Aguilera, Linda, Crane, Patti, Hamer, Mariann, Morrison, Melissa, & Serrano, Dina (1998). Comer Schools: Are They Recognizable through Direct Observation? (ED420925) The Comer School Development Program is a reform model aimed at creating a positive school climate. Research has confirmed that specific Comer characteristics, such as an orderly, well-maintained facility, classroom diversity, and staff friendliness, can be observed. This study uses the Comer Visitor Observation instrument to determine whether positive climate can be observed. Data from nine elementary schools (three high- implementing, three low-implementing, and three control) in the San Diego Unified School District showed that climate definitely varied among schools. The schools were observed by five different researchers unaware of each school's status. Findings indicated that schools could be correctly identified as high, low, or control through direct observation. When Comer surveys and Comer Visitor Observation instruments were distributed to parents, teachers, and staff, their responses did not correlate as highly as researchers' direct observations. From these mixed results, it is important to realize that school climate fluctuates yearly, due to variables such as administrative support, influx of new teachers not trained in the Comer School Development Program, and lack of on-going training. High-implementing Comer schools that continue to educate parents, staff, and students have a better chance for maintaining a desirable, achievement-oriented school climate. Included are tables and sample study questionnaires. Contains 7 references and a 14-item bibliography. (MLH)
Aguirre, JoAnn Kawamura (1998). Pio Pico: Breaking the Culture of Silence. (ED419884) This qualitative study explored the presence of community voice in a newly structured inner-city elementary school in Santa Ana (California). Nearly every family at Pio Pico Elementary School lives below the poverty level, and Spanish is the primary language of 90% of the residents, with most families being of Mexican or Central American origin. However, from its inception as a model demonstration school, Pio Pico has been a school in the cutting edge of educational reform. This study shows what makes Pio Pico a success. The school, which opened as a restructuring school, is a demonstration school for the district's bilingual education program, and is a Professional Development School in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine. The school gives voice to its community largely because of the efforts of the principal; a woman who is committed to the community and to the acceptance of the diversity of the students and awareness of their cultural heritages. The full-inclusion school serves about 900 students on a year-round schedule of 4 cycles, with 13 teachers per cycle. Parent participation is very high at Pio Pico, where parental concerns receive constant attention. The school has sponsored neighborhood cleanups to combat drug and gang activity. Community voice is strengthened by collaborative partnerships with many organizations, but it is the democratic leadership of the principal that is the key to the school's success. (Contains 15 references.) (SLD)
Allen-Haynes, Leetta (10 Nov 1993). Using an Accelerated Schools' School-University Partnership To Inform Change in a College of Education's Teacher and Administrator Training Programs. Draft. (ED372055) This paper summarizes a case study of an educational reform strategy involving the development of a school-university partnership in which the university was a member of the National Accelerated Schools Network. The Accelerated Schools model builds on strengths, emphasizes agenda and resource sharing, and institutionalizes the school-university collaboration process. The Accelerated Schools model implies that genuine and lasting educational renewal and change can result from a system of educational organizational development and research which can impact both the present practice and the training of future teachers. The case study, which used John Goodlad's "ideal partnership paradigm" as the conceptual framework, revealed the potential for changing education by linking school-level realities to college of education teacher and administrator preparation programs' pedagogy and practices. The study also revealed that the establishment of a mutual goal, rather than involvement in a particular project, provided the primary impetus for the partnership's development. Four separate stages of the partnership could be identified, to which four separate sets of role relations and expectations were attached. (Contains 60 references.) (JDD)
Anderson, Charlotte C., Ed., & Naylor, David T., Ed. (1991). Law-Related Education and the Preservice Teacher. Proceedings of a Working Conference (Cincinnati, Ohio, April 21-23, 1988). (ED342698) Evolving from a working conference, this volume examines three areas basic to preservice teacher preparation. Specifically, the conference explored (1) the literature and research that informs and supports law-related education; (2) the knowledge, skills, and abilities that teachers need in order to teach law-related education effectively; and (3) the access points and strategies for making law- related education an integral part of preservice teacher education. The following papers are included: "Making LRE an Integral Part of Preservice Teacher Education Programs" (D. Naylor); "Lessons about Teacher Training" (L. Arbetman); "The Challenge of Teacher Education Reform" (H. Gideonse); "Civic Competency: A Natural Nexus with Law-Related Education" (J. Nelson); "Using Law-Related Education to Facilitate Students' Learning in Critical Thinking" (F. Rogers); "School Climate: Research Insights for the Education of Social Studies Teachers" (M. Hepburn); "LRE and Delinquency Prevention: Implications for Preservice Education" (R. Hunter); "Law-Related Education Research: Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning" (D. Skeel); "What Do Secondary School Teachers Need to Know?" (S. Rose); "Knowledge Base for Preservice Education Teachers of Law-Related Education at the Middle School Level" (C. Butler); "Citizenship Education in Elementary Schools: Preparing the Classroom Teacher" (A. Gallagher); "A Law-Related Approach to Foundations of Education" (L. Fischer); "Law and the Preservice Curriculum: A Proposed Curricular Model" (E. Walter Miles); "Law-related Education: The Link with Clinical Experiences in Teacher Education" (P. Maxey Fernlund); and "LRE in Elementary Social Studies Methods Textbooks and Courses: Perspectives, Issues, and Recommendations" (D. Naylor). (DB)
Anderson, Lowell D. (Nov 1992). Relationship of Technology Education to Tech Prep. (ED354323) With increased global competition, it is imperative that secondary school programs be reformed so as to be able to turn out productive workers having basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics and the ability to solve problems and learn new information. One proposed reform, tech prep, can be defined as a technical education alternative to the college preparatory program articulated with a two-year postsecondary associate degree program. The tech prep program should run parallel to the college preparatory program, it should build an advanced skills technical education, and it should incorporate real-life applications of the curriculum using a competency-based approach designed to provide employability skills. Many different models of tech prep have been proposed, such as the Center for Occupational Research and Development's Tech Prep/Associate Degree program, which encompasses kindergarten through lifelong learning; the Perkins Act model; and the Indiana model. Several delivery systems for tech prep can be synthesized from these approaches. Although technology education would be assumed to be a part of tech prep, the literature does not support this position. Therefore, technology educators must make an aggressive effort to be included in tech prep. Nine propositions for the relationship of technology education to tech prep should be considered as the tech prep model is developed. (Contains 26 references.) (KC)
Anson, Ronald J., Ed. (Sep 1994). Systemic Reform: Perspectives on Personalizing Education. (ED376557) The eight papers collected here bring to bear a complex set of perspectives on a common problem: how to make education more effective now and in the future. The papers speak to the need to understand education as an individual-driven, learner- centered activity. Following Ronald J. Anson's introduction called "Personalizing Systemic Reform," the papers include the following: (1) "Coordinating Top-Down and Bottom-Up Strategies for Educational Reform" (Michael G. Fullan); (2) "Change Has Changed: Implications for Implementation of Assessments from the Organizational Change Literature" (Suzanne M. Stiegelbauer); (3) "Time for Teachers in School Restructuring" (Joseph Cambone); (4) "New Boundaries for School-Based Management: The High Involvement Model" (Priscilla Wohlstetter, Roxane Smyer, and Susan Albers Mohrman); (5) "Teachers' Professional Development in a Climate of Educational Reform" (Judith Warren Little); (6) "Realizing the Promise of Technology: The Need for Systemic Reform" (Jane L. David); (7) "Bringing Schools and Communities Together in Preparation for the 21st Century: Implications of the Current Educational Reform Movement for Family and Community Involvement Policies" (Patrick M. Shields); and (8) "Research Knowledge and Policy Issues in Cultural Diversity and Education" (Roland G. Tharp). References accompany each chapter. (LMI)
Arnold, Gordon B. (Nov 1993). Institutional Constraints on the Development of Curricular Policy Alternatives. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper. (ED365187) A study of the college curriculum decision-making process examined the generation of options or alternatives considered as part of a general education curriculum revision in the late 1980s at a major church-affiliated university. This process was examined in the framework of the rational-choice model of human behavior. Data were gathered from a detailed documentary record and retrospective interviews with key individuals. Archival and ethnographic data were then synthesized to produce a picture of the workings of the decision-making group. The study found that the 2-year curriculum revision resulted in a program not very different from its predecessor, and that none of the curricular alternatives considered was dramatically different from the original program. Factors examined closely included the role of departments and existing school structure in curriculum design, the approach taken to cultural diversity, and creation of a new general education governance committee. The study concluded that in all of these cases, the alternatives considered and the net result supported maintenance of the status quo. In addition, the rational-choice model of decision-making was seen as inadequate for analyzing the complexity of the organizational reform process. (Contains 27 references.) (MSE)
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Buchanan, Aaron D., & Hafner, Anne L. (Apr 1991). Current Research on National Systems of Education Indicators: Potential Benefits for School-Based Management. (ED342134) To remain competitive in the international marketplace, the United States will have to recommit to a new era of educational reform. Students must be pushed to reach higher expectations, and the U.S. educational system must find an efficient and centralized mechanism to measure national progress in education reform. This document describes the current trends in the development of indicators designed to measure educational progress. Several specific problems with indicators are targeted, such as: accommodating federal, state, and district information; effectively processing this information; and dealing with the excessive cost of creating and maintaining a national database. All the recommendations for new indicator systems feature some version of an input, process, output model that flows from characteristics of the community and the population served, through characteristics of the school itself, to characteristics of learner outcomes. Student achievement is the primary outcome. This document shows several simple models for indicator systems and discusses how to transform the models into indicators, the indicators into data, and the data into information. The last section addresses national projects to develop indicators, the burdens and benefits these projects have on local schools, and the effects these projects have on the future of education. (30 references) (LAP)
Burnett, I. Emett, Jr., & Pankake, Anita M. (Nov 1990). The Effective Elementary School Principal: Theoretical Bases, Research Findings and Practical Implications. (ED333591) Although much of the current school reform movement relies on the basic assumption of effective elementary school administration, insufficient effort has been made to synthesize key concepts found in organizational theory and management studies with relevant effective schools research findings. This paper attempts such a synthesis to help develop a clearer concept of elementary school principalship effectiveness. Following some definitions of key terms, the paper presents several concepts from organizational/management theory, including the Getzels-Guba Model of Organizational Social System Functioning, Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, and Glickman's Paradigm of Teacher Categories. These concepts are then correlated with relevant effective schools research findings, such as Edmonds's five correlates, Purkey and Smith's nine characteristics of effective schools, Salganick's profile of the strong principal, and Dwyer's characteristics of effective principals. Finally, some mnemonics for elementary school principal effectiveness are outlined. (24 references) (MLH)
Butler, E. Dean, & Others (Apr 1990). The PATS Project: A State of Tennessee School Reform Initiative. (ED332294) The first-year results of a Tennessee college-school partnership program to implement a data-based school improvement change modelthe Positive Attitudes in Tennessee Schools Project (PATS)are summarized in this report. Two major goals of the first year (1989-90) included assessing and improving school climate and enhancing student and teacher self-esteem. Faculty from 6 state higher education institutions were paired with 41 participating schools, which included 4 special, 20 elementary, 6 middle/junior high, and 11 senior high schools, to monitor their development. Longitudinal research was conducted to determine the influences on school and classroom climates resulting from school improvement initiatives and to assess the differential impact of changes on a number of dependent variables. Instruments included the Tennessee Classroom Climate Inventory (TCCI), Tennessee School Climate Inventory (TSCI), Self Concept as a Learner-Revised (SCALR), and a teacher self-esteem assessment. Findings indicate overall positive assessments of the schools' instructional programs, but widespread student dissatisfaction in the areas of participation and classroom interaction. Findings also point to variations existing between schools and communities. Generally, students reported stable academic self-images, but differed in their perceptions of classroom climates. Appendices include state training tables, school and classroom climate tables, self-concept as learner tables, and a summary of student data. (35 references) (LMI)
Butler-Williams, Lydia A., & Kpo, Wolandyo (Apr 1990). A Study of Teachers' Attitudes toward School Reform. (ED324774) The study summarized in this report explored the attitudes of 320 teachers employed at three ethnically diverse high schools selected to pilot the Model Schools Project during the 1988-89 school year. The survey was returned by 164 teachers. The researcher-developed study questionnaire elicited attitudes toward school reform, perceptions of the Illinois School Reform Act in general, and policy changes directly affecting classroom teachers. The attitude scale generated measures on two constructs: endorsement of school reform and anxiety about the specific policy changes. Several analyses (the independent T-test, pairwise comparisons, and polarized categorizations) were employed to evaluate the effects of teacher characteristics on the endorsement and anxiety scales. Teachers generally appear to have low endorsement of the School Reform Act and some anxiety about the proposed policy changes. The most experienced teachers were the most anxious and had the lowest endorsement for the reform bill. Teachers directly involved in the school's pilot of a school-based management model had significantly greater endorsement and expressed lower anxiety than nonparticipants. Conclusions and implications of teachers' low endorsement/low anxiety attitude profiles are discussed. (11 references.) (MLH)
Bamburg, Jerry, & Isaacson, Nancy (Apr 1991). A Conceptual Model of the Instructionally Effective School: Confronting the Whys, Whats and Hows. (ED333533) Although the "what" of schooling has become clearer through a convergence of research findings, educators still do not understand the "hows" of effectively using that knowledge to make necessary changes. This paper's objectives are to argue the necessity of fundamental changes in the patterns of schooling (the "whys") and to present a conceptual model of an instructionally effective school. This model contains two elements (the "whats" and the "hows") essential for creating schools that will ensure optimal effectiveness for all students. The imperative for school reform is grounded in three perspectives: economic, sociopolitical, and moral. The instructionally effective school model is driven by the central shared belief that all children can learn. Around this belief (mission), as a chart illustrates, are four domains of knowledge: (1) the design, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum; (2) instructional strategies; (3) effective schools research; and (4) theories of change. Surrounding the knowledge domains are the processes empowering educators to transform goals and beliefs into reality, including collaborative decision-making models, effective interpersonal communication skills, problem-solving strategies, conflict management strategies, and caring for each other as adults. The interrelationships of these components, as well as barriers to collaborative processes in schools, are discussed in detail. (37 references) (MLH)
Barnett, W. Steven, Ed., & Boocock, Sarane Spence, Ed. (1998). Early Care and Education for Children in Poverty: Promises, Programs, and Long- Term Results. SUNY Series, Youth, Special Services, Schooling, and Public Policy and SUNY Series, Early Childhood Education. (ED417265) A major objective of this collection is to involve researchers in a wide range of disciplines who share an interest in the long-term effects of early childhood education on poor children and their families. The book begins with a series of reviews that provide general overviews of research on the long-term effects of early childhood education. The focus shifts from research reviews to assessments of specific interventions or programs. The last three chapters discuss the formation and implementation of policy regarding early childhood education. The following papers are included: (1) "Long-Term Effects of Cognitive Development and School Success" (W. S. Barnett); (2) "Long-Term Outcomes in Other Nations" (S. S. Boocock and M. Larner); (3) "Preschool Program Quality in Programs for Children in Poverty" (E. C. Frede); (4) "Regenerating Two-Generation Programs" (R. G. St. Pierre, J. I. Layzer, and H. V. Barnes); (5) "The Effects of Welfare Reform on Teenage Parents and Their Children" (J. L. Aber, J. Brooks-Gunn, and R. Maynard); (6) "Early Childhood Programs and Success in School: The Abecedarian Study" (F. A. Campbell, R. Helms, J. J. Sparling, and C. T. Ramey); (7) "How Preschool Education Influences Long-Term Cognitive Development and School Success: A Causal Model" (W. S. Barnett, J. W. Young, and L. J. Schweinhart); (8) "Economic and Social Disadvantages of Young Children: Alternative Policy Responses" (D. J. Hernandez); (9) "Equity-Efficiency Tradeoffs and Government Policy in the United States, the Netherlands, and Sweden" (S. S. Gustafsson and F. P. Stafford); and (10) "Culture Clash: Translating Research Findings into Public Policy" (A. Zervigon-Hakes). Each chapter's references are listed in the "References" section, which contains multiple references. (Contains 28 tables and 11 figures.) (SLD)
Bentley, Carol L. (Oct 1990). America's First Corporate Public School: Model for Education Reform? (ED333536) In September 1988, the Corporate Community Schools of America (C/CSA) opened its first model school in Chicago's North Lawndale, an innercity neighborhood scarred by deprivation, violence, and hopelessness. After briefly describing the school's laboratory approach, this report defines C/CSA's philosophy, goals, and educational plan and refers to research supporting the C/CSA model. The C/CSA is a not-for-profit coalition of business executives, community leaders, and concerned educators working together to reform U.S. urban public education. The C/CSA educational plan differs from the usual school-business arrangements by focusing on preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school instead of job training; facilitating corporate, educator, and community participation on boards; providing ongoing financial commitment; and participating with key groups in urban reform efforts. The plan's benefits include focusing resources effectively, taking full advantage of corporate expertise, and facilitating a systemwide impact in education. The North Lawndale school serves predominantly Afro-American and Hispanic students, operates year-round (except for 3 weeks in August), is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and provides breakfast, lunch, snacks, and transportation as needed. The school's philosophy is that all students can be powerful lifelong learners. Founding principles, including the necessity for a strong principal, are described, along with the sound, performance-based management techniques used to ensure success. Implications and 1989-90 goals are also discussed. (MLH)
Boe, Erling E. (Apr 1990). The Entrepreneurial Restructuring of Public Education: School Incentives and the Merit School Component. (ED323611) The findings of a pilot study of Pennsylvania's School Performance Incentive (SPI) program are presented in this report. School level incentive policies as elements of the entrepreneurial context of educational restructuring and an organizational model for an incentive-based merit system are also discussed. The study examines the effect of SPI on school outcome measures upon which monetary rewards were contingent and on school personnel behavior. Test performance data from 2,584 schools and dropout rates of 1,132 schools that qualified and did not qualify for rewards were analyzed by year. Personal and telephone interviews with teachers, principals, and superintendents in 13 elementary and secondary schools were also conducted. Analysis of performance data found no evidence of an incentive effect on school performance measures and/or on personnel behavior. Interviews indicated that SPI outcomes may be due in part to insufficient information dissemination and communication and to attitudes of disinterest and hostility. It is concluded that two of the three state program goals have been achieved: annual cash rewards for significant educational improvement; and improved collegial participation, but that the third goal, further school performance improvement, has not been achieved. Comprehensive research, organization, and favorable political attitudes are needed for successful reform initiation. An attached article describes an incentive-based merit system model. Tables and a list of 18 references are included. (LMI)
Bolman, Lee G., & Others (Feb 1990). Re-Thinking School Leadership: An Agenda for Research and Reform. NCEL Occasional Paper No. 1. (ED332339) This document presents a basic model of the relationship between leadership, situation, and outcomes. Following a discussion of questions on the nature, origin, and future significance of good school leadership, the conceptual, empirical, and practical tasks of a systematic approach to school leadership are explored. Multiple constituents, school structure, and the technology of instruction are described as three features of public schools that must be recognized in designing a research strategy. The influence of changing social problems, public problems, demographics, fiscal constraints, student populations, and expectations on school leadership is discussed. Next, conceptions of leadership are explored in terms of: (1) the significance of school contextual variables; (2) the relational nature of leadership; and (3) the difference between leadership and position. Last, our current understanding of educational leadership is summarized through a review of related literature, and needs related to promoting good school leadership are discussed. (113 references) (CLA)
Bond, Linda, & Others (1993). Surveying the Landscape of State Educational Assessment Programs. EdTalk. (ED367664) This publication explores the relationship between state systemic reform initiatives and state student assessment programs using a database established by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and interviews with state assessment directors in California, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Texas, and Vermont. States throughout the country are actively pursuing systemic educational reform. The survey and interviews reveal that states approach the development of new or revised assessments in the following ways: (1) developing totally new assessments to accompany new goals; (2) reconfiguring or supplementing existing assessments; (3) revising traditional assessment instruments and raising standards; and (4) leaving assessment development to local school districts. The first three approaches are highlighted in this discussion. It appears that there is not a single best model for state assessment and that innovation should be supported and encouraged. Assessment and reform efforts should foster the same goals, and teacher involvement is essential. Quick fixes will not be the answer. If states change assessment without changing instructional practices, there is little likelihood of improved student performance. Appendixes contain a glossary and an overview of assessment practices. Two tables present survey information. (Contains 14 references.) (SLD)
Bowman, James, Ed., & Menzel, Donald, Ed. (1998). Teaching Ethics and Values in Public Administration Programs: Innovations, Strategies, and Issues. SUNY Series in Public Administration. (ED415757) The 17 chapters in this book consider innovations, teaching strategies, and issues in ethics instruction for professional and graduate programs in public affairs/administration. Following an introductory chapter which summarizes data reported in a 1995 national survey of 138 graduate departments of public affairs/administration, chapter titles are: "The Rhode Island Ethics Project: A Model for Integrating Ethics into a Master of Public Administration Program" (Alfred G. Killilea, Lynn Pasquerella, and Michael Vocino); "Using an Ethics Matrix in a Master of Public Administration Program" (Dalmas H. Nelson and Peter J. Van Hook); "Reinventing the Master of Business Administration Curriculum: Integrating Ethics, Law, and Public Policy" (Dennis Wittmer, John Holcomb, Bruce Hutton, and Donald R. Nelson); "An Outcomes-Centered Approach to Teaching Public- Sector Ethics" (David T. Ozar); "Citizenship and the Policy Professional" (Jeffrey Mayer and Robert Seidel); "Teaching Professional Ethics: Addressing the 'Algorithmic Thinker'" (John G. Pomery); "The Hyppolytus, Public Administration, and the Need for Prudence" (Henry T. Edmondson III); "Using Codes of Ethics in Teaching Public Administration" (Jeremy F. Plant); "Teaching Public and Private Sector Ethics: Some Fundamental Differences and Surprising Similarities" (Robert W. Smith); "Ethics Workshops in State Government: Teaching Practitioners" (William D. Richardson, Lloyd G. Nigro, and Ronald L. McNinch); "Ethics, The Academy, and Part-Time Civic Leaders" (Louis C. Zuccarello); "Ethics Education in Municipal Government: It Does Make a Difference" (Willa Marie Bruce); "Postmodernity, Reform Fads, and Program Management: Presumptive Consequentialism vs. Discourse Ethics" (Charles J. Fox); "The Ethics of Faculty-Student Relations: Identifying Boundaries" (Marcia Lynn Whicker); "The Ethics of Graduate and Professional Advising" (George H. Cox, Jr.); "Ethical Principles for Public Administration Research" (Jerry Mitchell); and "The Ethics of Consulting in the Public Administration Academy: Mapping a Black Hole" (Thomas H. Roback). (Individual chapters contain references.) (SW)
Boyle, Robert A., & Skopp, Lori (1998). Teachers as Inquirers: Constructing a Model of Best Practice. (ED417981) This paper reports on a study of inquiry and teacher development in a middle school science reform project. A model was developed that examined the dialectical interaction between teachers' concerns about their classroom practice and the culture of their professional setting, the school. This model sees the interaction of these two concerns as a zone of proximinal development for teachers. An examination of the literature shows support for how this model can explain both the successes and the breakdowns that occur in this zone. The project, Scientific Process, Practice, and Presentation: Applying Resources and Knowledge (SPARK), is the source of the data for this study. The goal of SPARK is to promote and support systemic change within middle schools in terms of teacher practice, student activity, and school culture. Contains 18 references. (DDR)
Brown, Mary Jo McGee (Nov 1992). Issues in Educational Reform: How Triangulating Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation Methods Can Enhance Understanding. (ED352404) An evaluation of a school reform project in one kindergarten through grade 5 school in Atlanta (Georgia) is presented to demonstrate how triangulation of qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches can enhance understanding of a reform effort. During the 1991-92 school year, the final year of the project, Fowler Drive Elementary School served 484 students and had a staff of 25 teachers, 1 principal, 1 assistant principal, 1 media specialist, and 1 half-time project director. Each methodology was conducted by a separate evaluator who was trained and experienced in the approach. The qualitative evaluator used student, parent, teacher, and administrator interviews and open-ended questionnaire data, as well as observational field notes. The quantitative researcher studied effects on students as represented by standardized test scores and different measures of attitude changes of students and teachers. Considered together, data from both approaches provide a broader understanding of the impacts of the reform in schools. Neither data set was used simply to gain a greater understanding of the other, but, instead, each data set was used to understand different aspects of the implementation of the reform. One figure illustrates a model of the school reform process. (SLD)
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Corrigan, Dean C., & Mobley, William H. (Sep 1990). Educational Reform Agenda and Partnerships. (ED325037) Major factors contributing to the crisis in United States education are summarized, including poverty, changes in the American family, child abuse, changes in the ethnic composition of schools, increasing global competition, decline in traditional student performance measures, crisis in mathematics and science, shortages of teachers, shift in the make-up of the work force, the dropout situation, and intergenerational interdependence. The educational reform movement is discussed, both historically and with its current emphases on teacher empowerment, restructuring schools as centers of inquiry, allowing a "bottom-up" strategy for change, and establishing accountability for results. Texas A & M University's response to the crisis is then described. It involves the creation of Commitment to Education (CTE), a task force for initiating new solutions to education and education-related issues. CTE fosters collaboration among schools, business/industry, and universities to achieve more effective use of resources and talents. Lessons learned from such collaborative ventures include an understanding of the complexity of collaboration and the importance of clearly defined values. The land-grant university system is recommended as a model to bring about the educational reforms needed, by fostering and implementing educational research and development as accomplished in the fields of agriculture and engineering. Includes 41 references. (JDD)
