationship between demands for site-based management and restructuring as they bear on recent theory and research on power in organizations. It also defines and describes the new face of power in the schools--facilitative power, power exercised through, rather than over, subordinates. The bulk of the paper consists of an attempt to show how power sharing is already in place in many current school activities. Six programs that encourage facilitative power are described: the Individual Educational Program in special education; the consultant teacher model, increasingly a component of special education delivery systems; peer consultation; cooperative learning; thematic, multidisciplinary curricula in which staff members work a specific curricular theme into the school activities; and community/alternative schools, which take curricular themes much further. These programs are discussed in relation to four characteristics of facilitative power: resource management, human resource utilization, supervision, and networking. Conclusions are that many school administrators already possess facilitative skills and knowledge and that the potential of a restructuring plan can be measured by its effect on administrators' ability to utilize facilitative power. One table accompanies the document. (45 references) (LMI)

This paper examines the relationship between demands for site-based management and restructuring as they bear on recent theory and research on power in organizations. It also defines and describes the new face of power in the schools--facilitative power, power exercised through, rather than over, subordinates. The bulk of the paper consists of an attempt to show how power sharing is already in place in many current school activities. Six programs that encourage facilitative power are described: the Individual Educational Program in special education; the consultant teacher model, increasingly a component of special education delivery systems; peer consultation; cooperative learning; thematic, multidisciplinary curricula in which staff members work a specific curricular theme into the school activities; and community/alternative schools, which take curricular themes much further. These programs are discussed in relation to four characteristics of facilitative power: resource management, human resource utilization, supervision, and networking. Conclusions are that many school administrators already possess facilitative skills and knowledge and that the potential of a restructuring plan can be measured by its effect on administrators' ability to utilize facilitative power. One table accompanies the document. (45 references) (LMI)

This paper examines the relationship between demands for site-based management and restructuring as they bear on recent theory and research on power in organizations. It also defines and describes the new face of power in the schools--facilitative power, power exercised through, rather than over, subordinates. The bulk of the paper consists of an attempt to show how power sharing is already in place in many current school activities. Six programs that encourage facilitative power are described: the Individual Educational Program in special education; the consultant teacher model, increasingly a component of special education delivery systems; peer consultation; cooperative learning; thematic, multidisciplinary curricula in which staff members work a specific curricular theme into the school activities; and community/alternative schools, which take curricular themes much further. These programs are discussed in relation to four characteristics of facilitative power: resource management, human resource utilization, supervision, and networking. Conclusions are that many school administrators already possess facilitative skills and knowledge and that the potential of a restructuring plan can be measured by its effect on administrators' ability to utilize facilitative power. One table accompanies the document. (45 references) (LMI)

This paper examines the relationship between demands for site-based management and restructuring as they bear on recent theory and research on power in organizations. It also defines and describes the new face of power in the schools--facilitative power, power exercised through, rather than over, subordinates. The bulk of the paper consists of an attempt to show how power sharing is already in place in many current school activities. Six programs that encourage facilitative power are described: the Individual Educational Program in special education; the consultant teacher model, increasingly a component of special education delivery systems; peer consultation; cooperative learning; thematic, multidisciplinary curricula in which staff members work a specific curricular theme into the school activities; and community/alternative schools, which take curricular themes much further. These programs are discussed in relation to four characteristics of facilitative power: resource management, human resource utilization, supervision, and networking. Conclusions are that many school administrators already possess facilitative skills and knowledge and that the potential of a restructuring plan can be measured by its effect on administrators' ability to utilize facilitative power. One table accompanies the document. (45 references) (LMI)

This paper examines the relationship between demands for site-based management and restructuring as they bear on recent theory and research on power in organizations. It also defines and describes the new face of power in the schools--facilitative power, power exercised through, rather than over, subordinates. The bulk of the paper consists of an attempt to show how power sharing is already in place in many current school activities. Six programs that encourage facilitative power are described: the Individual Educational Program in special education; the consultant teacher model, increasingly a component of special education delivery systems; peer consultation; cooperative learning; thematic, multidisciplinary curricula in which staff members work a specific curricular theme into the school activities; and community/alternative schools, which take curricular themes much further. These programs are discussed in relation to four characteristics of facilitative power: resource management, human resource utilization, supervision, and networking. Conclusions are that many school administrators already possess facilitative skills and knowledge and that the potential of a restructuring plan can be measured by its effect on administrators' ability to utilize facilitative power. One table accompanies the document. (45 references) (LMI)