Crisan, Alexandru (1992). Curriculum Reform in Romania. (ED371966) This document defines curriculum reform in Romania as the elaboration and progressive setting up of a new educational paradigm unaltered by the outlooks and consequences of the Communist era. Although the strategic and technical aspects of implementing the new reality are still at the stage of advanced working hypotheses, the essential objective and long-term target of the reform is giving up the centralist-demagogic model of education, and the gradual passing to an essentially realistic and dynamic model, flexible and fully adapted to present and future changes of the society. Viewing educational reform as primarily curricular reform, the document is organized in 2 sections. The first section offers a brief but comprehensive image of present and future problems Romania is facing in the field of curriculum development during the transition period. This section discusses the school system; teacher education; and documents, institutions, and decision making in curriculum development. The second section has a more theoretical background and provides elements concerning conceptual tendencies and the priorities for a future strategy of curriculum development as part of the larger pedagogical reform. This section deals with aspects of the relationship between present and future research and curriculum development, focusing on 3 types of problems: (1) research as a source in elaborating the concept of curriculum reform; (2) defining a new strategical model; and (3) priorities for the future. Contains 12 references. (DK)
Cuban, Larry (1997). Change without Reform: The Case of Stanford University School of Medicine, 1908- 1990. American Educational Research Journal, 34, 1, 83-122 Spr (EJ545452) The nine-decade history of the Stanford University of Medicine (California) and its history of teaching human anatomy illustrate the recurring processes of curricular and instructional reforms in medical education and the ways in which these reform efforts do not disturb the traditional preclinical/clinical model of medical education. (SLD)
Caldwell, Brian J. (1997). Local Management of Schools and Improved Outcomes for Students. (ED418506) The nature of direct and indirect effects of local management of schools (school-based management) on learning outcomes for students has remained elusive. The findings from a 5-year longitudinal study of the "Schools of the Future" reform in Victoria, Australia, are reported in this paper. The Victoria system is the largest public school system anywhere to have decentralized as much as 90 percent of its budget to the local level. An examination of the last two of six statewide surveys of principals using structural equation modelling revealed a relatively stable model that demonstrates these effects. Specifically, principals who report curriculum and learning benefits tend to be those who reported benefits in other domains, including the capacity to select staff, increased flexibility in the use of resources, and the involvement of community. Although the analysis relies on perceptions rather than student achievement data, the emergence of a stable model that explains direct and indirect effects of elements of Schools of the Future on outcomes in curriculum and learning is considered to be a valuable finding and should lay the groundwork for comprehensive case study research. (RJM)
Cantlon, Danise, & Others (Jan 1990). The Interplay between State and District Guidelines for Curriculum Reform in Elementary Schools. Elementary Subjects Center Series No. 13. (ED317525) Curriculum guidelines are initiated at both state and district levels. This paper explores the interplay between curriculum policies designed at the local level and those developed at the state level by examining the policy environments in two districts each in Florida, Michigan, and California. The authors suggest that two types of interactive models define the state-district relationship: (1) district autonomy/compromise; and (2) district compliance/augmentation. Districts that adopt the district autonomy/compromise model have sufficient resources and commitment to design their own independent curriculum guidelines focusing on local needs and priorities. In contrast, districts that use the compliance/augmentation model generally implement state-level policies yet sometimes go beyond these recommendations with district-devised initiatives. (Author)
Carpenter, Thomas pp. Others (1996). Cognitively Guided Instruction: A Knowledge Base for Reform in Primary Mathematics Instruction. Elementary School Journal, 97, 1, 3-20 Sep (EJ531345) Suggests that children enter school with a great deal of informal intuitive knowledge of mathematics that can serve as the basis for developing much of the formal mathematics of the primary school curriculum. Describes a research-based model of children's thinking that teachers can use to interpret, transform, and reframe their informal or spontaneous knowledge about students' mathematical thinking. (AA)
Castle, Shari, & Others (Apr 1990 ). Linking Resarch and Practice for Site-Based School Renewal. (ED321402) An analysis of the IBM/NEA Mastery in Learning (MIL) school renewal system, an electronic network that involves school faculties in collegial interaction with researchers and other educators in school reform, is the purpose of this paper. Developed by IBM (International Business Machines) and NEA (National Education Association), the MIL is a site-based, faculty-led reform in which 26 schools participate nationwide. Although local faculties design their own agendas, the MIL project design specifies standard phases of implementation. Specific research questions are concerned with assessing changes in program use and content, the influence on interaction between research and practice, and the impact on school reform. Data were collected from computer log files, printouts of network papers, and telephone interviews with 44 focal participants. Conclusions point to the need for local support, an organized network structure, improved time and access, provision of participant incentives, and attention to substance. Computer network systems provide the "medium" for activities; however, they must meet participants' needs and support their work. Appendices include statistical tables of the data, a model of the school renewal computer network research design, and a copy of the survey instrument. (18 references) (LMI)
Christensen, Georgia (Apr 1992). The Changing Role of the Administrator in an Accelerated School. (ED354594) The roles and attitudes of public school administrators change as their schools become involved in the Accelerated School project. Traditional definitions of a principal's rolesetting goals, leadership, decision making, improvement of teaching and learning, instructional management, staff supervisor, and home- school-community relationsare changed by the Accelerated Schools model. Accelerated Schools traditionally are schools with high concentrations of "at- risk" students that set high expectations for all students and believe all students have a right to enter the educational mainstream. The governance structure of an Accelerated School is three-tiered. Cadres, which include staff, students, parents, and community members, report on problems to a Steering Committee. The School-As-A-Whole (SAW), which includes all parties, makes final decisions. Seven school administrators in the San Francisco Bay Area were interviewed about how they viewed their roles before and after adoption of the Accelerated Schools program. Also, the administrators were asked how the transition could have been made easier. In conclusion, organizational change taking place under school reform results in administrative change, and these changes are a continuous process. The appendixes provide three figures, the interview questions, and a summary sheet. (Contains 84 references.) (JPT)
Cleary, Michael J., & Lowing, Lawrence F. (1990). Toward Building Defensible Extended Programs: Challenging the Assumptions of Educational Reform. Journal of School Health, 60, 10, 487-92 Dec (EJ425089) Uses research findings to challenge assumptions and myths about teacher education and educational reform, focusing on health education. Trends in accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and alternative certification are analyzed. One possible extended six-year preparation program model is offered. (Author/SM)
Cleminson, Andrew (1990). Establishing an Epistemological Base for Science Teaching in the Light of Contemporary Notions of the Nature of Science and of How Children Learn Science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27, 5, 429-45 May (EJ417231) Examined are two aspects of science educationthe nature of science and curriculum reform. Contemporary views on the tentative nature of science and a generative model of learning are synthesized. (KR)
Cobb, Casey, & Quaglia, Russell J. (Apr 1994). Moving beyond School-Business Partnerships and Creating Relationships. (ED374545) This paper describes the various types of school-business partnerships that exist in rural America. Data were derived from an extensive review of literature and limited field observations and interviews. Findings indicate that little formal research has been conducted on reform-model, school-business partnerships. Two strands of thought regarding the organizational and personal interactions between schools and businesses are identifiedthe partnership domain and the relationship domain. The partnership domain is characterized by a static process, a well-defined organizational structure, a focus on organizational needs, insulation from self-evaluation, a defined power base, one-way benefits, and status-consciousness. The relationship domain has the following traits: a dynamic process, an organizational structure based on interpersonal relationships, a focus on meeting individual needs, self-examination, multiple power bases and benefits, and a task orientation. (LMI)
Cody, Ann (1996). The Dynamics of a Royal Commission in Political Innovation: A Case Study of Structural Reform of Denominational Education. International Journal of Educational Reform, 5, 2, 169-78 Apr (EJ525972) Uses a case-study approach based on Mazzoni's 1991 "Political Initiation of Policy Innovation" model to examine the politics of Newfoundland's 1990 Royal Commission on Education, as it attempted to reform the province's denominational education system. Mazzoni's linear model was successfully modified to reflect ancillary economic, structural, ideological, and environmental concerns. (19 references) (MLH)
Cohen, David K., & Hill, Heather C. (1998). Instructional Policy and Classroom Performance: The Mathematics Reform in California. (ED417942) Educational reformers increasingly seek to manipulate policies regarding assessment, curriculum, and professional development in order to improve instruction. It is assumed that manipulating these elements of instructional policy will change teachers' practice which will then improve student performance. These ideas are formalized into a rudimentary model of the relations among instructional policy, teaching, and learning. This report proposes that successful instructional policies are themselves instructional in nature because teachers figure as a key connection between policy and practice. Their opportunities to learn about and from policy are a crucial influence both on their practice and, at least indirectly, on student achievement. Using data from a 1994 survey of California elementary school teachers and 1994 student California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) scores, the influence of assessment, curriculum, and professional development on teacher practice and student achievement is examined. Results bear out the usefulness of the model in proving that under identified circumstances, policy can affect practice and both can affect student performance. Contains 28 references, 3 appendices, 11 data tables, and endnotes. (Author/NB)
Cohen, David K., & Hill, Heather C. (1998). State Policy and Classroom Performance: Mathematics Reform in California. CPRE Policy Briefs. (ED418842 Available from: Consortium for Policy Research in Education, 3440 Market Street, Suite 560, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3325.) During the last decade, many states have tried to devise more robust and coherent instructional policies in an effort to make teaching and learning more thoughtful and demanding. As instructional policy has moved to the top of many state education agendas in the past 10-15 years, interest in the relationship between policy and practice has grown. This document reports on findings from a study that addresses these relationships. Data used in this study were collected from a 1994 survey of California elementary school teachers to probe the classroom effects of state efforts to reform mathematics teaching and learning. A rudimentary model of the relationship between policy and practice is developed. This report begins with a review of the California reform, describes the research approach, and discusses the major findings. Findings included: (1) learning opportunities varied among teachers; (2) certain types of learning opportunities influenced practice; (4) CLAS (California Learning Assessment System) tests had a limited influence on practice; (5) CLAS as learning opportunity had a wider influence on practice; and (6) certain teacher learning opportunities affected student achievement. (ASK)
Cole, Cassandra McCrory (1992). Collaboration: Research and Practice. CASE Information Dissemination Packet. (ED358653) In this information packet for special education administrators, the literature on collaboration between regular and special educators is reviewed, issues relative to the implementation of collaboration are discussed, and eight model sites are described. After an introduction, distinctions between collaboration and consultation are drawn. Key principles of collaboration (complementary instruction, team teaching, and supportive learning activities) are considered, as are benefits of collaborative teaching (e.g., utilization of complementary teaching strengths) and potential barriers (interpersonal problems, traditional school structures, traditional attitudes regarding the dual systems of special and general education, and administrative mandates which violate the essential voluntariness of collaboration). The following issues in program development and implementation are specifically addressed: (1) time, (2) grading, (3) individualized education programs, (4) staff development, (4) curriculum accommodation and instructional modification, (5) teacher education programs, (6) reform issues, and (7) funding. Finally, programs at the following locations are described: Bakersfield (Vermont); Bloomington (Indiana); Redmond (Washington); Boulder (Colorado); Holt (Michigan); Littleton (Colorado); Albuquerque (New Mexico); and Gaithersburg (Maryland). Appendices include: a listing of responsibilities of both regular and special educators; definitions of various integration models; a sample format for integration model contracts; and sample elementary report card formats. (Contains 46 references.) (DB)
Conroy, Carol A., & Bruening, Thomas H. (1994). School Subcultures as Factors Affecting Technology Refusal: An Examination of Applied Academics Implementation in Pennsylvania and Resulting Implications for Agricultural Teacher Education. (ED385735) A study examined technology refusal within the context of applied academics and, specifically, the applied biology and chemistry curriculum used in Pennsylvania. It identified school cultural factors that acted as barriers to technology implementation and developed a framework for inservice education of secondary agricultural and science educators who would teach applied biology and chemistry. A literature review provided information on school organization and the various subcultures within the school: overall culture of the school, teacher subculture, and culture of the educational technology. Anecdotal records kept as part of workshops held for secondary agricultural and science educators yielded data to corroborate the literature. A framework for successful inservice education for agricultural and science educators was developed based on the workshop data and the literature. Findings indicated that, as a reform effort, applied academics would require a "bottom-up" approach. Change would come from the individual, not the organization, would be internalized, and would result from seeing students learn. The following recommendations were made: appropriate inservice education for secondary agricultural educators should be implemented using the model; research should be conducted in each state to determine the level of support for appropriate inservice education; and agricultural education departments should begin to infuse the teaching of applied academics into existing teacher preparation programs. (Contains 28 references.) (YLB)
Cookson, Peter W., Jr. (1994). School Choice: The Struggle for the Soul of American Education. (ED373131) This discussion of school choice places the issue in its historical and contemporary contexts, describes the major choice plans through case studies, analyzes the outcomes of school choice, and examines the underlying assumptions of the market model of educational reform. School choice is one method by which public education can be reinvented, as the case studies from Minnesota, Cambridge and Fall River (Massachusetts), East Harlem and White Plains (New York), and Milwaukee (Wisconsin) illustrate. Research has found that school choice makes little difference in terms of academic achievement, although its secondary effects can benefit the schools' academic climates. Choice can result in greater or lesser educational equity depending on how it is managed, but it does have beneficial communal effects that are only marginally related to achievement and improvement. A proposal is presented to establish an educational trust fund to give each student an educational share that can be applied to current public schools and new model schools. Parent information and consumer protection would be essential elements of the plan. (Contains 138 references.) (SLD)
Cooper, Bruce S., & Others (12 Mar 1993). School-Site Cost Allocations: Testing a Micro-Financial Model in 23 Districts in Ten States. 2nd Revision. (ED357499) Findings of a study that developed and applied a microfinancial model to track financial resources through the school systems are presented in this paper. The School Site Allocations Model (SSAM) shifts the current finance structure to the schools. First, the model was designed and tested in 30 school districts across the United States. Next, data from the test sites were analyzed to provide indicators of the range of costs required to operate the central offices and schools in 25 school systems, and the use of funds for administration, operations, staff development, student support, and instruction at both central offices and schools. A conclusion is that the SSAM effectively reported the uses of funds by schools and by function, by level, and by type. District administrators and staff found the model to be "user friendly." Once costs were allocated by location and function, districts were able to track funds to each school and classroom level. Several superintendents reported that the SSAM data allowed them to save money, improve programs, and reassure the voting public. Also, statewide application of the model can play an important role in the school- reform movement. Thus, money does matter, it seems, as long as the resources reach schools, classrooms, teachers, and pupils. Twelve tables and four figures are included. (Contains 16 references.) (LMI)
Cooper, Robert, Slavin, Robert E., & Madden, Nancy A. (1998). Success for All: Improving the Quality of Implementation of Whole-School Change through the Use of a National Reform Network. (ED420107) The role and importance of national reform network participation in the implementation of one of the most successful U.S. whole-school reform effortsSuccess for ALL (SFA)is profiled here. The paper explores this educational network beyond professional development and examines the relationship between participation in SFA's national reform network activities and the quality of program implementation. Part 1 briefly describes the SFA model for school change and its major components. Then, after presenting a theoretical framework for understanding educational networks and how they can be used in supporting whole-school change, the analysis turns to how network activities are used to facilitate quality implementation of SFA. Two types of network activities are explored: (1) participation in a national conference; and (2) participation in local support network activities. The findings illuminate key connections between network participation and the quality implementation of whole-school change. It is suggested that national reform network activities play a key role in the development and expansion of whole-school change models. Appended is a list of the variables explored under the headings outcome measures, program structure, and reading curriculum/strategies. (Contains 18 references.) (RJM)
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David, Jane L. (1993). Redesigning an Educational System: Early Observations from Kentucky. Strategic Investment: Tough Choices for America's Future. (ED404714) The Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) is the most comprehensive reform legislation nationally, bringing substantial change to all levels of the educational system. A group of researchers who have spent time in schools in Kentucky and policy analysts knowledgeable about Kentucky and other state education reform efforts convened in October 1992 to share their insights on the progress of systemic education reform in Kentucky. This report presents the results of that meeting. Impacts from KERA's implementation that are immediately visible inside districts, schools, and classrooms are: (1) state and local funding increased by almost 25 percent; (2) a very different philosophy of curriculum and instruction for primary students shifted from age-based to developmentally appropriate curricula; (3) well over one-third of Kentucky's schools have school-based decisionmaking councils; (4) major progress has been made in developing and administering the first stage of a dramatically different assessment system; (5) extra educational and social services are available at the school site for large numbers of children and their families; and (6) the Kentucky Department of Education has been fundamentally reorganized and the Office of Education Accountability has been established to monitor KERA's implementation and allegations of wrongdoing. Professional development is essential for successful implementation. Full implementation raises five challenges: expanding capacities at all levels; appropriately timing the implementation steps; avoiding recreation of bureaucracy; sustaining educators and public support; and providing feedback mechanisms for midcourse adjustments without sacrificing coherence. KERA is unique in its comprehensiveness and provides a model experiment in creating and testing performance-based educational systems. Three appendices include highlights of the Kentucky Reform Act; a list of meeting participants; and executive summaries of research reports. (TEJ)
Davidson, Betty M. (Jan 1993). The Influence of the Central Office on School Restructuring: A Study of Selected Accelerated Schools. (ED356567) School restructuring, or school-based management, is one of the most widely discussed educational reform movements. School restructuring improves education by giving teachers and principals more independence and responsibility in the educational process. The accelerated-schools process provides a means for school restructuring, emphasizing unity of purpose, empowerment, and building on strengths to move at-risk students forward. This paper examines the change process that occurred in four elementary schools in the South and Southwest that moved from a conventional mode of school organization to a participatory mode by implementing the accredited schools model. The paper focuses especially on the interactions between the role of the central district office and the school in the accelerated schools process. The schools were located in urban areas and had high percentages of low-income, minority students. The study utilized the case study method involving an assortment of research strategies, including interviews, observation, document reviews, and surveys. Questions solicited information about the status of the school before restructuring as well as about factors that influence the change process. Most of the schools had a traditional top-down relationship with their central offices before they began the accelerated schools process. Several factors influenced change in the role of the central office: principal and teacher role changes, curriculum and teaching changes, and assistance from a university. Overall, district offices had little influence on school restructuring, but among those that did, support for site- based management lessened barriers to change. Schools fundamentally changed even without direct district facilitation or support. (JPT)
Decker, Larry E., Ed., & Romney, Valerie A., Ed. (1992). Educational Restructuring and the Community Education Process. (ED344067) This document explores the application of the community education process to restructuring activities at both the state and local level. The monograph contains the following papers: "In the Forefront of Restructuring" (Larry Decker, Valerie Romney); "Building Learning Communities: Realities of Educational Restructuring" (Larry Decker); "The Community Education Ethos: Relationship of Principles to Practice" (Donald Weaver); "Community Education in Educational Reform" (William Hetrick); "Restructuring Schools with the Forgotten Solution: Community Education" (T. R. Anderson, John Jeffrey); "National Education Leaders Speak Out on Community Education" (Larry Decker, Donna Schoeny); "America 2000 and Community Education" (Carl Jensen); "Promises to Keep: Can America 2000 Deliver What American Students Need?" (Susan Hall); "The 'Sleeper' in America 2000" (David Seeley); "Legislative Leadership for Educational Reform" (John Myers); "Community Education and Educational Reform: Where the States Are Now" (Linda Moore); "South Carolina's Total Quality Education: A State Model for Community Education" (Barbara Nielsen, Nancy Dunlap); "Kentucky's Family Resource and Youth Service Centers: An Expanded Role for Community Education" (Ruby Layson); "Community Education: A Foundation for Educational Reform in Ohio" (Sherry Mullett); "Effective Schools and Community Education: A Partnership for Educational Change" (Jacquelyn Rochford); "Community Education: Adapting to the Needs of an Urban Community" (Hugh Rohrer, Dan Cady); "School and Community Working Together: Community Education in Springfield" (Susan Freedman, Peter Negroni); "Community Education in Alabama" (Harry Toothaker); "Community Education Capacity Building: 1991 National Needs Assessment" (Valerie Romney); "The Evolutionary Image versus the Existing State" (S. McCune); "A Call for Action" (Larry Decker, Valerie Romney); and "Epilogue" (James Cooper). The document also includes 64 references and descriptions of the National Coalition for Community Education, National Community Education Association, and National Committee for Citizens in Education. (NLA)
DeYoung, Alan J. (1998). Parent Participation, School Accountability and Rural Education: The Impact of KERA on School Consolidation in Kentucky. (ED421314) This paper discusses the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) and its impact on school facilities planning and community involvement in related decision making. Since 1900, the pattern of rural school reform, nationally and in Kentucky, has been one of increased state and federal control, with cost effectiveness and equity the primary criteria in setting school budgets. As a result, school districts in Kentucky declined from over 1,000 to 176. School buildings, despite increasing enrollment, declined from over 8,500 to fewer than 1,400. Changes in the way school facilities are improved or closed have come about indirectly from KERA. KERA was enacted in 1990 in response to a class action fiscal equity suit, and replaced all previous educational legislation. In addition to fiscal and curricular reforms, KERA mandated governance reforms that include site-based decision making, state-level administrative reorganization, and revision of the state school facilities manual (the "Grey Book"). The Grey Book had frequently forced consolidation by focusing almost exclusively on economies of scale criteria and forbidding state aid for facilities construction or repairs when those criteria were not met in every building in a school district. The obvious contradictions between the Grey Book and KERA's site- based decision making led to new facilities criteria. However, there remains a cost to those districts retaining very small schools. Case studies of proposed school closings and consolidation in Henderson and Floyd Counties illustrate the revised facilities planning process but also show how local political dysfunction can overwhelm even the best schools. KERA's decentralized and participatory decision-making model may not be applicable in other states, and it is too soon to see if it will make profound differences in Kentucky. But the opportunities in KERA for accommodation of small rural schools and parent participation should be useful to small-school advocates elsewhere. (SAS)
Dill, Vicky Schreiber (1993). Closing the Gap: Acceleration vs. Remediation and the Impact of Retention in Grade on Student Achievement. The Commissioner's Critical Issue Analysis Series, Number 1. (ED364938) This publication provides a review of the research on issues relating to the gap in achievement between high- and low-performing students, focussing specifically on the topics of retention in grade, remediation of students who are underachieving, and accelerated instruction. Following the executive summary and introductory material, three sections respond to the following questions: (1) Does retention work? If not, why not? (2) Does student remediation help? What kind, if any, helps close the gap? and (3) What helps students the most? Part 1 explains why grade retention does not work and why it persists. The second part describes what works and offers highlights of current efforts to reform Chapter 1 programs. Part 3 describes accelerated instruction, restructured environments, and teacher recruitment, preparation, and development as innovative ways to increase student achievement. Finally, the three most formidable predictors of failure for at-risk students are identifieddeficit model schools, dysfunctional families, and a disengaged society. An extensive bibliography is included. (LMI)
Dossey, John A., Ed., Swafford, Jane O., Ed., Parmantie, Marilyn, Ed., & Dossey, Anne E., Ed. (1997). Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (19th, Bloomington-Normal, IL, October 18-21, 199). Volume 2. (ED420495 Available from: ERIC/CSMEE, The Ohio State University, 1929 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210- 1080.) The conference proceedings volume for PME-NA-XIX contains a total of 72 reports: 34 research reports; 20 short oral reports; 11 poster session reports; and 7 discussion group reports. Only the research reports are full reports; the others are generally one-page abstracts. The full reports include: (1) "Equity, Teaching Practices, and Reform: Mathematics Teachers Discuss the Impact of the San Jose Mathematics Leadership Project" (Richard S. Kitchen, Joanne Rossi Becker, and Barbara J. Pence); (2) "One Teacher's Solution to Reforming Mathematics Teaching" (Karen Heinz, Margaret Kinzel, Martin A. Simon, and Ron Tzur); (3) "Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Experiences Using a Reform-Oriented Curriculum To Encourage Student Cooperation and Exploration" (Gwendolyn M. Lloyd and Melvin (Skip) Wilson); (4) "A Fourth-Grade Teacher Implements the 'Spirit' of the NCTM Standards" (Diana F. Steele); (5) "Construction and Validation of the Spatial-Symbolic Pattern Instrument" (Donna F. Berlin and Arthur L. White); (6) "Views about Mathematics Survey: Design and Results" (Marilyn P. Carlson); (7) "Changes in Teachers' Beliefs and Assessments of Students' Thinking across the First Year of Implementation of Cognitively Guided Instruction" (Anita H. Bowman, George W. Bright, and Nancy N. Vacc); (8) "Sustaining Cultures of Teaching for Constructive Mathematics Education" (M. Jayne Fleener and Roland G. Pourdavood); (9) "The Educational Benefits of Being a Participant in a Research Study: One Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teacher's Experience" (Deborah A. Gober); (10) "Preservice Mathematics Teachers' Constructions of Gender Equity in the Classroom" (Denise S. Mewborn and Deborah A. Gober); (11) "The Perceptions of Preservice Elementary Teachers about the Integration of Mathematics and Reading" (Kathryn S. Reinke, Kouider Mokhtari, and Elizabeth Willner); (12) "The Impact of Math Apathy Students on One High School Teacher" (Kenneth L. Shaw and Cylle Rowell); (13) "District-Wide Reflective Teaching in Mathematics: From Changing the Story to Storing the Change" (Christine D. Thomas and Karen A. Schultz); (14) "Teachers' Beliefs about Mathematics as Assessed with Repertory Grid Methodology" (Steven R. Williams, Miriam Pack, and Lena Licon Khisty); (15) "The Geometry Classroom: The Influence of Teachers' Beliefs" (Kay A. Wohlhuter); (16) "Mathematics Students Teachers' Development of Teacher Knowledge and Reflection" (Maria L. Fernandez); (17) "Using Videos To Provide "Case-Like" Experiences in an Elementary Mathematics Methods Course" (Susan N. Friel); (18) "Mathematics Culture Clash: Negotiating New Classroom Norms with Prospective Teachers" (Betsy McNeal and Martin Simon); (19) "A Model for Studying the Relationship between Teachers' Cognitions and Their Instructional Practice in Mathematics" (Alice F. Artzt and Eleanor Armour-Thomas); (20) "Mediating Pedagogical Content Knowledge through Social Interactions: A Prospective Teacher's Emerging Practice" (Maria L. Blanton and Sarah B. Berenson); (21) "Learning To Teach Algebraic Division for Understanding: A Comparison and Contrast between Two Experienced Teachers" (Jose N. Contreras); (22) "Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Interpretations of Mathematical Proof" (Eric J. Knuth and Rebekah L. Elliott); (23) "Why Do We Invert and Multiply? Elementary Teachers' Struggle To Conceptualize Division of Fractions" (Ron Tzur and Maria Timmerman); (24) "Shape Makers: A Computer Microworld for Promoting Dynamic Imagery in Support of Geometric Reasoning" (Michael T. Battista and Caroline Van Auken Borrow); (25) "Interactive Diagrams: A New Learning Tool" (Jere Confrey, Jose Castro Filho, and Alan Maloney); (26) "Conjecturing and Representational Style in CAS-Assisted Mathematical Problem Solving" (M. Kathleen Heid, Glendon W. Blume, Karen Flanagan, Kenneth Kerr, James Marshall, and Linda Iseri); (27) "Roles of Symbolic Representation in CAS-Assisted Mathematical Problem Solving" (M. Kathleen Heid, Glendon W. Blume, Linda Iseri, Karen Flanagan, Kenneth Kerr, and James Marshall); (28) "Analyzing Students' Learning with Computer-Based Microworlds: Do You See What I See?" (Janet Bowers); (29) "Warning: Asking Questions May Lower Your Mathematical Status in Small Groups" (Kathy M.C. Ivey); (30) "Occasioning Understanding: Understanding Occasioning" (Thomas Kieren, Elaine Simmt, and Joyce Mgembelo); (31) "An Analysis of Students' Development of Reasoning Strategies within the Context of Measurement" (Kay McClain, Paul Cobb, and Koeno Gravemeijer); (32) "Coordinating Social and Psychological Perspectives To Analyze Students' Conceptions of Measurement" (Michelle Stephan and Kay McClain); (33) "Learning as Sense-Making and Property-Noticing" (David Slavit); and (34) "Proportional Reasoning of Early Adolescents: Validation of Karplus, Pulos and Stage's Model" (Linda Gellings, Donald W. Wortham, Abbe H. Herzig, and Dave Eber). (ASK)
Duncan, Andrew N., Stephens-Burden, Stevie, & Bickel, Ann (1996). Effective Comprehensive Prevention Programs: A Planning Guide. (ED420828) This guidebook is designed to be used in implementing comprehensive prevention programs for children and youth in schools and communities. The primary goals of this planning guide are: provide educators and communities with a prevention model that will help them facilitate the implementation of effective comprehensive programs; provide a framework for comprehensive prevention programs based on resiliency and protective factor research; bring research and practice in the field of prevention closer together; show school teams how to integrate effective prevention programs into schoolwide programs, school improvement, and school reform efforts. Chapters include: "School Change and Effective Schools: Implications for Prevention in New Settings"; "Systemic Reform"; "Building the Framework: Resiliency as a Model for School Reform and Comprehensive Prevention Programs"; "Approaches to Prevention: Lessons Learned Along the Way"; "Characteristics of Effective Comprehensive Prevention Programs: Promising Approaches Further Implications from the Research": and "Comprehensive Approaches to Prevention: Collaboration, Team Building and the School Improvement Process." A bibliography and an appendix concerning community team building are included. (MKA)
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Earle, Rodney S. (1994). The Odyssey Project: A Quest for School Design. (ED373712) The Odyssey Project is named for the Greek hero, Odysseus, who for 10 years, sought the purpose of life. The Project is based on the philosophy that a new generation of American schools must be viewed as a lifelong quest for excellence. The project is one of 11 designs for schools funded by the New American Schools Development Corporation, a private corporation in the spirit of the America 2000 strategy. This overview recounts the program's development and describes its approach. Odyssey calls for a formal system of basic schooling for students aged 3 to 18, with a developmental prenatal to age 3 component. The project will use an outcome-based education model to focus on knowledge, skills, and outcomes. Upon exit, each student should be successful as (1) a communicator; (2) a collaborator; (3) a creative producer; (4) a critical thinker; and (5) a concerned and confident citizen. Performance outcomes are to be set for each level, with world class standards for evaluating graduates. There will be five levels of schooling in a year-round schedule. Community service, parent involvement, and expanded use of technology will be features of the project. Barriers and challenges to implementation are reviewed. A fact sheet is presented as an appendix. (SLD)
Edwards, Thomas G. (12 Apr 1994). Using a Model To Understand the Process of Change in a Middle School Mathematics Teacher. (ED372938) As the current reform effort in school mathematics education continues to gain momentum, an understanding of the process by which teachers make changes in their instructional practices becomes increasingly important. The first part of this paper describes a model for teacher change using an extension of the constructivist model for learning. According to the model, six factors drive the teacher change process: (1) experiencing a perturbation, (2) having a commitment to change, (3) constructing a vision of what specific changes might look like within a teacher's own classroom, (4) projecting the teacher's self into that vision, (5) deciding to make changes within a given context, and (6) being a reflective practitioner. The remainder of the paper describes a case study designed to test the model. A middle school teacher was chosen as a subject for the study, which found that each of the six factors was demonstrated by the subject. A vignette illustrates how each of the six factors reveals itself. An appendix contains the activities used in the study. Contains 18 references. (MKR)
Epp, Juanita Ross (Jan 1992). Teacher Participation in School Government: A Central Element in Educational Reform. (ED343223) The demand for educational reform has reopened several debates concerning fundamental aspects of education. Three of these debatesthe goals of education, school governance structures, and the locus of control for reformare linked to teacher participation. This paper suggests that education's goals could best be addressed by action research applied at the school site level. Shared governance would shift the locus of control from administrators to teachers in a process of teacher empowerment. In this model, the reform occurs through a web of teacher interaction instead of depending on a top-down, pyramidic intervention. The teacher group would use action research, increased professionalism, and empowerment to implement the processes necessary to reach mutually acceptable school improvement goals. The participative approach would lead to many diverse processes, depending on the perceived needs of the individuals closest to the reform action. There are many instances of teacher restructuring of schools already in use. The process described here combines Nominal Group Techniques with Force Field Analysis to allow school staffs to plan, implement, and evaluate school improvement initiatives. An appendix contains extensive background information for teacher groups and a bibliography. (35 references) (MLH)
Etheridge, George W., & Others (Apr 1994). Design of a Learning Community for Urban Learners: The Memphis Plan. (ED372147) This paper describes a 1993-94 pilot program in Memphis (Tennessee) that was developed to increase the number of minority students prepared for, matriculating to, and graduating from postsecondary institutions. The communitywide partnership of institutions that implemented the program is described, along with the needs assessment commissioned by the partnership. The program grew from the participation of the University of Memphis and Shelby State College in the Ford Foundation's City-side Transfer Project. This initiative was expanded to include LeMoyne-Owen College and the Memphis City School system in the Memphis Center for Urban Partnerships (MCUP). MCUP selected one area of Memphis as a pilot area and began work with five elementary, secondary, and vocational schools. A needs assessment identified areas to be addressed in a plan for systemic change. Restructuring is beginning, and major program goals are being defined for different educational levels. Strategies for improving urban learning environments are being created and are grounded in an ecological model and guided by the belief that community resources must be mobilized to support school restructuring. (Contains 22 references.) (SLD)
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Faulkner, Susan L., & Others (Oct 1992). Community College Professional Development: Sharing What Works. Proceedings of a National Conference (San Antonio, Texas, October 18-19, 1991). (ED351529) This document contains 30 papers on professional development in community colleges. The following papers are included: "Effective Leadership Strategies for Planning and Implementing Tech Prep" (Bragg, Huffman); "Small Business Management- Tech Prep" (Harvey); "Educational Reform and the New Mission" (Hoerner); "Tech Prep in Texas: An Implementation Strategy" (Nelson); "Tech Prep: An Integrated Curriculum" (Peters, Peters); "Educational Reform: A Broadening of Tech Prep" (Suksi); "The High Technology High School: A Campus-Based Collaborative Effort" (McAndrew et al.); "An Evaluation of the Outcomes of the Applied Mathematics Demonstration Sites in Indiana" (Pepple et al.); "Integration of Occupational and Academic Education: Illustrated Using Interior Design Vignettes" (Sepe et al.); "Human Resource Development for Higher Education and Industry" (Anderson et al.); "The Georgia Instructor Academy" (Askins, Galloy); "Evaluating Part-Time Faculty" (Brown); "Innovative Solution to an Educational Challenge (A Consortium Approach for Faculty Development)" (Carleton et al.); "The C-A-R Model: Linking Administrative Performance and Professional Development with Institutional Planning" (Drake); "Strategies and Resources for Part-Time Faculty Programming" (Fentiman); "The Preparation and Nurturing of Occupational Education Leaders" (Finch); "An Introduction to Teaching Consultation" (Kerwin, Rhoads); "Faculty Inservice: Alternative Strategies for Students with Disabilities" (Asselin, Dixon); "The Technology Intervention and Support Program" (Barton, Shively); "Interinstitutional Educational Alliances as an At-Risk Student Recruitment and Retention Strategy" (Bradley); "Exemplary Vocational Education Programs Serving Postsecondary Special Needs Populations" (Maddy-Bernstein, Burac); "Creating a Special Place for Unique Students Today" (Rotkis, McDaniel); "Empowerment: The Link between Faculty Development and Curriculum Improvement" (Ball, Morrissey); "Using Instructor-Produced Videos to Teach an Open-Entry/Open-Exit Automotive Technology Program" (Clifford); "Juvenile Justice Computer Assisted Instructional Program" (Cordova, Fitzpatrick); "Pictures in the Head" (Crippens); "A Framework for Learning Advanced Vocational Skills" (Schell); and "Health Careers Opportunity Program: Summer Institute 1991" (Shields, Thompson). Seventeen brief roundtable papers are also included. (KC)
Felner, Robert, & Others (1997). The Project on High Performance Learning Communities: Applying the Land-Grant Model to School Reform. Phi Delta Kappan, 78, 7, 520-27 Mar (EJ540851) Describes the evolution of the University of Illinois' collaborative Project on High Performance Learning Communities, established in 1989 in response to policymakers' and practitioners' need for a more fully developed, practical knowledge base on educational reform. The university/research partners' role is to synthesize the most current, state-of-the-art information and transfer it to reform-minded practitioners. (MLH)
Firlik, Russell J. (1994). American Early Education Reform: Adaptation Not Adoption from Reggio Emilia, Italy. (ED375923) The Reggio Emilia preschools in Italy have much to offer U.S. early education practitioners. If adapted, based on an understanding of American culture and of how American children learn, four components of the Reggio Emilia model can be useful in American early childhood settings. First, projects based on the interests of children can be used to develop a deeper understanding of a phenomenon over an undetermined period of time. Second, children can be encouraged to express their thinking, feelings, and dispositions creatively in various modes of expression, with parents playing an important role in the learning process. Third, teachers should become systematic researchers into the ways that children learn and construct knowledge, carefully observing and documenting children's thinking and development. Fourth, teachers should recognize the educational possibilities of the environment, with its power to organize and promote personal relationships, create beauty, provide changes, and promote choices and activities. School administrators have an enabling role to play in school reform. They should encourage teachers to share their successes, invite parents to be part of the classroom, visit classrooms often, and provide teachers with the time, funding, and recognition needed to make meaningful changes in the classroom. Specific practical suggestions for teachers are presented for each model component. Contains 22 references. (AC)
Fitzgerald, Martha, & Others (Apr 1991). School Building Models: Tailoring Interventions To Meet School Conditions and Needs. (ED335759) Two models of educational reform that address the dilemma in schools caused by the confluence of two current reform movementsschool restructuring and the regular education initiative are presented in this paper. The models offer a more complex framework that considers teachers' values, the role of external support for teacher development, school culture, and accountability. The teacher-centered University of Vermont model focuses on the degree to which special education students are integrated into general education classrooms. The student-based University of Pittsburgh model describes changes in the special education program over time, looking at how increased student competencies facilitate integration. Elements common to the two models include cultivation of common knowledge, values, and a language base; establishment of a strategic planning process; development of peer support; and provision of technical assistance. Initial project evaluations indicate that both projects have been driven by forces internal to the school, its culture, and its practice base, supplemented by external on-site assistance. The change process deals directly with conflicting beliefs about learning potential and quality standards and conflicting practices in instruction and measurement of student performance. Both are working toward achieving a school building environment that promotes high and consistent expectations for all learners. Three figures are included. (17 references) (LMI)
Foley, Jane (2 Oct 1993). An Examination of How Elementary Administrators Help Teachers Change Their Beliefs about Teaching Mathematics and Guide the Process of Reform. (ED372925) Previous studies have examined the day-to-day behavior of principals in an attempt to identify specific, concrete behaviors that help teachers in their efforts toward improvement. But, there is still a gap in knowledge about principal interventions during the period in which decisions are made about prospective changes and reform, and plans for change are discussed, designed, and developed. To investigate this question, a study was conducted in select elementary schools that were identified as sites where teachers and principals had collaborated to accomplish improvements in their mathematics programs. At each elementary school, questionnaires were completed by the principal and one teacher who was actively involved in the change process, and two of the schools were chosen for on-site visits. The items on the questionnaire and in the on-site interviews focused on four domains: (1) principals' roles and actions, (2) the events of the change process, (3) teachers' roles in the change process, and (4) contextual factors contributing to change. The Model for Successful Change, a conceptual framework consisting of the four domains, was developed. Three major implications emerged from the study: (1) The role of the principal in the change process is crucial; (2) Even traditional teachers are willing to change their teaching methods and beliefs when empowered to make the decisions that impact their classrooms; and (3) A collaborative planning structure is successful. Contains 14 references. (MKR)
Forrest, Linda, & Others (1993). Win/Win Restructuring: Counseling Psychology Collaboration with Teacher Education in Professional Development Schools. (ED370889) This paper uses the integration of the disciplines of counseling psychology and teacher education in their work in Professional Development Schools (PDS) as a model to generate recommendations for restructuring schools, colleges, and departments of education (SCDE). Because the involvement of counseling psychologists in PDS has created a win/win situation from the perspective of teacher education and counseling psychology faculty as well as the school-based PDS personnel, a more thorough examination of this collaboration may provide insights from actual practice in restructuring to guide the reform activities in SCDE. After setting a historical context, data from interviews with principals, teachers, teacher educators, and counseling psychologists who are actively collaborating together in PDS are summarized. The lessons learned from these collaborations are identified and used to create recommendations for SCDE reform. (Contains 37 references.) (Author/IAH)
Foster, Lenoar (1998). Principal and Teacher Leader Preparation via a Collaborative Distance Program: Building the Professional Community for School Reform. (ED423605) This paper presents a model of graduate education for advanced teachers and aspiring school administrators that establishes and fosters the foundations for the development of the professional community in schools. Graduate students enrolled in the first distance-education cohort of a new graduate- degree program became cognizant of the need and importance of the professional community as a vehicle for greater understanding and collaboration. The study describes ways to confront professional isolation and the toll that such isolation takes on educators. It discusses ways to enhance the educational professional community through graduate-degree program design. The paper then presents the results of a 5-year longitudinal study of graduate students in a distance-education cohort graduate-degree program in education. The study focuses on tracking the meanings and activities attributed by graduates of the program to their growing understanding and involvement in building the foundations of the professional community among their colleagues and within schools. All students agreed that the program had deepened their understanding of qualities needed by teachers and school leaders. (RJM)
Fowler, Charles, & McMullan, Bernard J. (1991). Understanding How the Arts Contribute to Excellent Education. Study Summary. (ED360248) The ideas and case materials discussed in this study can contribute to the national dialogue on education reform and the search for excellence in all areas of education. The study attempts to clarify what the arts contribute to education. While it indicates that much more needs to be done, it suggests actions and approaches which can be utilized now so that the singular contributions of the arts to children can be supported. To enter the future citizens will need the power, thinking, creativity, discipline, energy, and unique forms of apprehending and organizing knowledge that the arts offer. Some key findings of the study include: (1) the arts can foster the development of students who are engaged actively in learning; (2) the arts contribute to the development of a creative, committed, and exciting school culture of teachers, students, and parents; (3) the arts play a role in generating a dynamic, coordinated, and cohesive curriculum; (4) the arts can build bridges to the larger community, the broader culture, and other institutions; (5) the arts can humanize the learning environment; and (6) the arts contribute to improved academic performance. The schools and the eight exemplary models identified in this study are examples of excellence, and each of the programs is discussed and related to the key finding of the study. Four significant sets of implications emerged from the study. The first set is concerned with the general contours of an emerging comprehensive arts education model; the second is concerned with the model's connection to excellent education; the third pertains to ways such a model might be implemented more broadly; and the fourth concerns the characteristics of further assessment research that would advance the understanding of the model and its effects. (DK)
Francis, Ray (Apr 1991). Teacher Strike in a Rural State: Ready for Reform. (ED332859) In March 1990, teachers in 80% of the counties in West Virginia participated in a teacher strike. In this study, 83 striking teachers answered 10 open-ended questions put to them either through an interview or a questionnaire. The information was analyzed through a thematic analysis process. Teachers overwhelmingly felt they were not given the opportunity to be active participants in the decision making process. West Virginia typically operates under the "top- down" model of decision making. Teachers expressed feelings of being abandoned by the legislature, because legislators failed to listen to teachers and did not support adequate funding for education. Teachers banded together to build a unified voice for education, and saw a strike as the only alternative that remained. Teachers identified pay and pay equity as only a small part of the reasons they were striking. They indicated a need for educational reform and adequate resources to provide education. Teachers did not view the strike as harmful to students and believed that the strike would benefit the educational system as a whole. Their strongest comments dealt with teachers who continue to work during the strike. As a result of the strike, the governor held a special legislative session during which a senate bill was produced, calling for various changes in the educational system, including review of teacher preparation programs, establishment of school curriculum teams, and the implementation of individual school faculty senates. This report includes 16 references. (KS)
Fruchter, Norm, & Others (1992). New Directions in Parent Involvement. (ED360683) This book presents findings of a study that identified and analyzed 18 recently developed programs or reform efforts in the United States that stress effective parental involvement. Chapter 1 provides a review of education literature and research on parent involvement from 1945 to 1985 and situates newly emerging efforts within the current climate of school reform. Chapter 2 focuses on programs supporting parents of preschool-age children (Parents as Teachers, Home Instruction Program for Preschool YoungstersHIPPY, Kenan Family Literacy Project, Center for Successful Child Development, and Family Readers Program). Efforts to help parents support their children's school learning are analyzed in chapter 3 (TransParent School Model, Family Study Institute program, Family Math and Science Programs, Megaskills Program, and Quality Education Project). The fourth chapter explores parents' roles in major school improvement or restructuring efforts (School Development Program, Accelerated Schools Project, League of Schools Reaching Out, and Center for Collaborative Education). Chapter 5 examines the involvement of parents in recent governance reforms (four programs- -Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Dade County, Florida). The final chapter concludes that the programs share the following components, which represent new directions in parent involvement: (1) a core commitment to involve low-income and disadvantaged parents in activities aimed at improving student academic achievement; (2) origins in universities or nonprofit institutions, with sponsorship, implementation, and evaluation maintained by external institutions; (3) significant public-sector support; and (4) a strong commitment to reduce the gap between home culture and school culture by shaping program components to respond to and build on home-culture values, structures, and language. Contains 332 references, 16 contacts, and 4 tables. (LMI)
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Gruber, David A. (May 1994). Toward a Seamless System for Youth Development: A New Strategy for Integrating Resources, Programs, and Institutions. (ED385696) This report explores the potential for and obstacles to comprehensive community- level approaches to preparing young people for occupational and academic advancement. Chapter I introduces the New Workforce strategy based on a pathways design and a community framework and strategic plan. Chapter II includes the following: overview of the shaping of the current system; the key institutions and programs that educate, train, and prepare young people for adulthood; reasons for the failures of the current system; and the potential for development of a systematic school-to-work transition strategy. Chapter III describes New Workforce and the early planning and implementation in San Diego and Minneapolis. Chapter IV explores the experiences of institutions in these two cities to determine the extent to which the model has promoted changes in general perspective, patterns of programming, and resource allocation among schools, postsecondary institutions, the employment and training system, and employers. It draws lessons from this experience that should be useful for program planners, administrators, and practitioners. Chapter V recommends that federal actions should include advocacy, redirection of funding, regulatory reform, and capacity building and state actions should include a state strategy, redirection of existing resources, and capacity building. Appendixes include an overview of key elements of the existing system, and local documentation. Contains 35 references. (YLB)
Grunewald, Uwe, Ed., & Moraal, Dick, Ed. (1998). Models of Financing the Continuing Vocational Training of Employees and Unemployed. Documentation of a LEONARDO-Project in Cooperation with Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. (ED419902 Available from: W. Bertelsmann Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, PO Box 100633, 33506 Bielefeld, Germany (order number 110.353).) This document contains papers from an international project in which models of financing the continuing vocational training (CVT) in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway were identified and examined. The following are among the papers included: "Important Results of the LEONARDO-Project (contributions by all project-partners)"; "Structure and Development of the Project" (D. Moraal); "Training Leave as a Precondition for an Integrated Labour Market and Qualification Policy" (D. Moraal); "The Role of the Social Partners and the State Authorities in Financing the Continuing Vocational Training Measures for the Employed and Unemployed" (U. Grunewald); "The Experiences of a Staff Member of the 'Centre for Vocational Training and Promotion of Economic Performance' with Three Workshops, Where Questions of Financing the Continuing Vocational Training Were Discussed" (T. Hintz); "The Experiences of the Representatives of the 'Development Agency Agriculture and Forestry' with Two Workshops, Where Questions of Financing the Continuing Vocational Training Were Discussed" (T. Hentschel, B. Riemer); "Job-RotationA New Instrument for the Employment and Qualification Policies in Germany" (B. Uhrig); "Reflections and Open QuestionsInspired by the Danish Experiences with the Financing of the Continuing Vocational Training for Employed and Unemployed" (J.H. Soerensen); "Historical Review of a Case, Which Used Job-Rotation in the Enterprise-'Fibertex'" (J.H. Soerensen); "Proposal for a Reform of the General and Continuing Vocational Training of Adults in Norway" (I. Eidskrem); "Elements of the Norwegian Labour Market Politics" (S. Festoe); "ConclusionsConsiderations and Points for the Further Discussion" (B. Hovels, G. Kraayvanger); "Experiences of a Representative of the Dutch OVP- Fund, with Three Workshops, Where Questions of Financing the Continuing Vocational Training Were Discussed" (T. Seip); "Experiences of a Representative of the Dutch OOM-Fund with Three Workshops, Where Questions of Financing the Continuing Vocational Training Were Discussed" (P. Den Hollander); "Description of the National Financing System of CVT and FTU in Germany" (U. Grunewald, D. Moraal); "The Center for Vocational Training and Promotion of Economic Performance Simmerath" (U. Grunewald, T. Hintz); "Financing Model of the Development Agency for Agriculture and Forestry (FLF)/Qualification Fund for Agriculture and Forestry (QLF)" (T. Hentschel); "Description of the National Financing System of CVT and FTU in Denmark" (K. Olesen); "Financing Models of CVT and FTU in Denmark" (K. Olesen); "Description of the National Financing System of CVT and FTU in Norway" (I. Eidskrem); "National Financing System of CVT and FTU in the Netherlands" (B. Hovels, G. Kraayvanger); and "Financing Models of CVT and FTU in the Netherlands" (W. Boonstra, B. Hovels, G. Kraayvanger). (Forty tables/figures are included.) (MN)
Goldman, Paul, & Dunlap, Diane (Oct 1990). Reform, Restructuring, Site-Based Management, and the New Face of Power in Schools. (ED325938) 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)
Gordon, Rick (Apr 1993). The Irrational Science of Educational Reform. (ED362961) This paper discusses the problems encountered in applying rational and participatory models to school reform and presents an alternative model based on action research. The group processes of a school-improvement team (SIT) at a high school are examined. Data were collected through participant observation, interviews with three faculty members, informal discussions with SIT members, and document analysis. Despite the expressed willingness of teachers to pursue different practices, little progress was made. The lack of progress was rooted in two inherent institutional factorslimited time and divergent viewpoints held by actors in the policymaking process. Findings reflected the limitations of both hierarchical and participatory models of school reform, which fail to recognize the limitations of the decision-making process. A modest proposal for pragmatic policy formation, based on action research, is offered. Action research allows teachers to identify problems and provides them with resources to instigate change within the constraints of their school context. Outcomes include increased teacher autonomy and professional growth. (Contains 56 references.) (LMI)