This second volume of selected readings is designed to accompany Video Conferences 5-9 in the series "Restructuring to Promote Learning in America's Schools." The readings in this volume explore several key issues in school restructuring. Four sections include: (1) Schools as Learning Communities; (2) Many Roads to Fundamental Reform: Getting Started and Continuing the Journey; (3) The Meaning of Staff Development in the 21st Century; and (4) Reconnecting Students at Risk to the Learning Process. Essays include: (1) "Building Community" (John W. Gardner); (2) "Parent-Community Involvement: Collaboration by Another Name" (Betty Harris James); (3) "Blueprint for Schools and Community Development" (The Heartland Center for Leadership Development); (4) "The School of the Future Will Be a Community School" (C. William Brubaker); (5) "Parent Involvement: State Education Agencies Should Lead the Way" (Joyce L. Epstein); (6) "The Next Educational Reform: Family Support Systems" (William H. Denton); (7) "Bottom-Line Education: A Business-Run School in Chicago Seeks to Improve Learning Without a Big Rise in Costs" (Ellen Graham); (8) "Restructuring Schools to Meet the Needs of Disadvantaged Students" (Gary Natriello; Edward L. McDill; Aaron M. Pallas); (9) "Background Paper Professional Practice Schools" (Marsha Levine, Tamar Gendler); (10) "Toward Redefining Models of Curriculum and Instruction for Students at Risk" (Beau Fly Jones); (11) "Toward a New Mainstream of Instruction for American Schools" (Eric J. Cooper); (12) "The Search for Meaningful Reform: A Third-Wave Educational System" (Charles M. Reigeluth); (13) "Lessons From the Trenches" (Thomas Toch, Matthew Cooper); (14) "Educational Reform and Federal Policy: Supporting Perestroika and Professionalism in the Public Schools" (Linda Darling-Hammond); (15) "Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the New Reform" (Lee S. Shulman); (16) "Five Models of Staff Development for Teachers" (Dennis Sparks, Susan Loucks-Horsley); (17) "Effective Staff Development for Urban School Improvement" (William T. Pink); (18) "Educating Poor Minority Children" (James P. Comer); (19) "Funds of Knowledge: Historical Constitution, Social Distribution, and Transmission" (James B. Greenberg); (20) "What No Bedtime Story Means: Narrative Skills at Home and School" (Shirley Brice Heath); (21) "Research Into Practice: Teaching Mathematics and Thinking" (Edward A. Silver, Margaret S. Smith); and (22) "QUASAR Quantitative Understanding Amplifying Student Achievement and Reasoning" (Edward A. Silver). (MLH)

This paper is focused on the last of the fourth options in the "What Works When" series, a series designed to help district leaders understand what is known about when and under what circumstances each of the four options works to improve student learning. The goal of this series is to help district leaders determine which change is the right change for each school. The focus of this paper is on turning the operation of the school over to the state, which is referred to as "takeovers." This paper examines what is known about the use of state takeovers as a way to improve failing schools and issues that state policymakers should address when considering state takeovers as a policy option. The contents are organized into the following sections: (1) Methodology; (2) What Are State Takeovers under NCLB?; (3) What Experience Have States Had with Takeovers and Related Initiatives?; (4) What Do We Know from These Experiences? Key Success Factors and Key Challenges; (5) What Further Research Is Needed to Understand State Takeovers?; and (6) Conclusion. [This report was published by Learning Point Associates.]