Grant, Carl A., Ed. (1992). Toward Education That Is Multicultural. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Multicultural Education (1st, February 15-17, 1991). (ED398290) Forty-three essays were delivered at a conference on multicultural education held in 1991 and explore the ideas, beliefs, research findings, philosophical roots, and direction of multicultural education, along with its policy, practice, and critical assessment. Selected essays and their authors include: "History and Philosophy of the National Association for Multicultural Education: Credit Cards and Blind Faith" (Duhon-Sells and Pritchy Smith); "Toward Education that is Multicultural: Introduction to the Proceedings" (Grant); "Multiculturalism and Education: A Conceptual Relationship" (Bitting and Mutisya); "Culturally Responsible Pedagogy: The 'Wisdom' of Multicultural Education" (Huber); "Multicultural Education: The Outlook, Outreach, and Outcome for the 1990s" (Walker and Jacobs); "Ethnic Teacher/Ethnic Student: What Is the Role of Shared Ethnicity in Achievement?" (Hodgden); "An Inner-City Teacher Exchange: Teaching the Black Child in Great Britain" (Haughton); "A Proposal for Cultural Diversity in Education: The Minnesota Model" (Warring and Frank); "Developing a Plan for Multicultural Education" (Foody, Others); "Multicultural, Nonsexist Behavior Management: The San Jose State University Model" (Grossman); "That of God in Every Person: Multicultural Education in a Quaker School" (O'Grady); "A Study of the Educational Experiences of Black Male Correctional Center Inmates Who Attended Schools in Prince George's County, Maryland" (Reed); "A Multicultural Perspective for School and Curriculum Reform: Cultural Literacy and Infusion in Life Science" (LeBan); "Developing Teachers with a Multicultural Perspective: A Challenge and a Mission" (Ford); "Implementation of a Multicultural Education in a Teacher Training Program" (Kraig); "Infusing Multicultural Perspectives Across the Curriculum" (Burstein, Others); "Strategies for Effective Multicultural Education Policy in Teacher Education Programs" (Afolayan); "Collaboration as a Key to Enhancing Teaching Effectiveness in a Culturally Diverse Society: Implications for Public Schools and Universities" (Mantle); "Global Education for a Multicultural Society: An Essential Dimension in Teacher Education" (Matriano); "Multicultural Awareness: The Development of Blacks in Children's Literature from Its Earliest Inception through Contemporary Times" (Carver and Thompson); "Cultural Pluralism and the School Library" (Nauman); "Strategies for Instructing Culturally Diverse Students" (Person Others); and "Teaching Culture-Specific Counseling Using Microtraining Technology" (Nwachuka). (GLR)
Grant, Lawrence (1992). Roger L. Sullivan High School: Success by Exhibition. Project Report. (ED360685) This paper presents findings of one in a series of four case studies that examined leadership in schools committed to reform. Sullivan High School is an innovative, innercity Chicago (Illinois) high school dedicated to creating a learning environment based on critical thinking and intellectual experiences. The role of the principal as an instructional leader and the school's involvement with the Paideia instructional program are given special attention. The school's membership in the Alliance for Essential Schools is also described. The organizational structure of the school is examined as well as changes that have been made since the school's dedication to reform began. Case study methodology included onsite observation, interviews, and informal discussions. Findings indicate that the Paideia was a successful model for teacher inservice training. However, implementation of the Alliance program met with teacher reluctance to participate in restructuring. Barriers to Alliance program success included the time-consuming and ambiguous nature of the program, lack of teacher training in shared decision making, and an increased pupil/teacher ratio. Sullivan's overall success, however, was due to the competence, attitude, and diligence of the staff. (Contains 12 references.) (LMI)
Griffith, D. A. (Jul 1994). A Northern Territory Approach to Quantifying "Access Disadvantage" to Educational Services in Remote and Rural Australia. (ED390620) The Griffith Service Access Frame (GSAF) is a model used for quantifying the access disadvantage to educational services of remote and rural areas in Australia. The model was specifically developed to assist policymakers and administrators in allocating resources. The problem with the current funding formula used by the Australian federal government is that densely populated areas secure a higher proportion of funding than those areas that are geographically isolated and have the greatest access disadvantage. The GSAF model is based on several assumptions: that there is a direct relationship between the level of services available and population-center size, that access to services is dependent upon the distance between the location of the client population and point of service, and that access to services is dependent upon the economic capacity of the community to meet the costs of overcoming distance. An access score is calculated based on population-center size, time and cost factors converted into a distance equivalent, and an index of economic resources available to a population center. A survey was conducted to assess whether the GSAF remoteness component matched educators' perceptions of the remoteness or access disadvantage of schools in the Northern Territory. Forty-nine of 60 questionnaires were returned. Results indicate that there is substantial agreement between the perceptions of school staff and the GSAF method for ranking schools for remoteness. The Northern Territory Department of Education has adopted the GSAF model for allocating Country Areas Program funding, and the Commonwealth (federal) Department of Employment, Education and Training is considering using this model for national allocation of program funding. (LP)
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Hansen, Joe B. (Apr 1994). Applying Systems Theory to Systemic Change: A Generic Model for Educational Reform. (ED375485) Although educational reformers frequently use the words "system," "systemic change," and "systemic approach," many lack a fundamental understanding of the systems concept. This paper describes the application of systems theory to the problems of educational reform and educational assessment. It introduces basic concepts and principles and describes a generic model for the application of systems theory to educational reform. Educational reformers should view systems as complex, pluralistic, open, and teleologic. The model must have the following features: (1) an open view of education; (2) recognition of the system's vision, mission, and goals; (3) alignment of the vision, mission, and goals of individuals with those of the system; (4) well-defined methods for promoting communication across barriers and breaking down existing communication barriers; (5) feedback mechanisms to maintain dynamic homeostasis; and (6) action-producing mechanisms to analyze environmental feedback and design the most effective action. Six figures are included. (LMI)
Hart, Ann Weaver (Apr 1992). Work Feature Values of Tomorrow's Teachers: Work Redesign as an Incentive and School Improvement Policy. (ED345358) The potential impacts of teacher work reform efforts on attracting and retaining the best teachers are summarized in this paper, which draws on research conducted in Utah, Colorado, and Missouri between 1985 and 1991. Bluedorn's (1982) model of turnover is used to evaluate the effects of teacher work reform on turnover, which is composed of expectations, work experiences, job satisfaction, job and professional commitment, and intentions to stay or leave. Findings indicate that academic ability and work performance affect teachers' attitudes toward turnover, and that work redesign reforms affect student performance. Four issues should be considered in designing a plan to attract and retain the best teachers: (1) the target population of quality teachers holds different work values and aspirations then do teachers of lesser ability and promise; (2) career ladders exhibit early positive effects; (3) evaluation should demonstrate the link between teacher work reform and student outcomes; and (4) there is a need for maintaining support systems. (26 references) (LMI)
Henriques, Laura (1998). Maximizing the Impact of Your Inservice: Designing the Inservice and Selecting Participants. (ED415111) Science: Parents, Activities and Literature (Science PALs) was a four-year systemic reform effort collaboratively undertaken by the Science Education Center at the University of Iowa and a local school district. This paper summarizes the research base for effective inservice and shares additional features of Science PALs' inservice most responsible for success. Data was collected from teachers (N=16) during their first 1.5 years in the project. Data relating to teachers' beliefs and perceptions of teaching were compared to their actual teaching. Demographic information, survey responses, and interview and written responses to scenarios were among the data collected as source variables. Results indicate that newer teachers were more likely to implement the Science PALs model. Teachers reported much higher levels of implementation than their teaching performance indicated. Contains 77 references. (Author/ASK)
Hubbard, Dean L., Ed. (1993). Continuous Quality Improvement: Making the Transition to Education. (ED363214) This book is a collection of case studies by 27 educational and industrial leaders describing the implementation of specific Total Quality Management techniques which have demonstrated their value. Essays and their authors are as follows: "Process Improvements Using Team Environments" (Scot M. Faulkner); "Team Effectiveness" (Robert S. Winter); "Team-Based TQM: A Model for Post-Bureaucracy" (Marvin E. Lane); "Piecing Together the Full Power of Total Quality at a Community College" (Richard D. DeComos, Jerome S. Parker); "Is Quality a Manageable Commodity in Higher Education?" (Dean L. Hubbard); "Forging Effective Business-Academia Partnerships" (Robert M. Price); "Transformation: From Good to Better " (Richard N. Lennes); "Continuous Improvement: Transition Through Service Systems" (Susan G. Hillenmeyer); "Is There Hope for TQM in the Academy?" (Trudy W. Banta); "Maximizing Flexibility for Tenured Faculty Positions with CQI" (Sandra Featherman; Valerie Broughton); "Faculty as Customers: Hard Lessons for Administrators" (Robert L. Carothers, Jayne Richmond); "Partners in Progress: An Integrative Approach to Educational Quality" (Linda L. Baer Others); "Quality Assurance within Higher Education in the United Kingdom" (Richard G. Fisher); "Juran's 'Quality Planning Road Map' as a Framework for Mission Development" (Neil Story and Bruce H. Allen); "Human Resources Improvement at the University of Pittsburgh" (Shirley Tucker); "Voice of the Customer: Using QFD as a Strategic Planning Tool" (Burt Peachy, Daniel Seymour); "Systems Thinking" (Leslee M. Brockett, Clyde E. Letarte); "Implementing TQM in a Research University" (Patricia Kovel-Jarboe); "Schoolhouse of Quality" (Robert E. Bush, Betty J. Bush); "Total Quality Management in Education" (E. W. Gore, Jr.); "Quality Quest: A Community's Catalyst for Progress" (Gary W. Evans); "TQM in the Teaching/Learning Process" (Stanley J. Spanbauer); "LEARN: The Student Quality Team Process for Improving Teaching and Learning" (Kathryn H. Baugher); "The Empowering Educator: A CQI Approach to Classroom Leadership" (Gary M. Shulman); "Constancy of Purpose: Ability-based Education and Assessment-As-Learning" (William McEachern); "Total Quality Management: A Class That 'Walks Its Talk'" (Merlin J. Ricklefs); "CQI: A Model for Reform Based on Assessment-As-Learning and TQM" (Ralph Mullin). (GLR)
Huhtala, Jack (Apr 1994). Group Investigation: Structuring an Inquiry-Based Curriculum. (ED373050) Group investigation is an organizational approach that allows a class to work actively and collaboratively in small groups and enables students to take an active role in determining their own learning goals and processes. As part of reform and restructuring efforts, Beaverton High School (Oregon) implemented the Group Investigation model with sophomores, in 1990-1991, in a 6-week unit on the Gulf War. This unit was taught by four English and four social studies teachers in seven classes. The unit had six stages: organization of research groups, planning the investigation, student investigation and research papers, preparing the report by study teams, the final presentation, and testing and evaluation. After this initial experience with group investigation, the faculty made such a unit a standard part of the sophomore interdisciplinary curriculum. The Group Investigation method was modified over time until, in January 1994, the most ambitious teaching configuration was tried: biology, English, and government teachers offered a 3-course block. Both students and teachers rated the unit positively. The significant difficulty with this unit had to do with the school's science program which was tracked into biology (low) and chemistry (high) strands. The resulting lack of heterogeneity meant that students often lacked role models for behavior, academic achievement, and leadership. Reflection on past experience led the faculty to continue use of group investigation as an organizational principle and to use problem-based learning as a tool to focus selection of topics, structure a richer learning situation, and refine assessment methods. A key finding was the congruence between the social organization of the classroom and the governance of the school. (LL)
Hull, Dan (1993). Opening Minds, Opening Doors: The Rebirth of American Education. (ED365827) This book describes the tech prep/associate degree initiative and illustrates its characteristics and promise through examples of collaborative efforts. Chapter 1 introduces a model or vision for tech prep and shows how it has grown from its vocational education roots to encompass a much broader educational spectrum. Chapter 2 addresses nine basic questions about tech prep. Chapter 3 focuses on contextual learning, the overall philosophy of learning that underlies tech prep reform. Chapter 4 addresses putting contextual learning to work in the classroom through the applied academics approach. It describes and provides examples of how these facets of contextual learning are incorporated into the applied academic curricula: relating, transferring, applying, experiencing, and cooperating. Independent studies on applied academics that demonstrate success are reviewed. Chapter 5 looks at the larger pictureat the way individual classes and the educational theories fit together into an overall course of study. It reviews some basic qualities that make this course of study different from other educational curricula and then looks at specific characteristics of the tech prep curriculum. Chapters 6 and 7 explore issues involved with instituting and maintaining tech prep at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Chapter 8 explores eight issues that the employer's role in tech prep should address. Chapter 9 addresses making positive change a reality in the educational system. Appendixes include a tech prep/associate degree concept paper, 19 references, and an index. (YLB)
Hunter, Beverly (1998). Building Capacity for Innovation: The Vanguard for Learning Model. (ED419499) When a school community is making a major investment in technology, the major challenge is to ensure that the technologies are used to support innovative practices that are responsive to the community's changing needs and opportunities for teaching and learning. How can implementation of technology be integrally embedded in and supportive of innovation and reform? How can a local school community build its own capacity for innovation while at the same time staying in synchrony with top-down and system-wide initiatives? How much innovation can a school adequately support at any one time? Can these locally initiated innovations become institutionalized? Can the local community be a research testbed to feed back information to the larger system? These questions are being addressed in the pre-K-12 school community of a United States military base overseas, which is part of the United States Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) worldwide school systems. Vanguard for Learning is a 30-month research project sponsored by the DoDEA and funded by the National Science Foundation to investigate these questions about technology and educational reform. This paper provides an overview of the Vanguard model for innovation and some key findings to date. (Author)
Hymel, Glenn M. (Apr 1990). Harnessing the Mastery Learning Literature: Past Efforts, Current Status, & Future Directions. (ED326554) Literature on mastery learning (ML) is reviewed from the perspectives of past efforts, current approaches, and future directions. To date, approaches in managing the ML literature have been in four major areas: (1) the "typing" of ML efforts in the context of a comprehensive literature review; (2) the compilation of state-of-the-art bibliographies of ML; (3) the synthesis of empirical ML studies through meta-analysis; and (4) interrelating the concepts and variables common to ML, effective schools, and outcome-based schooling via a macro-model. The current problem appears to be one of bringing more organization, control, and accessibility to the vast collection of ML literature. Future directions are discussed in the following areas: more investigation of learner-oriented and instruction-oriented variables considered to be alterable; greater interest in why ML succeeds; more interplay between ML and instructional psychology; an improved framework and new taxonomy for interpreting documents; more emphasis on aspects of ML related to other disciplines; and interrelating ML and other school reform movements. A table presents a new taxonomy for literature analysis. A 29- item list of references is included. (SLD)
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Jansen, Jonathan (1990). The State and Curriculum in Transition Societies: The Zimbabwean Experience. (ED326354) This in-depth study of school curricula in Zimbabwe examines curriculum development and its relationship to state politics in postcolonial third-world nations. An important assumption of the research is that curriculum is a powerful political tool, particularly in newly independent African states; hence, radical curricular revisions were to be expected under the new postcolonial policies. Yet, these revisions have largely failed to materialize, and it is the position of this paper that the persistence of curriculum continuity in the face of significant sociopolitical change has never been adequately accounted for. "Continuity" is defined as the lack of change in curriculum content from the colonial to the postcolonial period. The paper discounts the following four explanations for curriculum continuity: (1) the technicist model, which argues that better social results are brought about by greater managerial efficiency and better texts; (2) dependency, which links curriculum continuity to reliance on Western knowledge; (3) the cultural-relevance model, which attributes lack of curriculum change to the incompatibility between the assumptions of local culture and imported curriculum models; and (4) legitimation, which assumes that policies of the new state are problematic to begin with. The research assesses the effects of history and politics on Zimbabwe's educational decisions, and shows that attempts toward curriculum reform had different and sometimes contradictory motivations and consequences. Though unsuccessful, these attempts represent genuine efforts to radicalize the colonial curriculum. The paper details the development of "The Political Economy of Zimbabwe," a controversial Marxist- Leninist curriculum, and examines issues of the national debate that followed its introduction. The document concludes that state politics maintain primacy in determining school curriculum in third world states, that historical and social forces have had a conditioning effect on Zimbabwe's curriculum decisions, and that the policy options available in the fragile political environment of the transition are extremely limited. (TES)
Johnson, Judith, & Others (Apr 1993). Multicultural Science Education Project: A Model of Reform. (ED362387) This paper describes a collaborative project among graduate students, university faculty, administrators, and science teachers in an urban public school district. The project has been funded by Eisenhower (Title II) monies, the Omaha Public Schools, The University of Nebraska, and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The goals for this project were to assist teachers in reconstructing their curriculum to be culturally relevant and to improve science learning for all students, including the economically deprived, minorities, and females. A series of 4-week summer workshops were held involving teams of teachers from middle and high schools and an administrator from each school. The goal of the workshops was for teachers to utilize the information and experiences gained from these activities to create short (2-3 day) and long (2-3 week) curriculum units which were presented and critiqued by the entire group. The resulting refined curriculum units exist in a large data base and are being field-tested in the teacher's classroom during the academic year and in summer school. Each year approximately 50% of participants return. When the NSF funding ends in 1994 it is estimated that approximately 50% of the secondary science teachers in the Omaha Public Schools will have developed, field-tested, and refined innovative and culturally relevant curriculum for use in grades 7-11 in their school district. (PR)
Jones, Ruth (Aug 1992). Post-16 Provision in CTCs: Bridging the Divide. Number 6 in a Series of CTC Trust Publications. (ED351533) This document is intended to describe the approach of the City Technology Colleges (CTCs) in Great Britain to provide young people older than 16 with a vocationally oriented curriculum while still ensuring their intellectual and cultural development. Following a summary, the first chapter is an introduction. The second chapter describes the old concept of vocationalism, with the low prestige associated with it and four consequences it has produced (low participation rates in postcompulsory education and training; many young people leaving the system with low or no qualifications; few science and technology graduates produced by the United Kingdom; and, until recently, unregulated vocational education standards). Chapter 3 describes current educational reform in the United Kingdom. Chapter 4 describes the provision of vocational education in the CTCs, where efforts have included developing a new model of vocationalism, developing a business culture, broadening and accrediting the curriculum, developing a technological baccalaureate, and developing methods of credit transfer. Chapter 5, entitled "The Shape of Things to Come" provides a glimpse of likely national and international issues related to the opening of the Single Market in Europe from 1993. Appendices describe education in seven countries and the World ORT Union and describe a technological baccalaureate program. There are 53 references. (CML)
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Kesselheim, Craig (1998). The Assistance Relationship between Content-Specialist Science Facilitators and Their Constituent Teachers. (ED417974) This study describes the assistance relationships between teachers engaged in school-based education reform and the full-time facilitators hired to provide their training and support. The model that supplies these facilitators to Maine's Beacon Center schools is unique in combining three important design factors: (1) the science content expertise of the facilitators; (2) the duration of their time on site; and (3) the intensity of the assistance which they were able to provide. This study investigates the perceptions of both facilitators and their constituent teachers regarding the usefulness of the assistance provided as well as the reported impact of facilitators' assistance on teachers' science practices. Findings indicate that assistance provided to teachers who are engaged in reform should be situation-specific and that facilitators should have both content and pedagogical knowledge and be able to provide support in both areas. Contains 67 references. (DDR)
Kieren, T. E., & Pirie, S. E. B. (1991). The Characteristics of the Growth of Mathematical Understanding. (ED337347) Given the current and widespread practical interest in mathematical understanding, particularly with respect to higher order thinking skills, curriculum reform advocates in many countries cite the need for teaching mathematics with understanding. However, the characterization of understanding in ways that highlight its growth, as well as the identification of pedagogical actions that sponsor understanding, represent continuing problem areas. The focus of this report is a dynamic, multidimensional, multidirectional model for the theory of the growth of understanding within a specific individual on a specific topic. Background to this theory is provided in the companion document, entitled "A Dynamic Theory of Mathematical Understanding: Some Features and Implications." Included is a discussion of various classroom situations surrounding the topic of quadratic equations that illustrate the eight embedded levels of understanding within the model, consisting of: (1) primitive knowing; (2) image making; (3) image having; (4) property noticing; (5) formalizing; (6) observing; (7) structuring; and (8) inventizing. These situational differences illustrate the various teacher-student interactions that guide the student through the eight embedded levels of understanding through the following specific processes: image doing, image reviewing, image seeing, image saying, property predicting, and property recording. (JJK)
Kraemer, Jacqueline, Compp. Others (1992). Building Partnerships: Models of Family Support and Education Programs. (ED374167) This booklet, part of a series of profiles on family support and education programs across the United States, contains profiles of five diverse programs designed to improve the future of children through family-focused and comprehensive service delivery. Programs examined are North Dakota's Child Welfare Reform Initiative, Iowa's Decategorization of Child Welfare Services Project, Florida's Full Service Schools, Brattleboro's (Vermont) Early Education Services, and Boston's (Massachusetts) Medical-Legal Services Project. Each profile includes a history of the initiative, a description of the program, and reflections on the past and future by the state- or local-level director. Programs involve participants through advisory boards, serving as resources for one another, and they evolve to meet participant concerns through individual or community-based assessment. They also strive to be sensitive to the cultural characteristics of the communities they serve. Contains a list of selected readings on collaboration. (GLR)
Kull, Judith A., & Others (1991). Models of Collaborative Supervision Involving Teacher Educators and School Personnel in New Roles and Activities via Collaborative Supervisory Teams. (ED352350) This paper describes the collaborative process and outcomes from involving teacher educators and school personnel in school-based collaborative supervisory teams formed by clustering graduate-level preservice teaching interns in a number of elementary and secondary field sites. The school-university collaborative reflects key elements in the collaborative process: nonhierarchical self- management, collegiality and experimentation, a setting of pause, reflective thinking, and cognitive expansion. Teams comprised of university supervisors, cooperating teachers, interns, and one principal from each of 10 cluster sites engaged in an inquiry-oriented collaboration in order to articulate a model of collaborative supervision surrounding issues pertinent to 3 areas: (1) the process of matching interns and cooperating teachers; (2) achieving maximum communication among interns, cooperating teachers, administrators, and supervisors; and (3) defining the role of interns, cooperating teachers, school administrators, and university supervisors. Results suggest that collaborative action research leads to enhanced professionalism and changes in practice both at the university and the school level in the context of national reform efforts. (Contains 13 references.) (LL)
Kuo, Victor (1998). District Office Support of School Restructuring: Case Study Results and Theoretical Implications. (ED421755) This study by the Accelerated Schools Project at Stanford University explores the factors that were prominent in district office support of school reform. The paper details findings from case studies conducted between 1995 and 1997 of three district offices that have been supportive of Accelerated Schools and school restructuring. For the study, three subquestions were developed based upon the philosophy of the Accelerated Schools model and previous surveys: (1) What were the roles of school-site and district-office personnel with respect to school reform?; (2) What activities did the district office conduct to support school reform?; and (3) How can the decision-making processes between the district office and school sites be characterized? The three districts that were a part of this study were located in suburban settings. The findings, presented in light of recent advances within neoinstitutional theory, suggest that a theory of organizational maintenance and change may be applied to understanding how district offices may support the long-term success of Accelerated Schools as well as school restructuring in general. Furthermore, results show the importance of recognizing that such change depends on elements beyond the school site. Propositions for future research are suggested. (Contains 32 references and 4 appendices.) (RJM)
Kahne, Joseph, & Westheimer, Joel (Apr 1992). Building Community: A Model for Teacher Education and Staff Development. (ED346074) This essay addresses the use of experience-based teacher education and staff development to foster strong school communities. An evaluation of an innovative course sequence for prospective teachers at Stanford University (California), the Experiential Curricula Project, is discussed. Particular focus is on the program's ability to foster community both among students and among students and teachers in an urban multicultural setting. Current reform strategies intended to promote teacher and school community include site-based management, magnet programs, school-within-a-school programs, and restructuring. These reform efforts met with limited success in creating a strong community in schools because of three obstacles: (1) organizational efforts do not provide teachers with experiences on which to draw; (2) organizational efforts do not provide teachers with the pedagogical techniques or the curricular orientation necessary to foster community in schools; and (3) organizational efforts emphasize the instrumental rather than intrinsic value of community. Experience-based teacher training and staff development gives participants a positive community experience and equips them with the pedagogical and curricular tools needed adequately to foster community among students. (LL)
Keith, Novella Z. (Apr 1994). Diversity, Equity and Community in Educational Reform. (ED378263) Educational equity demands are progressively being framed in terms of multiculturalism and diversity within the educational process. This change of focus means that strategies aiming to secure rights should make room for others that emphasize the building of relationships, mutual knowledge, and community. For schools in poor, inner-city neighborhoods, community building must reach beyond the school, to address the social and economic environment in which the school is located. The paper presents an incipient model which begins with conceptual revisioning in four areas, with a common emphasis on reciprocity, capacity finding, and capacity building (empowerment) rather than deficits (service provision. The four areas are: (1) the student and the curriculum; (2) school relationships; (3) community "partnerships"; and (4) community development. (Contains 19 references.) (Author)
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Lange, John T. (1993). Site-Based, Shared Decision Making: A Resource for Restructuring. NASSP Bulletin, 76, 549, 98-107 Jan (EJ457259) Summarizes findings from a 15-month study of 6 schools and principals changing to a decentralized school governance model. Highlights benefits such as administrator role redefinition, autonomy's effects on improving school culture and contributing to school reform success, increased commitment to decisions, increased staff cohesion and trust, and development of new staff skills. Research- based advice is provided. (15 references) (MLH)
Lee, Valerie E., & Smith, Julia B. (1994). High School Restructuring and Student Achievement. A New Study Finds Strong Links. Issue Report No. 7. (ED376565) The recent movement to restructure schools has raised fundamental questions: Can changes in school structure improve student performance? Under what conditions might some structures be more effective than others? This document presents findings from Lee and Smith's study that examined the role of school restructuring on student performance. Methodology was based on an analysis of data collected as part of the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) in 1988 and 1990. The standardized test scores of 11,794 students in mathematics, reading, social studies, and science were traced as they moved from grades 8 to 10. Information about the schools' reform efforts was used to classify the schools as traditional, moderate, or restructuring. Findings indicate that not only were student achievement gains in the first 2 years of high school significantly higher in the restructured schools than in the traditional schools, but those gains were also distributed more equitably. Students in the restructured schools learned more, as indicated by test results, and were more engaged than their counterparts. Students in smaller high schools made greater gains in academic performance in all four areas, and those gains were more equitably distributed across the student body. The results lend support to the communal, rather than bureaucratic, school model. The document includes commentaries by two academic researchersAnthony S. Bryk and Milbrey W. McLaughlinand an article by Leon Lynn, who presents interpretations of Lee and Smith's study by three experienced high school principals. Finally, comments are offered by the director and associate director of the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools. Three figures are included. (LMI)
Lee, Jaekyung (1998). Comparative Approach to Evaluating Systemic Reform Policies: Applying Objective Measurement and Multilevel Analysis Methods. (ED422386) This study explores an alternative approach to educational program and policy evaluation by using two major educational measurement/analysis methods, and illustrates their integrated applications to evaluating state reform policies. Most evaluations have been done one program at a time, but it is desirable to design evaluation research in a way that compares the effectiveness of several programs that have the same objectives but different content or function on the same set of outcome measures. Applying item response theory to policy and practice survey provides an innovative solution to objective measurement of policies and practices. In addition, multilevel analysis methods would not only provide a means for formulating school and state-level regression models simultaneously but also provide more precise estimates of the extent to which state policies affect school practices. An illustrative study of state policy examines the multilevel linkages between state policies and educational outcomes. First, objective measures of state policies are created through application of the Rasch model. Then the multilevel education policy-practice linkages are examined through the application of the hierarchical linking model. As the results illustrate, the idea of comparing two groups of states on their policy outcome measures is similar to the nonequivalent control group design. However, the research design proposed in this paper differs from the nonequivalent control group design in some significant ways: (1) treatment is not a single program, but a set of programs; (2) group exposure is a matter of degree; (3) all of the programs that constitute treatment do not have to occur between pretest and posttest; and (4) subjects examined on pretest and posttest do not have to be the same, but can be sampled independently. The proposed approach should give more flexibility for evaluation design in real-life settings, but at the same time more difficulties for interpretation of evaluation results. Some concerns are reviewed. (Contains three tables, one figure, and eight references.) (SLD)
Lee, Ong Kim, & Wright, Benjamin D. (Apr 1992). Mathematics and Reading Test Equating. (ED348392) As part of a larger project to assess changes in student learning resulting from school reform, this study equates levels 6 through 14 of the mathematics and reading comprehension components of Form 7 of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) with levels 7 through 14 of the mathematics and reading comprehension components of the CPS90 (another version of the ITBS), using a Rasch analysis. The analysis results in the common calibration of all 1,031 mathematics items found in the 17 levels of the two test forms to define a mathematics variable and all 602 reading items to define a reading variable. Each item in each subject obtains a person-free calibration (in logits) of its own level of difficulty on one common scale linking all items of that subject. The 17 levels of the two tests were successfully equated so that a person taking the CPS90 or Form 7 (or a combination of items from the forms targeted at his or her ability level) will obtain statistically equivalent measures of ability. Logit measures give a more accurate picture of student rate of growth than do grade equivalents, with rates of growth highest at the lower grades and decreasing in the higher grades. Four tables, 13 figures, and 6 references are included. An appendix lists the criterion definitions of variables. (SLD)
Lee, Lung-Sheng (Dec 1994). Vocational-Technical Education Reforms in Germany, Netherlands, France and U.K. and Their Implications to Taiwan. (ED377317) Three major models of vocational education and training provision for the 16- to 19-year-old age group have been identified: schooling model, which emphasizes full-time schooling until age 18; dual model, which involves mainly work-based apprenticeship training with some school-based general education; and mixed model. Germany is an exemplar of the dual model; the Netherlands and France provide the schooling model; provision in the United Kingdom (UK) is the mixed model. Although the dual system will continue to dominate the secondary vocational- technical education and training in Germany, German full-time vocational schools may be gradually incorporated into general education. More and more university students in Germany seek two-fold qualificationuniversity studies and practical vocational trainingto enhance their job prospects. In the Netherlands, some measures, such as encouraging more employers' organizations, trade unions, and industry involvement, have been taken to reform the senior secondary vocational school system. No significant recent reform efforts are found in France. The former polytechnics in the UK recently changed their name to universities to expand their capacities for student recruitment and program offerings. The implication for secondary and postsecondary vocational-technical education in Taiwan is that it is too school-based to adapt to the labor market and that there is a need for stronger links with the labor market. (Contains 15 references.) (YLB)
Leithwood, Kenneth, & Others (Jan 1991). Toward a Multilevel Conception of Policy Implementation Processes Based on Commitment Strategies. (ED358570) Findings of a study that examined the role of policy implementation in school reform are presented in this paper. The focus is on a British Columbia policy, the Primary Program, which is intended to reform educational practices through the first 3 years of schooling. During the first phase of data collection, interviews were conducted with 12 principals, 44 teachers, and 5 district staff at 12 schools in 3 school districts. Principals' logs of weekly activities were also analyzed. During phase 2, principals and teachers at the 12 schools also responded to a mailed questionnaire. The data were used to develop a model of a set of commitment strategies for policy implementation. Findings indicate that most initiatives taken outside the school were aimed at commitment building. Most inschool components of the model supported the claim that commitment strategies were the primary instruments of change. Conclusions about effective leadership for school reform are that it is shared, it must consume a significant portion of the leadership pie, and it must utilize transformational leadership practices to build commitment. One table is included. (Contains 58 references.) (LMI)
Levitan, Sar A., & Gallo, Frank (Nov 1993). Education Reform: Federal Initiatives and National Mandates, 1963-1993. Occasional Paper 1993-3. (ED366066) The federal government initiated educational reform measures in the United States long before the subject became a matter of national concern. In recent decades, reform has focused on helping children whose special needs were neglected by the school system. Evidence shows that these efforts have improved services to neglected groups, but without increases in federal funding. Still, the role of the federal government in shaping elementary and secondary education is likely to grow during the 1990s. That role is more likely to be in systemic school reform through the design of curricula, model texts, tests, equipment, and the hiring of staff to free up teachers for instruction. Improving preschool education and the transition from school to work will also be emphasized. This report suggests that federal intervention is necessary if systemic education reform is to be successful. Included is a review of major federal initiatives from Head Start through high school. Other topics discussed are: Chapter 1, students with disabilities (special) education, bilingual education, and vocational education. Reforms outside the school system, improving the basic educational system through national standards and tests, teacher education, text and equipment improvement, staff increases, and school-to-work programs are also considered. A general overview of federal education policy concludes the document. (JPT)
Linek, Wayne M., Ed., & Sturtevant, Elizabeth G., Ed. (1997). Exploring Literacy. Nineteenth Yearbook: A Peer Reviewed Publication of the College Reading Association, 1997. (ED418374 Available from: College Reading Association, Gary Shaffer, State University of West Georgia, 113 Danny Drive, Apt. F, Carrollton, GA 30117-7534 ($18).) This book presents 25 essays and studies that explore the interplay of a variety of factors that provide the fuel for individual and collaborative explorations into the nature of literacy. Essays and studies in the book are "Patterns of Response: Struggling Readers Respond to a Real Book during Transactional Literature Discussion" (JoAnn Rubino Dugan); "Literacy Behaviors in the Spontaneous Play of a Multi-National Group of First Graders in a Small Overseas School" (Karen E. Schroeder); "Those Wonderful Toys: Read-Alouds from the Classics and Assorted Literature" (Judy Richardson); "If the Horse Is Dead, Get Off" (Wayne Otto); "Beginning Reading Methods: A Review of the Past" (Lillian R. Putnam and Ray Reutzel); "Controversial Pathways to Literacy: The Present" (D. Ray Reutzel); "Future Controversial Issues in Literacy: The Same Old Stuff or a Whole New Ball Game?" (William A. Henk); "Recreational Reading Choices: How Do Children Select Books?" (Charlene Fleener, Susan Morrison, Wayne M. Linek, Timothy V. Rasinski); "The Role of Textbooks and Reading in Content Area Classrooms" (Teresa Murden and Cindy S. Gillespie); "Graduate Students' Explorations: Their Own Words on Research and Writing" (YeVette McWhorter); "Storybook Reading in Even Start families" (Nancy Padak, Timothy V. Rasinski, Jennifer A. Fike); "Parents in a Family Literacy Program: Their Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors Regarding Literacy Learning" (Patricia E. Linder); "Coherence: One Aspect Examined of the Textual Features of the Needs of Beginners" (Liqing Tao); "Analytic Categories for Practitioners' Assessment of Instructional Discourse in Literacy Teaching: Observation in the Reading Clinic Setting" (Kathleen Roskos and Barbara Walker); "Instructional Teams in a University Clinic" (Linda Hughes and Catherine Zeek); "Preparing Preservice Elementary Teachers for Professional Collaboration with Special Education Literacy Teachers" (A. Lee Williams); "The Evolution of a Professional Development Center: Collaboration, Reflective Assessment and Refinement" (Mary Beth Sampson, Wayne M. Linek, LaVerne Raine, Pat Westergaard); "Learning to Teach in the 'Real World': Reflections on Field-Based Reading Instruction" (Evangeline V. Newton); "Promoting Diversity: A Learning Community Project for College Reading Programs and Teacher Education Programs" Mary Sheehy Costello and Norman A. Stahl); "The Field Experience Triad: Influences of the College Instructor and Cooperating Teacher on the Preservice Teacher's Beliefs, Practices, and Intentions Concerning Literacy Instruction" (Deidra W. Frazier, Thomasine H. Mencer, Mary Annette Duchein); "Redefining Reflective Practice: Thinking Forward about Conditions That Support Literacy Learning" (Jacqueline K. Peck); "Building Bridges: Designing Project Portfolios to Accommodate the Needs of Beginners" (Joan B. Elliot and Barbara Illig-Aviles); "Reducing Resistance to Content Area Literacy Courses" (Lia F. Maimon); "The Unheard Voices of Students in School Reform: A Collaborative Study with Content Reading Preservice Teachers" (Don Pottorff); and "A Collaborative Model for Developing a Children's Literature Pathway into Preservice Methods Course" (Jane B. Matanzo and Marie F. Doan). (RS)
Louis, Karen Seashore, & Smith, BetsAnn (Feb 1991). Restructuring, Teacher Engagement, and School Culture: Perspectives on School Reform and the Improvement of Teachers' Work. (ED335763) To discover how school restructuring affects teachers' work and teacher engagement, a study was conducted on eight schools that have been experimenting with alternative structures, programs, and activities for 7 to 10 years, The data presented were collected in two of the schools through observations of 15 classes and interviews with teachers, students, and administrators. Insights from the observations show that alternative structures and programs can positively affect teacher worklife and engagement but have a specific, bounded impact. The data suggest that reform efforts are the most successful when they are focused in intent and based on a clear model of what achievements are most important. (EJS)
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Maehr, Martin L., & Midgley, Carol (Apr 1991). Restructuring the School Environment To Enhance Student Motivation and Learning. Draft. (ED333534) Changing the school environment to enhance student motivation and achievement is described in this paper, which focuses on broad structural change within the school. Current motivation theory is applied at the school level for lasting school reform. A collaborative project among university researchers, school leaders, and school staff in one elementary and one middle school in a school district with a large at-risk student population is described. The objective was to emphasize task over performance in each school, which involved a qualitative change in the nature of the learning environment. Although school staffs' impatience for immediate action and results created tension between researchers and site staff, project outcomes suggest the feasibility of using a model based on a goal theory framework for organizational change. Crucial factors to increase student motivation include organizational change at the school level and leadership development. Two tables are included. (27 references) (LMI)
Marzano, Robert J., & Others (Apr 1992). Toward a Comprehensive Model of Assessment. (ED356217) The model presented in this document integrates authentic assessment with traditional evaluation practices to create comprehensive assessment systems for elementary and secondary school students. Specifically, the model poses six categories of competencies that enjoy high levels of acceptance and construct validity: (1) knowledge of concepts, generalizations, processes, and strategies considered critical to specific content areas; (2) the ability to use complex reasoning processes; (3) the ability to gather and utilize information from a variety of sources in a variety of modes; (4) the ability to communicate effectively; (5) the ability to regulate one's own learning and development; and (6) the ability to work in a cooperative/collaborative manner. These competencies are meant to be assessed in three basic ways: through multiple validations, through secured tasks, and through portfolios. Implicit in this model is the identification of world class standards within content areas identified as important at the local, state, or national level. Six appendices, which comprise most of the document, provide definitions of 14 complex reasoning processes; subcompetencies of the 14 complex reasoning processes; benchmarks demonstrating student abilities in content areas; authentic classroom tasks; generalized rubrics for declarative knowledge; and elementary and secondary school tasks. (Contains approximately 85 references.) (LL)
McDonnell, Lorraine M., & Others (Jun 1990). Discovering What Schools Really Teach: Designing Improved Coursework Indicators. Joint Report JR-02. (ED337507) This policy guide argues the need for improved indicators of student coursework, illustrates the information that different types of measures convey, outlines the key choices that need to be made about data collection, and suggests ways in which states might develop more valid and useful indicators of student coursework. In its broadest form, coursework includes the following: (1) the courses that schools offer; (2) patterns of coursetaking by different types of students; (3) the content of these courses; (4) their objectives; (5) instructional strategies; and (6) teachers' qualifications and experience. Examples provided are drawn from the School Reform Assessment (SRA) project, a 2-year exploratory study undertaken in California and Georgia to design a variety of high school coursework indicators. The SRA focuses on expanding and refining the technical quality of existing coursework indicators and accommodating the information needs of policymakers by providing indicators that measure the effects of major curriculum policies. Valid coursework indicators must meet the following four criteria: (1) they must be linked to a larger model of the schooling process; (2) they must differentiate among tracks or levels of the curriculum; (3) they must distinguish between the curriculum as it is intended by designers/policymakers and as it is actually implemented in schools/classrooms; and (4) they must measure the depth and breadth of the curriculum. Statistical data are presented in three tables and nine graphs. An appendix describes the SRA sample. A 28-item list of references is included. (SLD)
McFadden, Charles P. (Jun 1990). The Atlantic Science Curriculum Project: In Search of a Path to Educational Reform. Research Report Nunber 1. (ED328459) This report is based on research comprising: (1) an examination of the paper trace of Atlantic Science Curriculum Project's (ASCP) history, including correspondence, records of meetings and conversations, contracts and curriculum documents, designs and materials; (2) a review of research and theoretical literature on the relationships between teaching, research, educational decision making, professional development and curriculum materials development; and (3) consideration of written and oral feedback to an initial draft of this paper from representatives of those constituencies with whom the ASCP has interacted. The first section, "A Revolutionary Reform of the System of Education," presents a model of educational change. The second section, "The interests of the Participants in Curriculum Reform," considers the relevant interests of students, teachers, authors, researchers, subject matter specialists, policy makers, parents and publishers in relation to curriculum change. Section 3, "Relationships Between Authors, Publishers and Policy Makers," examines relationships between the various participants in the process of curriculum development. Section 4, "A Strategy for Curriculum Development in the Context of an Educational Reform," suggests specific details of a strategy for a curriculum development project that aims to contribute to fundamental curriculum reform. (KR)
McNeir, Gwennis (1993). Outcomes-Based Education. (ED379765) Outcomes-based education (OBE) is a controversial model of educational restructuring that defines learning as what students can demonstrate that they know. This document reviews four journal articles and one bulletin that reflect a range of perspectives on OBE's potential promise and problems. In "Organizing for Results: The Basis of Authentic Restructuring and Reform," William G. Spady contends that the time-based structure prevalent in education favors administrative custody and convenience over student mastery. He offers OBE as an alternative model, outlining the principles and premises of the system, and presenting it as a blueprint for restructuring. In "Perspectives and Imperatives: Some Limitations of OBE," Jim McKernan argues that the notion of predetermined outcomes is antithetical to the nature of education, which he considers to be process-oriented and exploratory. He offers an alternative model that is more compatible with his concept of a liberal education. Gwennis McNeir, in "Outcomes- Based Education: Tool for Restructuring," clarifies the concept of OBE, explores the primary objections, and identifies elements that educators believe are crucial to its successful implementation. In "One District Learns About Restructuring," Charles E. Sams and Randy Schenkat describe how moving to an OBE model was the missing piece in a restructuring process in their district that included innovation but lacked a clear purpose. Kathleen A. Fitzpatrick provides an indepth account of how her district successfully implemented an OBE system, in "Restructuring To Achieve Outcomes of Significance for All Students." She offers examples of how to draft visionary outcomes, develop performance indicators, and shift instructional focus to match OBE guidelines. (LMI)
Meyer, Joseph B. (1997). Wyoming's "Education Reform & Cost Study.". (ED418461) A history of education in the state of Wyoming, along with a description of recent legislative initiatives, are presented in this paper. It opens with statewide reorganizations begun in the 1960s that unified school districts and equalized property valuation. A decade later a court order ruled the system inequitable and new laws provided for a uniform tax rate to be levied annually for all school districts thereby obviating taxpayer equity complaints in the operational area of school budgets. From 1983 to 1993 funding increased for schools but many citizen were still unhappy, which resulted in lawsuits and a model for reform. This resultant model created three prototype schools covering elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and high school (9-12) and provided financial input for uniform categories of services and goods as the elements for annual distribution of state aid. The effects of these changes are discussed, including the intent of the reform, the remaining inequality in public education, and the use of annual cost surveys and adjustments in the model to arrive at the averages so it will adjust to increased costs. However, unless the legislature increases revenues appropriated into the school finance system, there may be "winners" and "losers" among the school districts. (Includes a summary of Wyoming's cost-based school finance system.) (RJM)
Mills, Steven C., & Ragan, Tillman R. (1998). An Implementation Model for Integrated Learning Systems. (ED423872) This paper describes the development, validation, and research application of the Computer-Delivered Instruction Configuration Matrix (CDICM), an instrument for evaluating the implementation of Integrated Learning Systems (ILS). The CDICM consists of a 15-item checklist, describing the major components of implementation of ILS technology, to be completed by an evaluator based on responses supplied by teachers during an interview. The CDICM was used to examine the operational patterns of teachers (n=30) whose students interacted with an ILS using the "Successmaker" courseware in four elementary schools in a metropolitan school district. Data regarding the operational patterns of teachers using ILS technology were collected from teacher interviews and analyzed. The best ILS implementation practices included integration with classroom instruction, training in the use of an ILS, and the use of motivational strategies. Implications for educational change and reform are discussed. Tables and figures present data on discriminant functions for CDICM components, interview data grouped by implementation pattern, significant CDICM components, and influence variables on degree of ILS implementation. The CDICM and interview guide are included. (Contains 18 references.) (AEF)
Min, Kellet I. (Apr 1991). Accountability in Hawaii. (ED333576) After describing recent school reforms in Hawaii, this paper discusses the state's efforts to ensure greater accountability and to deal with two issues: student evaluation and the measurement of indicators used in state-by-state comparisons. During the past few years, Hawaii has been involved in many reform initiatives, including implementating school/community-based management, establishing parent-community networking centers, expanding business-school partnerships, instituting afterschool instruction, and other reforms. Hawaii's accountability system has three components: (1) the "School Status and Improvement Report" and the superintendent's summary, concerned with context, process, and school outcome indicators; (2) "Evaluation Guidance for Schools Participating in School/Community-Based Management," an analytic model stressing intermediate and long-term school improvement effects; and (3) the "Educational Assessment and Accountability; Implementation Plan (1990-1994)," a document providing useful data and analyses for policy-makers. Regarding student assessment, disagreement stems from the different emphases given to testing's multiple objectives. Using alternative measures leads to summarization problems, and establishing priorities often leads to contentions and solutions that are worse than the problems. Measuring indicators is also problematic; performance indicators seem to be a bunch of numbers looking for an argument, whether involving graduation rates or "migration" factors. Information for obtaining Hawaii's school accountability documents is provided. (MLH)
Mohrman, Susan Albers, Ed., & Others (1994). School-Based Management: Organizing for High Performance. (ED383075) School-based management (SBM) has gained popularity as a method for local school participants to improve their schools. As yet, however, there is little empirical evidence supporting a link between SBM and improved school performance. This book examines the SBM strategies that hold the most promise for increasing organizational effectiveness through the lens of an organizational model originally used in the private sector. The "high-involvement" model (Lawler, 1986) has been used successfully to help members of organizations become involved in improving organizational performance. The model is used to view SBM not as a simple transfer of power, but as a change in organizational design. Following the foreword by Allan Odden and Chapter 1, the introduction by the editors, Susan Albers Mohrman and Priscilla Wohlstetter, Part 1 contains six chapters that examine the relationship between SBM and high performance: (1) "High-Involvement Management in the Private Sector" (Susan Albers Mohrman); (2) "School-Based Management: An Overview" (Rodney T. Ogawa and Paula A. White); (3) "Models of High-Performance Schools" (Priscilla Wohlstetter and Roxane Smyer); (4) "The Role of Teachers in School Reform" (Susan Moore Johnson and Kathrine C. Boles); (5) "Education by Charter" (Priscilla Wohlstetter); and (6) "Establishing the Conditions for High Performance" (Priscilla Wohlstetter and Susan Albers Mohrman). The four chapters in part 2 address the change process required for creating high performance: (1) "Making the Transition to High-Performance Management" (Susan Albers Mohrman); (2) "Change in Schools: Lessons from the Literature" (David D. Marsh); (3) "Understanding and Managing the Change Process" (Susan Albers Mohrman and Priscilla Wohlstetter); and (4) "Conclusion: New Directions for School-Based Management" (Patricia Wohlstetter and Susan Albers Mohrman). The final chapter focuses on some new directions that may enhance the impact of SBMbroadening the domain of decision making, expanding the improvement approaches that are used, clarifying the scope of authority at different levels, and delineating the role of management. (LMI)
Moore, Gary T., & Lackney, Jeffery A. (1994). Educational Facilities for the Twenty-First Century: Research Analysis and Design Patterns. (ED375514) This handbook examines the relationship between school buildings and educational performance. Following the introductory chapter, chapter 2 presents findings from empirical studies that have examined the building/performance issue. Research has demonstrated that the physical setting has both direct and mediated effects on prosocial and achievement outcomes. Chapter 3 presents an ecological model that accounts for physical, psychological, and social environmental factors that affect student outcomes. The fourth chapter offers an analysis based on a review of empirical research, architectural literature, and educational reform literature to inductively develop a set of 27 design patterns. Two patterns based on environment-behavior research are highlightedsmall schools and well-defined activity pockets. Chapter 5 discusses implications from the educational reform literature. The complete set of 27 patterns is presented in the sixth chapter. Chapter 7 presents an example that uses patterns to create a prototypical design for a new type of educational facility. The final chapter focuses on the earlier stages of the facility development process, those of feasibility and planning. A reconceptualization of an existing educational facility planning model is offered. A total of 42 figures and 1 table are included. (LMI)
Moore, Donald R. (Apr 1991). Chicago School Reform: The Nature and Origin of Basic Assumptions. Research and Policy Analysis Series No. 7. (ED369870) Designs for Change is a multiracial research and advocacy group with a commitment to understanding why large urban school systems fail and what can be done about it. After 5 years of study, Designs for Change reached the conclusion that parent organizing and advocacy would not be sufficient to change the problems of Chicago (Illinois) schools without a total restructuring of the school system. This paper describes why certain key choices were made about features of the Chicago restructuring strategy as Designs for Change envisioned its unfolding over 10 years. Some mechanisms through which Designs for Change believes that major improvements can be made are described. They include: enabling and encouraging school attendance and graduation; creating a decent, humane school environment; facilitating educational excellence; and analyzing policies, resource allocations, and practices that shape the quality of students' educational experiences. A Quality of Experience Model is proposed. It takes the position that students have a right to specific types of day-to-day educational experiences and that these experiences must be equally available to the full range of students, including those at risk who have historically been shortchanged by the educational system. Features of the model and standards for its application are outlined. Ten tables present major points of the discussion. (Contains 73 references.) (SLD)
Morris, Don R. (Apr 1991). Structural Patterns and Change in Grade Retention Rates: An Aggregate Analysis of Data from a Large Urban School District, 1982-1989. (ED334337) This study examines retention rates in Dade County (Florida) schools, using aggregate statistical data for the school years 1982-83 through 1988-89 to describe existing patterns and changes over time. An earlier study established commonalities of pattern across grades, over great disparities of circumstances, and across time. The following findings are presented: (1) patterns of retention rate shift were influenced by student socioeconomic status (SES) and structural variables, and by stricter standard policies stemming from reform legislation of the late 1970s and early 1980s; (2) definite patterns of retention rate shift were associated with the school district's reorganization from a junior high school model to a middle school model; and (3) other patterns appeared to be affected by annual state performance testing practices and by other state education reform legislation intended to toughen graduation standards. Statistical data are presented in one table and 10 graphs. Policymakers are cautioned against rapid, unexpected negative trends in retention rates resulting from well-meaning reforms. A list of eight notes and seven references is appended. (FMW)