There are very real barriers to using people, time, money, and technology well in today's public schools systems. To begin to break down these barriers, the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) has created a framework to prioritize seven urgent restructuring priorities. The authors have found that these areas represent the largest opportunities for freeing unproductive use of resources and at the same time moving toward higher-performing designs for schools and systems. The popular press is full of discussion about some of these areas, especially with regard to teacher compensation, including easing restrictive teacher tenure and dismissal policies, rethinking how teachers are evaluated and compensated, and addressing the challenges of escalating benefits and pension costs. For the purposes of this paper, in order to ensure that declining resources are used most effectively, the authors have focused on four priority areas that states will have to address in order to ensure that declining resources are used most effectively: (1) How schools organize personnel and time; (2) How districts and schools spend special education dollars; (3) How districts allocate resources to schools and students; and (4) What information districts gather on resources and spending. (Contains 10 figures and 21 footnotes.) [This paper was written with Elliot Regenstein. For "Restructuring Resources for High-Performing Schools: A Primer for State Policymakers. Summary," see ED541789.]

The "close-and-reopen" option, as it's called, has several distinct advantages. It provides an opportunity to enlist the interest and energy of the community in changing and improving an underachieving school. It serves as a mechanism for heightening the visibility and promoting the spread of promising practices across the public education system. And it gives low performing schools a powerful new tool ? the unique blend of autonomy and accountability that charter schools embody ? for addressing the difficult and diverse problems they typically face. Implementing the close-and-reopen options may be difficult politically, and carrying it out effectively may prove costly and time consuming. Careful consideration must be given to the nature and extent of the state's role in the process, and to ensuring the end result is fundamental and lasting improvement, rather than superficial change. This paper explores the challenges and potential benefits of the close-and-reopen option, and the role that states can and should play in its implementation.

Findings of a study that examined change in four elementary schools (members of large urban public school systems located in the south and southwest sections of the United States) from a conventional to a participatory model of school organization are presented in this paper. To compare teacher roles before and after implementation of the Accelerated Schools model, data were obtained from document analysis and interviews with teachers, principals, assistant principals, social workers, and parents. Findings indicate that before adoption of the model, teachers in each of the schools acted as "instruments of policy," who lacked team effort and idea-sharing. All teachers in three schools agreed that the model had led to enhanced empowerment and increased involvement in the decision-making process. Teacher roles remained the same in one school. In two schools, the increased responsibility and understanding of empowerment contributed to teacher dissatisfaction. Four tables are included. (Contains 24 references.) (LMI)

The decade 1980-90 saw a spate of educational reconstruction occurring simultaneously in many countries. This book argues that the school restructuring of the past 10 years has been called the "education-reform movement," but that term is somewhat misleading. The current reform efforts seem to aim primarily at the control and governance of both schools and school systems, targeting the management of education. The book examines the common themes that are emerging in the restructuring movement and its possible effects. Developments in Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and New Zealand are examined. Part 1, entitled "A Comparative Perspective," contains the following two chapters: (1) "Introduction" (H. Beare and W. Lowe Boyd); and (2) "Ready, A.I.M., Reform: Building a Model of Education Reform and 'High Politics'" (J. W. Guthrie and J. E. Koppich). Part 2 presents case studies from the six countries: (3) "The Education-reform Movement in England and Wales" (H. Thomas); (4) "Examining Contemporary Education-Reform Efforts in the United States" (J. E. Koppich and J. W. Guthrie); (5) "The Reconstruction of New Zealand Education: A Case of 'High Politics' Reform?" (R. J. S. Macpherson); (6) "A Decade of Educational Reform in Canada: Encounters with the Octopus, the Elephant, and the Five Dragons" (S. B. Lawton); (7) "Developments in Education Policy in Australia: A Perspective on the 1980s" (L. Warren Louden and R. K. Browne); and (8) "Education Reform in Japan Since 1984" (T. Sasamori). Part 3, entitled "Issues in the School-Reform Movement," contains the following chapters: (9) "Paradox and Uncertainty in the Governance of Education" (B. J. Caldwell); (10) "On Centralization, Decentralization, and School Restructuring: A Sociological Perspective" (R. O. Slater); (11) "Public Schools in Decline: Implications of the Privatization of Schools in Australia" (D. S. Anderson); (12) Different Ways of Viewing School-site Councils: Whose Paradigm Is in Use Here?" (H. Beare); and (13) "A Framework for Allocating Authority in a System of Schools" (A. D. Swanson). Each chapter contains references. Eight figures, five tables, a list of acronyms, and an index are included. (LMI)