Macpherson, R. J. S. (Apr 1990). The Reconstruction of New Zealand Education: A Case of "High Politics" Reform. (ED322584) In 1988 and 1989 there was extensive political intervention into New Zealand's education system. In 1988, as part of the Labour Government's wide ranging reform program, broader social values were deployed against "provider capture" in education. The Picot Taskforce recommended the radical devolution of power, resources, and responsibilities to education institutions and local communities. As a result, a large department of education was replaced by a new compact ministry, a national review agency was established to provide systemic accountability, and the terms of professional service, leadership, and governance in education were redefined. This paper, written from a participant-observer's viewpoint, discusses the Guthrie and Koppich model of high political reform in education. In essence, Guthrie and Koppich assert that significant political reform hinges on three preconditions: alignment, initiative, and mobilization. New Zealand's national education service, in existence since 1877, evolved into a system of sectored incrementalism. In contrast, traditional political action has been primarily regional or local in nature. The Picot Taskforce noted that the combined effects of new technology, changing pluralistic values, new cultural sensitivity, and the intensifying demands on educational services had outstripped the system's administrative capacities. Picot opted for radical devolution to reinforce the professionalism of individual teachers, parents, and community participants. In the case of New Zealand, the Guthrie and Koppich model was employed to determine significance and realign social reality. (42 references) (MLH)
Madsen, Jean (1997). Moving toward a Shared Governance Model for Public Schools. International Journal of Educational Reform, 6, 2, 214-25 Apr (EJ545885) Summarizes a 1992-93 qualitative study examining how three private elementary schools used a shared-governance structure for involving participants in school- improvement efforts. Since private schools must solve their own problems and define educational directions, they benefit from autonomy. They survive by establishing a voluntary community with a collective identity and stakeholder responsibilitya suitable model for public schools. (13 references) (MLH)
Maehr, Martin L., & Others (1992). School Leader as Motivator. Occasional Papers: School Leadership and Education Reform, OP#9. (ED355637) This paper focuses on the role of the school leader as motivator. In particular, attention is given to what those in school leadership roles can do to enhance the personal investment of students in learning. A conceptual model is outlined which suggests that school leaders affect not only the degree, but also the quality of student motivation by influencing the "psychological environment" of the school. A program of research is described that explicates that relationship and demonstrates the validity and utility of the model. Special attention is given to the definition of "psychological environment" and to specifying its antecedents and consequences. Field studies at both the elementary and middle school levels are described to illustrate how leaders can work on the school environment in a way that will influence student motivation. Building especially on the preliminary results of these field studies, specific implications for practice are discussed. (Contains 69 references.) (Author)
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Nussbaum, Michael (Feb 1991). School Restructuring in California. The 1991-92 Budget; Perspectives and Issues. Reprint. (ED332299) Three broad themes run throughout restructuring reforms: decentralization, collaboration, and accountability. The California Legislature recently established a statewide school restructuring demonstration program to help determine whether California educators can make restructuring work. This analysis examines the concept of school restructuring, focusing on: (1) current performance deficiencies in the state school system; (2) restructuring components and their potential for improving educational quality; (3) a summary of research on school restructuring's effectiveness; and (4) the state's future role in restructuring efforts. The analysis is intended to be descriptive, rather than judgmental, and is based on an extensive literature review, interviews with experts, and direct classroom observations. From this research, several conclusions may be drawn: First, more research is needed concerning restructuring's effectiveness. Second, teachers need sufficient release time and training to meet added restructuring demands. Third, schools must link restructuring components to the effective delivery of a challenging curriculum. And finally, schools basing restructuring on strategic planning (instead of piecemeal reform) may have greater success. Besides establishing pilot projects, states can restructure teacher preparation programs, experiment with performance- based waivers, conduct additional, broad-based research projects, and improve coordination of the state's educational policy objectives with the model curriculum frameworks. (MLH)
Naugle, Lottie, & Reigeluth, Charles (1994). Initiating School Restructuring: A Case Study. (ED373742) How an elementary school (pseudonym, Sunny Days Elementary School) initiated school restructuring using the School Restructuring Process Model developed by Charles Reigeluth was studied, using formative evaluation to see how the actual experiences of the school might refine and improve the model. The model follows a three-phase process from initiation and preparation, through design and development to implementation and documentation. The researchers collected and analyzed documents, studied videotapes of the school's Renovation Committee, and interviewed committee members (six parents and six teachers). Although the three proposed phases of the model were retained, modifications were proposed for the initiation and preparation phase to increase assessment of the readiness of the community, better understand the current context, create a more stable membership and develop knowledge bases of members, and develop the design culture. The proposed additions must be tested in other school contexts to see if they are beneficial and worth retaining. (Contains 30 references.) (SLD)
Navarro, Virginia (1998). Developing a Psychology of Learning in the Field: Pre-service Mentoring of At-Risk Middle School Students. (ED419881) This narrative recounts the process of developing and implementing a field component in a preservice course on the psychology of teaching and learning at a large urban school of education. The professional development model of integrated school reform was used as a theoretical base. The field component of the course had two strands: reflective observations and mentoring students identified by teachers as at-risk. Data include survey feedback from: (1) a team of 5 middle school teachers; (2) 14 mentored seventh graders; and (3) the 25 university students in the course. Other sources of information and interpretation are the preservice teachers' final papers in the course that analyzed the field experience in terms of a psychological principle of teaching and learning, and notes from initial meetings as well as a followup meeting with the middle school teachers and several university students after the semester ended. Looking at the data from a cost/benefit ratio perspective, this small Professional Development School (PDS) initiative reveals both intended and unintended benefits and also reveals specific contextual barriers to implementation in a nonresident, noncohort school of education. Challenges to implementing this field program in a subsequent semester highlight the dynamic nature of working in PDS settings. Appendixes contain notes on fieldwork experiences, the student survey, and the assignment from the university class syllabus. (Contains 2 tables and 31 references.) (Author/SLD)
Newman, Joan A. (May 1990). The Status of the Arts in Education: A Summary from the Research Center. (ED322057) This report is a summary of art programs research; an analysis of national, state, and local (Mount Vernon, Washington) art education is outlined. The analysis is constructed from: materials entered into the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) system in the 1980s; the 1987 State of Arts Education in Washington Schools survey; and comments by the State Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts Others. National concerns in arts education as well as the specific concerns in Washington State are discussed in the context of the educational reform movement of the 1980s. The response to these concerns at both the national and state level is summarized. Model programs from around the nation are highlighted. Particular activities within Northwest ESD (Educational Service District) 189 are presented. A 32-item bibliography is included. (DB)
Northrup, Pamela Taylor, & Pilcher, Janet K. (1998). STEPS: An EPSS Tool for Instructional Planning. (ED423853) Support for Teachers Enhancing Performance in Schools (STEPS) is a World Wide Web and CD-ROM electronic performance support system (EPSS) designed for preK-12 and preservice educators to assist in designing and developing lessons, units, or curricula; this tool was developed around school reform and accountability initiatives in Florida. To achieve the four areas of accountability (i.e., integrated curriculum, integrating technology, alternative assessment, and diverse learning environments) and to maintain that all teachers would be able to use STEPS for instructional planning and ongoing support, the following variables were established as development guiding principles: easy access; user interface; teacher planning model; scaffolding for guidance; teacher developed and tested materials; and plan for continuous evaluation and revision. Six components were established within STEPS: (1) Lesson Architect, a guide through the instructional planning process; (2) Tutorial Library, 40 instructional tutorials centered around the four areas of accountability; (3) Model Units, designed for teachers to use as models for planning their own units; (4) Related Web Links, over 400 annotated links to relevant, reliable Web sites; (5) Best Practices Database, accessible by Sunshine State Standard and subject area or keyword; and (6) Coach, scaffolded help. A diagram of STEPS is included. (Contains 13 references.) (DLS)
Nowell, Linda (Apr 1992 ). Rethinking the Classroom: A Community of Inquiry. (ED350273) This paper examines the context from which educational reform is approached and suggests that rather than restructuring the traditional educational model, rethinking that model might be more appropriate, particularly the model of the classroom. Drawing throughout on insights from the writings of John Dewey and John Goodlad, the paper has a threefold focus: the classroom as a community of inquiry, differences between a community of inquiry and the traditional classroom, and how a community of inquiry develops an individual's ability to think critically. The distinguishing characteristic of a community of inquiry is recognition of the student as an active participant in his/her learning, working cooperatively with other members of the community who question each other and urge each other to push deeper and harder into issues. The traditional model finds education primarily concerned with the accumulation of information passed from teacher to student, with knowledge presented as something that accurately mirrors the world and can be transmitted clearly and precisely from one individual to another. In a community of inquiry, knowledge is seen as something emerging from the dialogue. Reform efforts require reflection upon practice within the context of students' lives, and teachers must ask themselves whether the pedagogy they are using promotes the status quo or is a practice by which individuals learn to deal critically and creatively with their experiences. (LL)
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O'Donoghue, Rosalie, & Ragland, Mary (1998). Collaborative Models To Promote Equity and Excellence for All Children. (ED419877) This paper reports preliminary results of two models of school reform initiated in Texas during the summer of 1997. The Texas Accelerated Schools Model began with an intense 5-day training of school teams from schools that had completed a "buy-in" process, along with their external coach, The Schoolwide Planning Summer Institutes began with an intense 2-day planning institute in which school teams collaborated with support teams to design plans for school reform that would incorporate federal, local, and district expectations for school reform. Additional support was available as needed. The study involved collecting data from participants throughout the process in sites that included schoolwide Title I programs, rural, urban, and suburban schools at elementary, middle, and high school levels. Participants included teachers, parents, principals, and other administrators. Study findings indicate the importance of participation by the school principal and the usefulness of including a central office administrator in the school team. Also important was providing definite times and places for school teams to work together. Effective teams viewed their coach or support team member as a source of information and support, not as someone to dictate reforms. A comparison of the weekly and as-needed forms of support suggests that the weekly coach was more likely to be considered an integral part of the reform effort. While both collaborative models were effective in developing relationships, creating teams, and assisting those teams to develop plans, the intensity of the training provided by the Accelerated Schools model and the weekly followup support enabled those teams to address their issues in greater depth and to move forward more smoothly. (Contains 14 references.) (SLD)
Olenchak, F. Richard (1990). School Change through Gifted Education: Effects on Elementary Students' Attitudes toward Learning. Special Issue: Educational Reform: Impact on Gifted. (EJ420047) This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), a system intended to nurture behavioral giftedness without reliance on gifted identification procedures. The study found SEM positively influenced the attitudes of elementary school students (n=1,935) in six middle class schools. SEM may provide schoolwide benefits while programing appropriately for gifted students. (Author/DB)
Organization (1990). A Model Academic Curriculum for the Massachusetts Secondary Technical Vocational Setting. (ED349409) The purpose of the Model Academic Curriculum Project was to assess and define the most effective components of the curriculum for Massachusetts vocational- technical schools that would be reflective of current academic demands and employment needs. Eight study goals were implemented: establish statewide meetings; identify/select study groups; develop academic reportsmath, science, English/communication, social studies; hold group planning meetings; design a statewide assessment survey; coordinate statewide curriculum development projects/services; plan conference presentations; and develop a final report. A collaborative planning/implementation model monitored and evaluated study components. The project sought to improve school performance by aligning academic and vocational curriculum elements. Effective strategies and instructional resources were designed to make information available to teachers. Curriculum changes focused on differences in learning. Participant conference/workshops promoted student learning motivation, effective instructional programs, and academic application within a coordinated and articulation style context. (This document contains eight appendices providing: names of the project advisory committee; a participant list; project research agendas; sample academic program review instruments; information about statewide curriculum projects; the survey instrument with instructions and definitions; a graduate course syllabus; and an information sheet showing how earlier educational reform reports defined high school graduation requirements.) (NLA)
Organization (1991). A Study of the Impact of Educational Reform on At-Risk Students in Texas: Preliminary Findings. (ED337899) A study was conducted to gain a better understanding of how the term "at-risk" is defined and applied in the schools and to assess the intended and unintended consequences of four policies: attendance, the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills exit-level examination, the no pass/no play rule, and the driver's license law on at-risk students. The study consists of three components: (1) a longitudinal study of 1,800 identified at-risk students who participate in extracurricular activities in 50 school districts; (2) a case study of eight high schools; and (3) a statewide survey of high school principals' perceptions of the effects of the four policies. Chapters take up such topics as determining the problem, reform actions in Texas, methodology of the study, establishing dropout statistics, and risk identification practices. A general discussion addresses the concept of at-risk as operationalized in the schools, whose problem it is, and whether an increase in resources would make a difference. Appended is a list of the school districts in the study, the evaluation strategy, the characteristics of high schools, the relative frequency of use of criteria for the identification of at-risk students, a grounded model of students' relative risk, and six other statistical appendices relating to the four policies. (RR)
Organization (1992). Follow Through: A Bridge to the Future. (ED348441) This publication presents approaches to early childhood education conceived in universities and other educational institutions and implemented in schools under the Follow Through Program, a national school improvement effort offering low- income children comprehensive educational and social services. The following papers are provided: "Foreword: A Bridge for All To Cross Over"; "Catching the Spirit of an Era: A Glance Back at Follow Through's Beginnings"; "Reaching Home: Follow Through's Cultural Linguistic Approach Builds a Legacy of Inner City Family Empowerment"; "Classic Piagetian Theory: The University of Georgia at Athens Maps Developmental Courses of Learning"; "The SEDL (Southwest Educational Development Lab) Language Development Approach: Strengthening the Language of the Child"; "As Boulder's Education Seismograph, INREAL (Inter-Reactive Learning) Combines Proven Practices for Bilingual/Bicultural Success"; "Direct Instruction Model Pragmatics Strengthen the Teacher-Learner Bond with Every Step"; "The Interdependent Learning Model: Teaching and Learning from the Games Children Play"; "IRI's (Illinois Renewal Institute's) Cooperative Learning Model/Project Extend Converts the 'Me' Classrooms of Today into the 'We' Classrooms of Tomorrow"; "High/Scope: Foundation for a Lifetime of Learning"; "Adaptive Learning Environments Model Adjusts the School to the Child and the Training to the Teacher"; "The Effective Schools Approach: Building Blocks to the FutureOne Child at a Time"; "COGNET (Cognitive Enrichment Network): Mediating the Learning Network"; "Bank Street's Developmental-Interaction Approach: Fostering Respect for Each Child's Potential"; "The TEEM Fit: Tucson Early Education Model Individualizes Children's Learning"; "The Washington Research Institute School Effectiveness Follow Through Model: Research-Based Classroom Practices for Effective Teaching"; "The Environment as Textbook: Creative Curriculum Follow Through Model Promotes Active Learning and Supportive Classroom Settings to Nurture Children"; "Follow Through Model Key Features" (in tabular form); and "Effectiveness: Follow Through's Bottom Line." Included are a 60-item annotated bibliography of selected reading material and a folder of 15 brief descriptions of Follow Through models. (RLC)
Organization (1993). Implementation of Middle Grade Reforms in California Public Schools, 1988-89 through 1992-93. (ED366062) This document presents findings of a study that examined the extent to which middle-grade reforms in California actually affected the restructuring of middle- level education throughout the state. The California Middle Grades Task Force's report, "Caught in the Middle," led to the creation of the California Middle Grades Reform Model, initially implemented statewide through 10 Regional Networks of 115 partnership schools. Data were derived through a survey of more than 600 California schools, which included both partnership and nonpartnership schools. Findings indicate widespread implementation of middle-grade reform goals that correspond directly with the Task Force's intent. Approximately 40 percent of network schools reported substantial or extensive gains in student achievement, compared with 35 percent of all schools. However, 73 percent of all schools reported moderate to extensive achievement gains in the past 5 years. Other information is provided on school characteristics, construction and remodeling, interdisciplinary teams, active learning structures, tutoring, varied instructional strategies, flexible scheduling programs, advisory programs, heterogeneous student groupings, reforms to benefit at-risk students, college preparation courses, staff development, the middle-school/college relationship, changes in preservice teacher preparation, and achievement. The report is composed of charts, figures, and interpretive critiques based on observations of survey respondents from 1988-89 through 1992-93. A total of 46 figures is included. (LMI)
Organization (1993). Outline Guide to Educational Reform Initiatives. ERS Research Digest. (ED357454) Many educational reform initiatives are being tried in an effort to restructure the American school system. This guide compares major educational reform efforts by goal, vision, teaching and learning, and system components. The first section of the guide covers major systemic educational reform initiatives, including Accelerated Schools Project, Agenda for Teacher Education in a Democracy, Carnegie Middle-Grade School/State Policy Initiative, Coalition of Essential Schools, Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, Effective Schools, Foxfire Teacher Outreach, Holmes Group, Montessori Public Schools, National Education Association Mastery in Learning Consortium, New Standards Project, Outcome-Driven Development Model, Program for School ImprovementLeague of Professional Schools, Project 2061: Science for All Americans, Re:Learning, School Development Program, Success for All, Total Quality Management, Transformational Outcome-Based Education, and Whole Language. The second section includes reform initiatives approved by the New American Schools Development Corporation: Atlas CommunitiesPartners, Bensenville Community Design, College for Human Services, Community Learning Centers of Minnesota, Co-Nect School, Expeditionary Learning, Los Angeles Learning Centers, Modern Red Schoolhouse, National Alliance for Restructuring, Odyssey Project, and Roots and Wings. (JPT)
Organization (1994). Selected and Edited Papers Presented at the National TAFE Senior Executives' Conference (Kooralbyn, Australia, October 7-8, 1993). (ED384812) Eleven papers from an Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) conference are included: "The TAFE System and the Training Reform Agenda" (Gregor Ramsey) raises issues to keep the impetus going for national system improvement and development. "Towards the Best of Both Worlds: Models for Governance of TAFE Colleges" (Ian C. Hill) suggests a collaborative organizational structure and culture. "The New South Wales Model of Governance of TAFE Facilities" (John Allsopp) describes institutional governance. "Tertiary Education and Training in New Zealand" (George Preddey) looks at forces and factors driving change, the nature of the change, and an outline of tertiary education and training. "Aboriginal Education and Training into the 21st Century" (John Lester) suggests how TAFE can include Aboriginal Australians in economic growth and prosperity. "The Role of Research in Policy Making" (Kenneth Wiltshire) addresses the nature of the policy process and of research and Australian research needs, achievements, and research gaps in vocational education. "Does Research Influence Policy?" (William C. Hall) looks at where research leads. "School-TAFE Interface" (William C. Hall) analyzes current and needed research. "Current Research Issues in Competency-Based Assessment" (Peter Thomson) addresses the relationship between competency-based assessment (CBA) and learning and assessors, assessor training, and recognition of prior learning. "Flexible Delivery" and "Non-TAFE or Private Providers" (David Lundberg) summarize completed, current, and needed research in these areas. Appendixes list research needs, priorities, and questions. Many papers contain references. (YLB)
Organization (1994). NCRVE Change Agent. Shaping the Future of Vocational Education. Volume 4, 1994. (ED378377) The first of four issues in this volume consists of four review articles. "Tech Prep Quality" reviews a guide to total quality management and tech prep. "Specific, Ocean to Ocean" reviews a publication that identifies 10 preliminary plans for implementing tech prep. "...No Single Option" is about a monograph that evaluates tech prep and other current initiatives in terms of their value to the middle 50 percent of students. "Tech Prep Nat Sat Telecon" reports on a satellite teleconference that explored leadership, marketing, and business involvement in tech prep. Issue 2 begins with "Authentic Assessment," a review of authentic assessment practices. "Collecting Alternative Approaches to Assessment" focuses on alternative systems of assessment that address reform directives and new approaches to vocational education. "Let Me Get This Straight" looks at study results of local institutions who are trying to understand what Perkins accountability mandates really mean. "Accountability" summarizes two National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE) reportsone that develops a model of accountability and another that proposes policy alternatives in response to federal legislation. Issue 3 contains four articles. "An Annual Report on School-to-Work Programs" reviews an NCRVE report of the research conducted on successful education-to-work transition approaches. "Dive Right In " explores work-based learning for medical unit secretaries. "Special Populations and More" reviews publications addressing two school-to-work connecting activities areas special populations and gender equity. "Revising Educational Assessment" reviews two items about accountability and assessment. Issue 4 begins with "The Right Instrument," a review of the guides to two tools to assess leadership performance. "Administrative Breakwater" reviews a professional development simulation. "In Cases..." focuses on a collection of case studies for leadership development. "For Those about To Lead" reviews a leadership development curriculum. "A Source of Resources" assesses a publication that provides detailed information about leadership development resources. (YLB)
Organization (1998). A Review of Professional Development Schools in Maryland. 1995-1997 Report. (ED424223 Available from: Maryland State Department of Education, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-2202.) For 3 years, the State Teacher Education Council (STEC) has studied Maryland's Professional Development Schools (PDSs) movement, first from a theoretical framework and then from an operational perspective, through a series of site visits. This report includes information from the study. Section 1, "Overview of the Collaborations," describes each PDS at the time of the site visit, summarizing unique features of each PDS model. Section 2, "Summary of Findings," offers five parts, one for each of Maryland's "Common Understandings About Professional Development Schools," a document developed in 1995 to guide early implementation of the Maryland Higher Education Commission's "Redesign of Teacher Education." The five common understandings are to: promote deep, systemic collaboration and interaction; extend linkages with school reform efforts; create learning organizations which become sites for research and inquiry; integrate technology; and support simultaneous renewal efforts. Section 3 presents conclusions and recommendations. Overall, the STEC concludes that Maryland's "Common Understandings About Professional Development Schools" allows for multiple models of PDSs to implement the recommendations of the "Redesign of Teacher Education" report, with a great deal of site-specific variation. Therefore, it is recommended that future PDS models should address the "Common Understandings." The four appendixes present the STEC Review Protocol; common understandings about PDSs; a summary chart of PDS sites visited; and technology requirements in PDS partnership institutions. (SM)
Organization (1998). Comprehensive Models for School Improvement: Finding the Right Match and Making It Work. (ED422632 Available from: Educational Research Service, 2000 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201; phone: 703-243-2100 (Stock No. 0272; $30). This document is NOT available from the EDRS (EDRS).) Comprehensive school improvement is based on reorganizing and revitalizing the entire school rather than focusing on specific student populations or programs. An overview of 17 schoolwide reform programs is provided in this book. The purpose of the text is to give education leaders basic information about some of the best-known externally developed programs available. Each overview is based largely on promotional materials provided by the sponsoring organizations. The guide opens with a synopsis of the trend toward comprehensive school improvementincluding notes on federal fundingand details how to choose the right comprehensive program for a school. The profiles of the 17 comprehensive school-improvement programs are offered next, with much of the information being provided in a question- and-answer format. Whether or not a school or district should design its own comprehensive school-improvement program is addressed and some essential elements of homegrown programs are discussed. The section includes information about the components researchers recommend, including those in any comprehensive model. The text concludes with strategies for successfully implementing comprehensive school-improvement programs. A list of additional resources to aid further research is given. (RJM)
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Packard, Richard D., & Dereshiwsky, Mary I. (Jan 1990). Final Accumulative Results & Transfer of Knowledge of the Arizona Career Ladder Research & Evaluation Project: Impact on Student Achievement, Formulated Models, Network Anecdotes, & Recommendations to the Legislature for Policy Development, Program Continuation & State-Wide Expansion. Summative Report VIII. (ED358055) This paper presents research findings concerning the Career Ladder pilot test program in Arizona. The program is designed to reward and motivate teachers based on performance. One of the program's key features is the flexibility and innovation allowed to participating districts in their individual development of program designs and structures. An example of a district program is provided, followed by a theoretical model of program support and focus factors which influence district potential for successful implementation of an external educational reform program such as Career Ladders. An associated diagnostic profiling procedure for assessing the operational level of each of the focus and support factors as they currently exist within each district is then explained. Through a series of qualitative anecdotes, the viewpoints of career ladder program participants are presented, focusing on such areas as student achievement, teacher skills, administrator skills, professional input, funding, and organizational climate and communications. Exhibits include: (1) a matrix of initial legislative mandates, major research findings, and implications for future policy; (2) a summary of the anecdotal reports from participating districts; (3) a summary of recommendations to the Joint Legislative Committee on Career Ladders; and (4) an analysis of the impact of the Career Ladder program on student achievement. (JDD)
Packard, Richard D., & Dereshiwsky, Mary I. (Nov 1992). Innovative Educational Restructuring for America 2000: Time To Bury Political Bureaucracies and Begin Systematic Assessment, Profiling & Technological Improvement of School Organizations. (ED343269) Despite current interest with the concept of the "New American School" model discussed in "America 2000," school systems continue to approach educational reform and restructuring by tinkering with key organizational components in isolation. The total school organization requires assessment and profiling to determine which key components are drags on efficient and effective increases in the goal of student achievement. Arguments, fighting, interest-group power-plays, and politics do not accomplish discovery and application of already-known ways to improve organizational effectiveness. The path to positive restructuring and reform is through use of the latest available technology and qualitative/quantitative evaluation research procedures. To accomplish organizational assessment from the ground up requires the innovative, validated, and holistic model described in this paper. The process, procedures, and outcomes involved with readiness assessment, profiling, and improvement planning correspond to exhibits A through F and include: (1) adopting an assessment model; (2) identifying key organizational factors; (3) organizational profiling; (4) reporting results of organizational research; (5) improvement planning; and (6) prioritizing factors. Every component and function of educational organizations must be held accountable for the goals of student learning and development. Exhibits A through F are included. (17 references) (MLH)
Paulson, F. Leon, & Paulson, Pearl R. (Apr 1994). Assessing Portfolios Using the Constructivist Paradigm. (ED376209) In a previous paper the authors presented a model of assessing portfolios, the Cognitive Model for Assessing Portfolios (CMAP), as a lens to view, think about, and make decisions about portfolio projects. Two projects in which the CMAP has been used are described. One is an authentic assessment project in mathematics and science by the Educational Testing Service in Atlanta (Georgia), and the other is the reform of assessments in the Wyoming (Michigan) school district. The clear focus of the Atlanta project is on student outcomes. The entire project is systematically designed to produce outcomes that can be summarized across individuals and groups. The focus of the Michigan project is far more diverse, with generally defined outcomes and a more general assessment design. Atlanta represents a positivist and psychometric model of assessment while Wyoming (Michigan) represents a constructivist point of view, with the portfolio seen as a learning environment. Portfolio assessment is better suited to the constructivist model, in that efforts to apply the positivist model to portfolios invariably impose meanings that are different from those created by the learner. One figure and one table illustrate the comparison. (Contains 27 references.) (SLD)
Petersen, George J. (1998). Demonstrated Actions of Instructional Leaders: A Case Study of Five Superintendents. (ED422665) The district superintendent's instructional leadership has emerged as a critical issue in ongoing efforts to reform schools. To elaborate on this trend, an exploratory case study that focused on the perceived and actual leadership characteristics and actions of district superintendents is presented here. For the study, indepth interviews were conducted with five district superintendents in California. Interview responses indicated that the superintendents perceived four attributes to be essential in their ability to be successful instructional leaders: (1) possession and articulation of an instructional vision; (2) the creation of an organizational structure that supports their instructional vision and leadership; (3) assessment and evaluation of personnel and instructional programs; and (4) organizational adaptation. By employing responses given by the superintendents and by scrutinizing their articulated roles, a preliminary model of perceived superintendent behaviors was constructed. To confirm perceptions, actions, and behaviors articulated by the superintendents, triangulation interviews were conducted with school principals and school board members in each of the participating districts. A 52-item questionnaire was also administered to every principal and school board member in these districts. The responses confirmed the articulated actions and behaviors of these superintendents in their promotion of the technical core of curriculum and instruction. (Author/RJM)
Petry, John R., Ed., & Others (Nov 1990). Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (19th, New Orleans, Louisiana, November 14-16, 1990). (ED326562) The proceedings of the 1990 Mid-South Educational Research Association (MSERA) are presented. This document includes a list of MSERA association officers and directors; lists of standing and special committees; the constitution and bylaws of the MSERA; and abstracts of discussion sessions, display sessions, symposia, and training sessions. Symposia topics include: developing a curriculum-based assessment instrument for screening at-risk students; women in educational administration; the effect of a year-long internship on first-year teaching performance; education environment assessment and data-based school improvement a progress report of a statewide project; applications of qualitative methods with low incidence populations; factors that influence the teaching performance of preservice elementary school mathematics teachers; scientific methodology and the compatibility of qualitative and quantitative procedures; school-business partnershipsuneasy alliance or educational reform; program evaluation and development of writing across the curriculum; whole language approaches to learning; the positive impact of mathematics consortium training on student achievement and perceptions in math and science; the development of Louisiana's school stratification model; reflecting on reformwhether meaningful change in schools is really possible; school-based decision makingimplementation efforts, decision-making styles, school and classroom climate data, and teacher empowerment studies; videotaping a semester-long graduate course for a distance education projectprocedures, problems, and pitfalls; four lessons for teaching undergraduates to think in educational psychology; grant winning strategies; the nature of the thought behind reflective practice; models for assessing the impact of student financial aid; promoting reflective practice in education; and science and mathematics instruction in rural public schools. An index of meeting participants is appended. (TJH)
Phillippi, Klotylda (1998). Mandating a Constructivist Approach to Early Elementary Literacy Instruction: The Intended and Unintended Consequences in One School District. (ED420424) In 1988, a school district implemented a reform which was promoted as originating both in research and in the practice of teaching. The reform policy was designed to improve the teaching of young children by mandating a constructivist, child-centered, and developmentally appropriate approach. Since the philosophy and practices mandated in the policy were already in place with some teachers, and because the policy was developed by a committee of respected local educators, it was seen as a grass-roots effort based in the practice of teaching. This qualitative study examines the effectiveness of these educational reforms, particularly the demands that administrative policy made on teaching practice. Data were collected over a 2-year period by means of interviews with 4 central office administrators, 2 school board members, 8 elementary school principals, 6 learning specialists and 17 teachers. The analysis focused specifically on early literacy instruction. While there was a sense among some of the staff of increased professionalism, a decrease in the practice of tracked ability grouping for reading, and a reported improvement in the classroom atmosphere, there was also the unintended consequence of resistance by some of the teachers to implementing the policy. Many teachers were not convinced that the teaching practices mandated would improve student learning. These consequences resulted from a mix of an underestimation of the demands the policy would make on practice, the difficulty involved in moving from a transmission model of teaching and learning to a constructivist approach, the inability of the district to provide for teaching learning, and unexamined questions of the power of others to decide the best approach to teaching. Contains 68 references. (JPB)
Pisapia, John (1994). Planning for Technology Infusion into the Schools. Research Brief #11. (ED411363) The challenge today in implementing educational technology is no longer one of acquiring equipment, but rather one of improved adoption, diffusion, and use of computers. Effective implementation requires effective planning and action to ensure equity of access to resources, coordination of resources, and developing infrastructures for information sharing. One approach, the adoption model, is to spread technology thinly, introducing technology a little at a time. Another approach, the political market model, stresses the role of the school division in spurring innovation. This model often includes pilot projects to drive implementation. The concerns-based planning model assumes that technology should be implemented in an area where it provides a direct benefit based on a defined need. Planning assumptions should involve the uses of the technology, and planning guidelines defined by the National Task Force on Educational Technology specify that implementation should include a parent education component. Policy options should be spelled out in the plan, from curriculum through hardware and home and school links. Three examples of school district technology plans are provided. (SLD)
Packard, Richard D., & Dereshiwsky, Mary I. (Apr 1990). Qualitative Matrices Analysis. (ED324333) Tabular procedures for analyzing open-ended responses were used to study a school district's educational reform program. Responses of a rural Arizona Career Ladder (CL) school district's teachers and administrators to three pairs of open-ended questions contained in the 1989 Perception Assessment Scale survey comprised the data base for the present study. The survey questions asked subjects to identify the perceived strengths and indicators of insufficiency of the overall CL program, and perceived strengths and weaknesses of organizational climate by district and school. There were six subsets of specific responses. Responses were clustered and substratified in a qualitative matrix form according to the respondents' CL status and years of experience. Careful examination revealed several critical underlying items. Substantial teacher input and ownership were considered essential, and respondents indicated that the primary focus should be student achievement and teacher accountability. The biggest problem identified was lack of consistent application of rules. The analysis demonstrated the usefulness of structured qualitative analysis in the model validation process. Nine tables contain the cells of the qualitative data matrix and the ranking of the strengths and insufficiencies derived. (SLD)
Packard, Richard D. (Apr 1993). Going beyond Limitations in the Arizona Career Ladder Programs Model: Building a Comprehensive and Effective Schools Outcomes Reform System in a Non-Career Ladder School District. (ED358054) Arizona's career ladder teacher incentive program was established by the Arizona State Legislature in 1984 as a component of school restructuring efforts. A comprehensive and long-range developmental evaluation system is being developed for the restructuring program, but the program is at risk of being eliminated due to the negative influence of political expediency and lack of follow-through on the part of governmental leaders. Key process requirements for effectively planning and implementing a long-range developmental evaluation system are outlined, based on the premises that positive change is long-range, holistic, developmental, and systematic, and requires research and development. Such an evaluation system calls for a baseline needs assessment followed by application of a cyclical evaluation process which addresses the identified needs, makes plans for change, implements programs, assesses programs, documents program development, and reports progress. Attached to the paper are 10 "exhibits" illustrating aspects or models of the evaluation process. (Contains 25 references.) (JDD)
Packard, Richard D., & Others (Feb 1990). Professors & Practitioners Collaborating on Building a Model of Essential Teaching and Classroom Management Skills within a Major Reform Program: Reliability & Validity Profiling Teacher Characteristics as Related to Student Achievement. (ED318770) The cooperative efforts of researchers and practitioners in building a model of essential teaching and classroom management skills as part of a process of educational reform are illustrated in this study by a local school administrator and university program directors and professors. The reform effort was part of the Arizona Career Ladder pilot program. The district within which the study was completed achieved great gains in restructuring and identifying needs concerning teacher performance characteristics and how they relate to student achievement. A model for profiling teacher characteristics and their relationship to student achievement was developed. The reliability and validity of the specially developed instrument, the Self-Perception Characteristics Survey, were established in close collaboration among school district and university personnel through a study involving 1,080 responses to the teacher self-description profile. Factor analysis of the 12 subsections of the instrumentsetting goals and objectives, planning, making decisions, student assessment, self-assessment, time effectiveness, communicating, building and maintaining relationships, developing other staff, demonstrating commitment, improving instruction, and school effectivenessindicated that in all cases, over 75% of the variance was accounted for by five or fewer factors. The results highlight the advantages of the collaboration between researchers and practitioners in the assessment and rebuilding of schools and in building and validating the connection between teacher characteristics and student achievement. An appendix contains 11 tables of factor loadings. (SLD)
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Radebaugh, Byron F. (Oct 1993). Democratizing Educational Research or Why Is Our Nation Still at Risk after Ten Years of Educational Reform? (ED366104) The purpose of this paper is to offer an alternative explanation of why the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, and educational research in general, has such a low status and its connection to education reform is so remote. Emphasis placed on the differences that divide reformers, researchers, and educators instead of similarities that bind them together lie at the root of why the educational system is still at risk after a decade of reform. A specific group needs to focus attention on how available knowledge is being used. The current system of top-down reform is not working effectively because it does not give teachers and educational professionals a voice in formulating educational- reform policies that they are asked to implement. Imposing educational reform on teachers contradicts a democratic value that says those who are affected by a decision should have a voice in making that decision. Recommendations to improve the status of educational research include the following: (1) reexamine the traditional assumptions of educational research; (2) focus more closely on the "democratic socio-technical" model, by Wirth; (3) encourage values that bring us together as democratic citizens; and (4) bring more teachers into the process of educational research. (KDP)
Reezigt, Gerry J., & Weide, Marga G. (Apr 1990). The Effects of Group-Based Mastery Learning on Language and Arithmetic Achievement and Attitudes in Primary Education in the Netherlands. (ED317584) As part of an educational reform in the Netherlands, teachers were required to implement models of adaptive instruction, including group-based mastery learning. It was expected that mastery learning would raise achievement and reduce differences in achievement among children of different social classes and between girls and boys. In 1987, students and teachers in grades 5 and 7 in 220 elementary schools participated in a study of the performance of the model. In 1988, the same students (who were then in grades 6 and 8) and their teachers participated. In all, about 10,000 children and 1,000 teachers were included in the study. All data were collected using questionnaires and Dutch standardized tests. Mastery learning was very popular for teaching mathematics, but the Dutch language was generally taught in a conventional way. In comparison with conventional instruction, few effects of mastery learning were found. Positive effects were found for language achievement in grade 5, and negative effects were found in the language achievement gain of grade 5 to 6. Differences in the achievement of children of different social classes and of boys and girls were not reduced by mastery learning. When the effects of other forms of adaptive learning (ability grouping and individualized instruction) were studied, mastery learning was the only form that did not lead to lower achievement scores than did class instruction. Possible explanations for the lack of success are reviewed. Eight tables present study data. (SLD)
Robinson, Chris, Ed., & Kenyon, Richard, Ed. (1998). The Market for Vocational Education and Training. (ED422524 Available from: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 252 Kensington Road, Leabrook, South Australia 5068, Australia; email: ncver@ncver.edu.au) These 43 conference papers on vocational education and training (VET) markets are grouped under three broad themes describing them. Sixteen papers deal with the VET product and providers: "The VET Market" (Kemp); "Market Frameworks in VET" (FitzGerald); "The New Zealand Market Approach" (Barker); "An Economic Primer to Government's Role in VET" (Chapman); "Radical Surgery or Palliative Care? The Future of TAFE (Technical and Further Education)" (Schofield); "From the Barrel of the Public System?" (Butterworth); "Private Dynamics" (Graham); "The Role and Impact of Flexible Delivery of VET" (Kearns); "ACE (Adult and Community Education) and Adding Value to the Training Market" (Moore); "VET in 1996" (Borthwick); "The VET Product and the Development of the Training Market" (Robinson); "Developing International Activities with VET" (Streat); "Selling Australian Expertise to Indonesia" (Holland); "Coercion and User Choice: Whose Market?" (Barratt-Pugh); "Mapping the Training Market: Whose Model Works?" (Murray); and "Mapping the Training Market for Individuals" (Barker). The 13 papers concerning the client perspectiveindustry and enterprise are as follows: "Competitiveness Is the Key" (Moran); "Employer Perspectives on the Market for VET" (Balzary); "The Industrial Relations Framework for Training and Productivity" (Wright); "A Market for All" (Peoples); "Economic Trends and Outlooks" (Burke); "Returns to Enterprises from Investment in VET" (Billett); "Freeing Industry's Training Dollar" (Guthrie); "Improving Responsiveness of Supply Systems" (Smart); "Developing the Policy" (Smith, Smith); "The Impact on Providers" (Maddock); "VET Training for IT (Information Technology)" (Gage, Jarvis); "Recognizing IT Skills" (Street); and "Changing Demands on Training" (Bowker). The 14 papers on the client perspectivestudents and trainees are as follows: "Students and Trainees in VET" (Kotz); "Refocussing Market Reform" (Anderson); "Marketing VET" (Shreeve); "The Australian Recognition Framework" (Ward); "Observations of School-Industry Programs" (Goodman); "Co-ordinating VET Programs" (Hill); "Workplace Learning for Students" (Misko); "Developing Opportunities for Young People" (Hayes); "The Value of Qualifications" (Grimshaw); "Longitudinal Research and Participation in Further Education" (Ainley, Long); "Returns from Training for Apprentices" (Collins); "National Student Profiles" (Pattison); "Training To Add Value" (Curl); and "Key Issues" (Kirby). (YLB)
Rosenblum, Sheila, & Others (1990). Educational Reform Options Targeted to Middle-Range High School Students. Research Report 08-027. (ED328999) Policy and program options for economic revitalization in the Southeast region of the United States through educational reform, with a focus on improving the learning experiences of middle-range high school students (30th to 70th percentile on standardized tests), are discussed. The study examined the ways in which state and local school districts are meeting students' needs: improving access to postsecondary education, especially minorities and first generation college students; increasing the probability of high school graduation; providing support and incentives; improving academic readiness; and including outside partners in the education process. Methodology involved a review of policy and research literature, analysis of political legislation and program documents, and telephone interviews with over 100 educational community members. A discussion of policy findings identifies three critical state policy roles for meeting middle- range student needs: school improvement, providing incentives, and promoting collaboration. A description of the following program initiatives are assessed according to their amenability to state policy and local implementation: alternative school programs; school-based and externally based support services; collaboratives; and indirect services, such as staff and curriculum development. Conclusions are made in three areas: redefinition of the target group, change in the state role toward an outcomes-based model, and the broadening participation of external organizations. Appendices include forms and instruments, summaries of additional program initiatives, and state summaries. (18 references) (LMI)
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Swap, Susan McAllister (3 Apr 1991). Can Parent Involvement Lead to Increased Student Achievement in Urban Schools? (ED333079) The Schools Reaching Out (SRO) program suggests that the achievement of low- income urban students can be raised through a "paradigm shift" to beliefs in success for all children in school, and the necessity of parent involvement for achieving that success. SRO attempts to change the traditional distant relationship between schools and parents in the following ways: (1) bringing parents and teachers together more often for a variety of purposes; (2) increasing communication between school and home; (3) making parents an integral part of the school environment; (4) developing outreach programs to recruit parents who have not been previously involved with the schools; (5) offering mutually supportive parent programs; (6) using third party intervention to resolve problems between parents and the school; (7) emphasizing active listening, empowerment, and respect in parent-teacher interactions; and (8) involving parents in informal decision making. A review of effective urban school programs suggests that the School Development Model and the Accelerated Schools program could be combined into a model for school reform. SRO has developed a Sequential Model for Family-School Collaboration for Children's Learning that outlines the process for building successful school-parent relationships. Two figures are included. A list of 24 references is appended. (FMW)
Shore, Cris, & Roberts, Stephen (16 Dec 1993). Higher Education and the Panopticon Paradigm: Quality Assessment as "Disciplinary Technology.". (ED368243) This paper explores the function and effects of recent government reform of higher education in the United Kingdom particularly on quality assurance and quality assessment. The reforms have aimed to make institutions more akin to business and have used the language and techniques of "management." It is argued, in agreement with Michel Foucault, that Jeremy Bentham's panopticon prison provides an instructive model. In a panopticon, a tower is situated at the center of a courtyard surrounded by buildings of cells with each cell window under direct scrutiny of the tower and each inmate visible to the surveillant alone. The cells are theaters in which each actor is alone, individualized and constantly visible. It is further argued that such a prison is a model for understanding the new management practices in higher education and how these function to control, classify and contain teachers. Thus, quality control exercises actually lead to a lowering of academic standards. The paper also argues that current education policy can be usefully analyzed in terms of discourses of power and their relation to systems of control and bureaucratic surveillance and that current policy has been constructed in accordance with a political agenda for social control and ideological reordering with devastating consequences for intellectual freedom and student learning. (Contains 15 references.) (JB)
Shroyer, M. Gail, Wright, Emmett L., & Ramey-Gassert, Linda (1996). An Innovative Model for Collaborative Reform in Elementary School Science Teaching. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 7, 3, 151-68 Aug (EJ564545 This document is NOT available from the EDRS (EDRS).) Details a collaborative reform effort between a school district and a university that includes an elementary teacher preparation program with an emphasis on science, mathematics, and technology. Contains 48 references. (DDR)
Shymansky, James A., Yore, Larry D., Dunkhase, John A., & Hand, Brian M. (1998). Do Students Really Notice? A Study of the Impact of a Local Systemic Reform. (ED418877) This paper describes a major reform effort of an elementary science curriculum called the Science: Parents, Activities, and Literature (Science PALs) Project. The goal of the project was to move teachers towards an interactive-constructivist model of teaching and learning that assumes a middle-of-the-road interpretation of constructivism where hands-on activities are used selectively and purposefully to challenge students' ideas, promote deep processing, and achieve conceptual change. The program also enriches the cross-curricular connections of the science units and promotes meaningful parental involvement. A broad question was raised as to whether or not students really notice. This study explored elementary school students' perceptions of and attitudes toward interactive- constructivist science teaching and learning occurring in classrooms of teachers who were or were not participating in the Science PALs project. The sample consisted of 664 females and 651 males in Grades 1 through 6. Students' perceptions and attitudes were generally higher for science teaching and learning in classrooms of teachers with two or more years of Science PALs experience than in the classrooms of teachers with little to no experience with PALs. A survey of parent participants in the project revealed overwhelming support. An appendix contains descriptive statistics and summary analysis of variance tables. (Contains 12 references.)(PVD)
Shymansky, James A., Yore, Larry D., Henriques, Laura, Dunkhase, John A., & Bancroft, Jean (1998). Students' Perceptions and Supervisors' Rating as Assessments of Interactive- Constructivist Science Teaching in Elementary School. (ED418876) This study took place within the context of a four-year local systemic reform effort collaboratively undertaken by the Science Education Center at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Community School District. The goal of the project was to move teachers towards an interactive- constructivist model of teaching and learning that assumes a middle-of-the- road interpretation of constructivism, where hands-on activities are used selectively and purposefully to challenge students' ideas, promote deep processing, and achieve conceptual change. The research focus of this study was to verify the use of students' perceptions and attitudes and the supervisor's ratings as measures of teachers' implementation of interactive- constructivist teaching in elementary classrooms. The question was addressed using a case study of 52 elementary science teachers. This convenience sample was defined by the professional judgment of the expert rater using an eight-dimension checklist/rating rubric. Students' perceptions and attitudes and expert ratings of constructivist science teaching had marginal external validity. Includes in-depth discussion of constructivism and interactive-constructivist teaching. (Contains 46 references and 5 tables.) (PVD)
Silins, Halia C. (Apr 1993). The Relationship between School Leadership and School Improvement Outcomes. (ED360721) This paper tests the degree of overlap between operational definitions of transformational and transactional leadership, the nature of the relationships between the constructs of transformational and transactional leadership, and specified outcomes in an empirically derived data set by the application of two forms of analysis. Based on Bass's (1985) model, canonical analysis and partial least-squares analysis are applied to derive two path models. The data set was obtained from 1991 Canadian survey data that measured British Columbian school personnel's perceptions about the Primary Program, a mandated school reform policy. Findings indicate that transformational leadership influences school, teacher, and program/instruction outcomes directly and strongly. Evidence is presented for the positive, correlational nature of the relationship between the two kinds of leadership. The findings cast strong doubts on the usefulness of analyses that assume an orthogonal relationship between transformational and transactional leadership as independent variables. They also support the correlational view of the nature of the relationship between the two types of leadership. This was achieved by examining the structure of the two leadership concepts, the assumptions and procedures underlying the two modes of analysis, and the relationship between leadership and school improvement outcomes as presented in the two path models. Three tables are included. (Contains 44 references.) (LMI)
Silins, Halia C. (Apr 1994). Leadership Characteristics That Make a Difference to Schools. (ED383086) The last decade has seen accelerating change in Australia in the form of devolution of authority, democratic decision making, school accountability, and central reorganization. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated transformational and transactional conceptualizations of leadership and their usefulness in predicting school outcomes within a context of change and educational reform. Specifically, the study examined the effects of transformational and transactional leadership practices on student-performance outcomes, curriculum outcomes, teacher outcomes, and school culture. Data were derived from a survey that was administered to 291 primary teachers from 58 South Australian schools. Partial least-squares path analysis (PLSPATH) was used to develop a path model. Findings indicate that each of the leadership characteristicsvisionary, individual consideration, collaborative problem solving, goal achievement, and ethoswere perceived by teachers to promote particular outcomes. Individual consideration and support and collaborative problem solving made a major difference to teacher outcomes, collaborative problem solving made a major difference to curriculum outcomes, ethos made a major difference to school culture, and goal achievement made a major difference to student performance. The data suggest that if the areas of school performance to be improved can be identified, then the leadership behaviors that are most likely to contribute to the improvement of specific outcomes can also be identified. Two tables and 1 figure are included. Contains 44 references. (LMI)
Simon, Martin A. (Apr 1993). Reconstructing Mathematics Pedagogy from a Constructivist Perspective. (ED364406) Constructivist epistemologies have been instrumental in recent research on mathematics learning and have provided a basis for recent mathematics education reform efforts. Although constructivism has the potential to inform changes in mathematics teaching, it offers no particular vision of how mathematics should be taught; models of teaching based on constructivism are needed. Data are presented from a whole-class teaching experiment in which constructivist perspectives encountered problems of teaching practice. The analysis of the data led to the development of a model of teacher decision making with respect to mathematical tasks. Central to this model is the creative tension between the teacher's goals for student learning and the responsibility to be sensitive and responsive to the mathematical thinking of the students. Themes represented include: (1) Students' thinking/understanding is taken seriously and given a central place in the design and implementation of instruction; (2) The teacher's knowledge evolves simultaneously with the growth in the students' knowledge; (3) Planning for instruction is seen as including the generation of a hypothetical learning trajectory; (4) The continually changing knowledge of the teacher creates continual change in the teacher's hypothetical learning trajectory. Contains 47 references. (Author/GW)
Smith, J. Lea, & Others (Apr 1992). Restructuring the Urban Primary School: A Collaborative Approach to Developing a Nongraded Curriculum. (ED347231) In 1988 the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld a previous decision that the state public education system had failed to provide an efficient system of common schools. The Kentucky Educational Reform Act (KERA, 1990) came from this decision. This paper reviews the restructuring of a primary school under the KERA, focusing on one collaborative effort between a university practitioner and a school practitioner in developing a year-long pilot project. Crucial components of the collaboration included initiating dialogue, organizing and implementing a primary school model, disseminating the model, and developing leadership. Key components of the pilot project included: (1) development of an integrated thematic curriculum and alternative assessments; (2) a pupil progression plan; (3) an orientation toward success and cooperation; (4) flexibility to allow for multiple age/multi-ability grouping; and (5) creative student evaluation through narrative progress reports. The Partners in Learning model was applied at an inner-city elementary school in Louisville (Kentucky). The success of the new instructional program was confirmed by comparing scores of 15 program second graders on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills with those of 15 similar students from another school. Six teachers and the school speech pathologist completed a follow- up survey indicating that they continued to use the model, although four have made modifications to it. There is a nine-item list of references. (SLD)
Soled, Suzanne Wegener, & Yinger, Robert J. (1991). Developing a Theoretical Framework for Faculty Planning and Collaboration. (ED337421) The College of Education at the University of Cincinnati agreed to examine its teacher education programs and initiate program changes within the broad framework provided by the Holmes initiatives. Those involved began by developing a conceptual framework for pursuing planning and implementation efforts in the college. Rather than proposing a master plan for teacher education reform, they agreed upon six principles of implementation which guided process planning: patterns, organic order and change, local decision making, individual program growth, evaluation, and coordination. The framework developed is grounded in the notion that a central component of expertise in a practical undertaking like teaching is a "language of practice." Since there was no language of practice for teaching, the researchers developed their owna pattern language which embodies the goals and means for the program design and implementation. This paper discusses these process principles and the pattern language as a model for developing a theoretical framework for restructuring the university's teacher education programs. (Author/IAH)
Speakman, Sheree T., & Others (1997). The Three Rs of Education Finance Reform: Re-Thinking, Re-Tooling, and Re- Evaluating School-Site Information. Journal of Education Finance, 22, 4, 337-67 (EJ544283) Examines the need for new financial reporting and analysis, starting with rethinking the school finance field, retooling the management information systems for school finance, and re-evaluating knowledge about school-site management, accounting, and reporting. Demonstrates a new reporting methodology, the Financial Analysis Model, that traces funds from their sources to the classroom and student. (18 references) (MLH)
Stainback, William, & Stainback, Susan (1992). Controversial Issues Confronting Special Education: Divergent Perspectives. (ED371524) This book of 24 papers presents divergent views on 12 issues in special education: organizational strategies, classroom service delivery approaches, maximizing the talents and gifts of students, classification and labeling, assessment, instructional strategies, classroom management, collaboration/consultation, research practices, higher education, adult services (especially employment and housing), and theoretical/philosophical orientation. Papers are: "Achieving Full Inclusion: Placing the Student at the Center of Educational Reform" (Dorothy Kerzner Lipsky and Alan Gartner); "Preserving Special Education...For Those Who Need It" (Laurence M. Leiberman); "Schools as Inclusive Communities" (Susan Stainback and William Stainback); "Preserving the Least Restrictive Environment" (Glenn Vergason and M. L. Anderegg); "The Need for a Range of Program Options for Gifted and Talented Students" (Barbara Clark); "Including All Children and Their Gifts within Regular Classrooms" (Mara Sapon- Shevin); "Labeling: A Tired, Overworked, Yet Unresolved Issue in Special Education" (M. Steven Lilly); "The Classification Problem" (Howard S. Adelman); "Norm-Referenced Intelligence Tests: What We Have and What We Need" (Jack A. Naglieri and Jeffrey P. Braden); "Special Education Decision Making and Functional/Behavioral Assessment" (Daniel J. Reschly); "Direct Instruction" (Sara G. Tarver); "Paradigm Shifts in Instructional Strategies: From Reductionism to Holistic/Constructivism" (Mary Simpson Poplin and Suki Stone); "Gentle Teaching: Its Assumptions, Methodology, and Application" (John J. McGee and Frank J. Menolascino); "Behavior Analytic Foundations of Classroom Management" (Thomas D. Haring and Craig H. Kennedy); "Continuing the Dialogue: Embracing a More Expansive Understanding of Collaborative Relationships" (Lawrence J. Johnson and Marleen C. Pugach); "A Rationale for Collaborative Consultation" (Jacqueline Thousand et al.); "Quantitative Research as the Method of Choice within a Continuum Model" (Robert G. Simpson); "Standing on Its Own: Qualitative Research in Special Education" (Robert Bogdan and Zana Marie Lutfiyya); "Unifying the Preservice Preparation of Teachers" (Marleen C. Pugach); "A Rationale for Departmentalization of Special Education" (H. William Heller); "Developmentally Disabled People Grow Up: Needs and Resources in the Post-School Years" (Marvin Rosen et al.); "Inclusive Community Living" (Steven J. Taylor et al.); "Special Education Research and the Scientific Method" (Douglas Fuchs and Lynn S. Fuchs); and "Role of Interpretation in the Human Sciences with Some Applications to Education" (Richard P. Iano). Papers contain references. (DB)
Stecher, Brian M., & Hanser, Lawrence M. (Dec 1992). Beyond Vocational Education Standards and Measures: Strengthening Local Accountability Systems for Program Improvement. (ED354343) A significant change in vocational education brought about by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act 1990 amendments was the introduction of outcome-based accountability. Accountability from the local perspective was explored through interviews with local program administrators, staff, students, and employers in secondary and postsecondary vocational education programs in five states. Interviews focused on accountability, program improvement, relationship between programs and their constituents, and possible effects of Perkins Act requirements. A model of the local accountability systems operating in vocational education programs was developed. It illustrated how goals, measures, feedback, influence, and reform interacted to influence program practice and offered guidance for evaluating and strengthening local accountability systems. It was recommended that states take an active role in improving local accountability systems by reviewing and offering guidance to strengthen goals and measures, increase feedback and influence, and improve program planning. Conclusions were as follows: functioning local accountability systems exist; local accountability systems can aid program improvement; states can evaluate and strengthen local accountability systems; neither state nor local education agencies are fully prepared for their new roles; and the Perkins Act may overemphasize externally developed outcome-based standards and measures. (Appendixes include an article on changing responsibilities of local and state education agencies under the act and a 55-item bibliography.) (YLB)
Stedman, James B. (17 May 1991). America 2000: The President's Education Strategy. CRS Report for Congress. (ED359635) America 2000, the national strategy proposed in 1991 by the Bush Administration to achieve six national education goals that were adopted in 1990 by President Bush and the Nation's Governors, consists of four broad components: the reform of current schools; the development of new school models; the enhancement of workers' skills; and the coalescing of communities behind the President's strategy. This report provides an overview of the strategy; describes the roles, as delineated in the strategy, to be played by different levels of government, the business community, and the public; presents a table showing the Administration's proposed fiscal year 1992 funding for initiatives related to the strategy; and concludes with an analysis of some issues relevant to federal policy making. The issues include the approach to reform, research and development, coverage of the goals, promotion of school choice, and development of new model schools. (LMI)
Stevens, Mark O. (Mar 1992). School Reform and Restructuring: Relationship to Gifted Education. (ED344408) This chapter reviews recent trends toward increasing emphasis on excellence in American business and applies these trends to school reform and restructuring in the context of gifted education. First, it notes the main ideas of recent business and education excellence studies which call for radical changes in the American education system. Examined is the dilemma of balancing the educational demands of equity and excellence especially in an age of major demographic shifts. A quality-oriented paradigm is proposed which merges equity and excellence and focuses on the individual thus replacing the industrial model paradigm which focused on the "system". The issue of ability grouping is considered and research supporting within class grouping is cited. Concepts underlying the middle school approach are noted as another example where the equity/excellence dilemma and grouping concerns emerge. "Equifinality" is offered as a concept which suggests many potential ways to reach resolution especially when the focus is always on the individual gifted learner and the teacher/facilitator. (18 references) (DB)
Sulla, Nancy (1998). Maximizing the Effectiveness of External Consultants in the Educational Reform Agenda. (ED420672) Factors that contribute to the success of an educational consultant and the school partnership were studied through a qualitative exploration of the consultant's role in two reform efforts. The study explored the work of one educational consultant in two school districts, one in which the consultant had been working for 27 years and one in which she had been working for less than 2 years. Both districts were in upscale suburbs of New York City. Two distinct models emerged from the study data, one was referred to as consultant-as-voice and the other as client-as-voice. In the consultant-as- voice model, the consultant worked directly with the participants, usually with the client present. In the client-as-voice mode, she worked directly with the client, usually in the absence of the other participants, to build capacity in the client in both content and process. The consultant's success depended on her ability to overcome any negative influence of the site-specific factors studied (principal, internal facilitator, clarity of reform goals, organizational culture, and knowledge of the change process) and to capitalize on positive site factors. Findings emphasize the importance of values shared between consultant and client, especially the importance of these values in the selection of the consultant. Findings also support the literature regarding the importance of the principal in school reform. (Contains 6 figures and 51 references.) (SLD)
Sussman, Art, Ed. (1993). Science Education Partnerships. Manual for Scientists and K-12 Teachers. (ED368549) Many involved in science education reform agree that one ingredient of future science education programs should be effective partnerships. Partnerships often will embrace people and organizations who traditionally have not been involved in science education. This book offers "how to" guidelines for forming effective science education partnership. Listed below are chapters and authors included in the book: (1) "A Framework for Science Education Partnerships" (Art Sussman); (2) "10-Step Recipe for Starting a Partnership Program" (Bruce M. Alberts); (3) "Perspective of a School District Superintendent" (Interview: Ramon Cortines); (4) "One on One Partnerships (David States, Susan Brady, and Art Sussman); (5) "One Partner's Story" (Mike Morgan); (6) "Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education" (Brian Kearney, Marie Earl, and Karin Rosman); (7) "Training the Scientific Community" (Hector Timourian); (8) "University Research Expeditions Program" (Jean Colvin); (9) "A School of Education Extension Service Model" (Pam Castori); (10) "Putting the Focus on Preservice Science Education" (Glenn Crosby); (11) "City Science-Defining a Role for Scientists in Elementary Science Education" (Margaret Clark); (12) "Science at the Core: Shedding New Light on Partnerships (Cary Sneider, Christopher DeLatour, and Karen Mendelow); (13) "Summer Workshops and a Mobile Van as Catalytic Vehicles" (Interview: Lane Conn); (14) "Bay Area Science and Technology Education Collaboration" (Ken Epstein); (15) "Partners in Implementing Curriculum Change" (Jacqueline Barber, Cary Sneider, Katharine Barrett, and Stefan Gair); (16) "The Making of GEMS: Partners in Developing Curriculum" (Jacqueline Barber); (17) "Attracting Underrepresented Precollege Students to Mathematics and Science Disciplines" (Shelby Givens); (18) "One Shot Activities: Speakers' Bureau and Seminar Series" (David States and Margaret Clark); (19) "Student Ownership of Scientists' Visits" (Dean Muller); (20) "Partnership Activities of Health Professional Students" (JoAnne Miller, Gregory Arent, and Sarah Spence); (21) "The Student Lesson Plan Contest" (Art Sussman); (22) "Science and Societal Issues Symposium" (Susan Brady); (23) "Summer Research Opportunities for Students & Teachers" (Margaret Clark); (24) "My Summer in the Alberts Lab" (Moses Kim); (25) "Perspective of a Program Evaluator" (Interview with Mark St. John); (26) "The Turing Test as an Evaluation Method" (Mark St. John); (27) "Raising Money from the Private Sector" (Dennis Hartzell); (28) "The Grant Donor/Recipient Partnership" (Kathryn Carey); (29) "Raising Money from the Public Sector" (Art Sussman); (30) "Resources for Science Education Partnerships" (Art Sussman); (31) "To Challenge Our Cities" (Leon Lederman); (32) "Perspectives on Systemic Change" (Mark St. John); and (33) "Ameristroika and the Art of Science Education" (Art Sussman). (ZWH)
Seaberg, John J., Jr., & Others (Nov 1990). A Comprehensive Statewide School Improvement Staff Development Plan Utilizing Practitioners. (ED326508) A description is given of the Oklahoma Leadership in Educational Administration (LEAD) project, a professional development program for state administrators which utilizes materials and methods developed by practitioners to meet needs brought about by state legislation for reform in education. The strength of the Oklahoma LEAD project lies in two areas: (1) the involvement of practitioners in the design of materials to be used by peers; and (2) the establishment of close working relationships with several groups in the state who deal with administrative preparation, certification, and professional development. Several instructional modules have been developed or are in the final stages of development. These include site-based school improvement, Oklahoma minimum criteria for effective teaching performance, supervision/evaluation, school discipline, student achievement, expectations, and research retrieval/application. The contents of the modules are outlined, and a brief overview of the LEAD project is presented. (JD)
Sears, James T., & Others (1994). When Best Doesn't Equal Good: Educational Reform and Teacher Recruitment. A Longitudinal Study. (ED383107) This book describes outcomes of a special teacher-preparation program at "Central College," which recruited high-ability students. Data were derived from individual and group interviews, analysis of student journals, observation, administration of standardized instruments, and videotapes of teaching performances. Following the foreword and preface, chapter 1 discusses the reform of teacher education during the 1980s. Chapters 2, 5, and 8 place the experiences of five 6-year interns and their program within 3 general reform domainsteacher recruitment, liberal arts-based undergraduate curriculum, and induction systems and school-university collaboration. The third chapter offers portraits of the five internstheir motivations for teaching and the role of their personal biographies. Chapter 4, 6, and 9 portray the interns contending with specific problems inherent in contemporary teacher-education reform agendas: the defeminization, intellectualization/rationalization, and stratification of teaching. Chapter 7 asserts that reforms necessary for student teaching reinforce traditional notions of model and practice, which decontextualizes the practice of teaching. Chapter 10 describes the interns' adjustments to various contexts. An epilogue raises the question about the feasibility of recruiting only high- ability students. Teacher-development programs should acknowledge that there are students from diverse backgrounds who may not score high on academic measures but who would make positive role models, effective instructors, and long-term teachers. (Contains 224 references.) (LMI)
Secada, Walter G., Ed. (1992). The Reform of School Mathematics in the United States. International Journal of Educational Research, 17, 5, 399-516 (EJ445325) Seven articles discuss a theme that was also the subject of a symposium at an Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, reform of school mathematics teaching and curriculum. These articles indicate that educational reform is a complicated endeavor and tension exists between the old and new. (SLD)
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Seeley, David S. (Apr 1991). Brother Can You Paradigm? Finding a Banner around Which To Rally in Restructuring Schools. (ED333541) After clarifying the meaning of restructuring through an analysis of the current educational paradigm, this document begins by differentiating between educational reform and restructuring and, similarly, between educational evolution and revolution. Paradigms are defined along with Kuhn's (1962) concept of the "paradigm shift." Clarifying, justifying, and implementing educational paradigm shifts are discussed as well as ways to expedite the shifting process. Next, the origin, nature, potential, and shortcomings of four proposed paradigm shifts in public education are described: (1) a voucher proposal involving a shift from a governmental or delegation model to a market system; (2) a "deschooling" paradigm that involves moving education outside public school buildings; (3) a results paradigm that holds outcomes, rather than process, to be crucial; and (4) a shift from educational bureaucracy to collaboration. The need for a common educational vision or "banner around which to rally" is discussed, with collaboration presented as a necessary component of any new paradigm. Last, the trend toward a paradigm that emphasizes providing success for all over separating winners from losers is reviewed, and the interrelated moves toward partnership and success for all are described as a dual paradigm shift. (22 references) (CLA)
Shartrand, Angela, & Others (Aug 1994). Preparing Teachers To Involve Parents: A National Survey of Teacher Education Programs. (ED374111) As recent trends in education reform and research stress the importance of school- home partnerships, teachers will need preparation for working successfully with parents and other family members. This paper examines teacher preparation in parent involvement for early childhood and K-12 teachers. Surveys of state certification requirements and preservice teacher education programs were conducted to describe the content of parent involvement requirements and training opportunities. Findings show that a majority of states do not mention parent involvement in teacher certification requirements. States with requirements often define parent involvement in vague terms. Likewise, most teacher education programs do not offer substantial parent involvement training. Training that exists is often traditional in definition, teaching methods, and delivery. A typology specifying different components of parent involvement training is also presented. Model programs teaching multiple types of parent involvement and utilizing collaboration and other innovative approaches are described. Recommendations for improving teacher preparation in parent involvement are offered. (Contains approximately 60 references.) (Author)
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Talley, Susan, & Martinez, D. Hollinger (1998). Tools for Schools: School Reform Models Supported by the National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students. (ED418174) The 27 school reform models presented in this publication have been supported, at some time in their development and dissemination, by the National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department Education. As part of its mission, the Institute supports the development of research-based knowledge and strategies promoting excellence and equity in the education of children and youth placed at risk of educational failure. The Institute supports a coordinated and comprehensive program of educational research primarily through national research and development centers, mult-year contracts, and a field-initiated studies program. This publication represents the compilation of information about 27 school reform models that have received support for development, expansion, adaptation, or evaluation through the Institute's research program. The primary purpose of this publication is to provide information to practitioners and policymakers who have decision-making authority for improving the performance of schools with significant at-risk student populations. The information provided on each of the 27 models is intended to give readers a fairly in-depth view of what is required for a school to implement the model. Each model description was prepared by the model's developer through a format developed by the Institute and identifies contact persons and other sources that be accessed for additional information. The document is divided into three sections: (1) "Comprehensive School Reform Models"; (2) "Classroom and Curriculum Redesign Models"; and (3) "Professional Development Reform Models." The first appendix groups the models by center/program affiliation, grade levels, and educational priorities. The second appendix presents information on the National Institute on the Education of At- Risk Students and its mission, program, and staff. (AA)
Taylor, Gerald, & Others (1992). Reforming Teacher Education: Toward an Alternative Model of Practicum. International Journal of Educational Reform, 1, 4, 376-91 Oct (EJ455687) Research indicates that most conventional teacher education practicum programs tend to encourage uncritical acceptance of conventional instructional and management techniques. Advances seven basic principles for the design of field experiences that will develop teachers who share the norms of collegiality and experimentation. (97 references, 13 end notes) (MLF)
Taylor, Dianne L., & Bogotch, Ira E. (Jan 1992). Teacher Decisional Participation: Rhetoric or Reality? (ED343878) This study was conducted in Dade County, Florida, school district that has been involved in the restructuring movement since 1987. In the mid-1980's the district piloted a school-based-management program, aimed, in part at increasing teachers' decisional participation. The sample was chosen from 14 elementary and 2 senior high pilot schools and 14 elementary and 3 senior high non-pilot schools. The final sample consisted of 24 schools (pilot and non-pilot) matched on the basis of organizational level, student body size and percentage of free lunch participants. Through the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study presented a global assessment of teacher decisional participation using a model derived from the restructuring, school effectiveness, and participation literatures. The model directly links teacher decisional participation to several teacher and student outcomes: (1) teacher job satisfaction; (2) choice of instructional techniques; (3) teacher and student attendance; and (4) student achievement and behavior. Data were gathered from survey questionnaires and classroom observations. Dimensions of participation were identified and correlated with outcome variables to determine whether or not differential relationships existed. Four main findings emerged: (1) several dimensions of decisional participation were identified; (2) the dimensions correlated differentially with the outcome variables; (3) teacher decisional participation did not have a statistically significant impact on the quantitative outcomes tested; and (4) qualitative differences in instructional techniques chosen by teachers did not emerge as a result of teachers' participation. An ancillary finding suggested that teachers reported feeling decisionally deprived despite working in a reform district. Four tables complete the document. (LL)
Taylor, Dianne L., & St. John, Edward (Jan 1993). Limitations of District Initiated Reform: A Study of a Major Urban Reform Initiative. (ED358231) A study was done of recent district-initiated reform movements by analyzing different belief systems regarding schools and reform and by applying the analysis to a study of a district widely known for its leading role in implementing reforms. Belief System I is consistent with traditional organizational theory and top-down management. Belief System II sees reform as an internal process within each school with principals as genuine instructional leaders. This study of a southern urban school district explored the effect of teachers' involvement in decision making using a model of participation derived from the restructuring, school effectiveness, and participation literature. School teachers were administered a 19-item questionnaire. Findings were inconsistent with predictions of the restructuring movement; teachers were not as involved in decision making as they wanted to be. Analyses of the findings in light of the belief systems indicate that elaborate reform programs with an attendant set of rules and regulations will fail if the purpose of schooling (to have teachers educate children) is overlooked. Nevertheless, reform agendas consistently overlook the importance of teachers' work in the classroom, concentrating instead on supposedly more professional tasks outside the classroom. Includes 30 references. (JB)
Terry, Arthur F., & Hargis, Nancy (1992). Career Education Revisited: Implications for the 1990s. Information Series No. 353. (ED354389) The U.S. Office of Education (USOE) supported the development of four career education models in the 1970s: school-based, later comprehensive career education model; employer-based, later the experience-based career education model; home/community-based model; and the residential-based model. Establishment of the Office of Career Education (OCE) in USOE led to a number of projects aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of comprehensive K-12 career education. State departments of education also supported the curricular infusion of career education concepts. The demise of OCE and the rise of educational reform movements in the early 1980s drew attention away from career education. However, Career Information Delivery Systems, the 1984 Perkins Act's recognition of career guidance and counseling programs, and the National Career Development Guidelines maintained some visibility for career education and development. In the 1990s, new reform movements are focused on economic and work force development, of which career development has become an essential component. New roles are emerging for counselors, teachers, and career development specialists. The early emphasis in career education on school-business collaboration is echoed in current attempts to build partnerships and involve families and communities. Critical issues for shaping career development in the 21st century include the following: a need for systematic research on the effectiveness of career education/development, teacher and counselor preparation, counselor certification and licensure, multicultural awareness, and school-to-work transition for at-risk youth. (Contains 41 references.) (SK)
Thomas, Robert G. (Apr 1993). The Effect That Method of Instruction Has on Achievement in Core Academic Content Areas. (ED360265) In the spirit of educational reform, this paper discusses school restructuring and proposes a model for making education more responsive to the needs of urban youth by fostering competence built upon unique cultural resources and individual skills already possessed. The proposed project would target the middle school, which is considered an ideal starting place for structuring change because it is at this level that the gains of the elementary school are thought to be lost. The following structural changes are proposed: (1) redesign of the self-contained classroom; (2) professional diversification through the use of teachers as craftsmen, specialists, and artists; (3) the use of teaching teams; (4) the incorporation of group processing and problem-solving skills for both students and teachers; (5) a less hierarchical management structure; and (6) increased monitoring of performance through the use of advanced technologies. The three instructional strategies being considered are teacher-assisted instruction, team- assisted instruction, and computer-assisted instruction. The effectiveness of these strategies will be related to the core subjects of reading, mathematics, and science to assess academic achievement. (Contains 22 references.) (LL)
Timpane, P. Michael, & McNeill, Laurie Miller (1991). Business Impact on Education and Child Development Reform: A Study Prepared for the Committee for Economic Development. (ED337514) This research report provides a critical look at the involvement of corporate America in the resurgence of public education and its impact on the reform movement particularly on early childhood issues. The history of the business- education relationship in this century is the topic of Chapter 1. Chapter 2 describes patterns of involvement from helping hand relationships to programmatic initiatives to compacts and collaborative efforts and finally to policy change, with the helping hand model being the most popular and widespread. Chapter 3 assesses results at the end of the recent decade of renewed corporate interest in education and child development and finds that although there is much and varied activity, business participation has not yet been fully adequate to the task because there has been no widespread impact on educational outcomes. Chapter 4 addresses the needs of the coming decade and describes the six following goals: (1) stay the course, (2) promote national dialogue and federal involvement, (3) pursue related human service perspectives, (4) build the infrastructure of business-education partnerships, (5) support pertinent research and analysis, and (6) review and assess the commitment and performance of businesses. A 255-item bibliography is included. (JB)
Tirri, Kirsi (1993). Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness by Self-Assessment: A Cross-Cultural Study. Research Report 122. (ED365668) The purpose of this study was to explore an American model (Harris 1986) of effective classroom teaching behaviors as a framework for teachers' professional growth. The particular focus was on the self-assessment component of the methods related to the model. An empirical approach was adopted, and comparative data were gathered from American and Finnish teachers using a common self-evaluation instrument. The study identified and analyzed cross-cultural differences and culture-specific behaviors. The analysis revealed that a complete fit between the model and the data could not be found. Discriminant analysis revealed interesting differences in the evaluation of teachers from different teaching traditions. The American teachers were found to be much more dynamic in their classroom behavior than their Finnish colleagues; Finnish teachers reflected their academic tradition well by giving much more emphasis to a "businesslike" type of behavior. The research is presented in eight chapters as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) Teachers' professional development; (3) The reform traditions; (4) Methods for helping teachers' professional growth; (5) The empirical framework; (6) Cross- cultural validity of the Harris model; (7) Dimensions of teacher classroom behavior; and (8) Discussions on methodology and conclusions. Appendixes provide a copy of the questionnaire in English and in Finnish, and computer listings for chapters 6 and 7. (Contains approximately 175 references.) (Author/LL)
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VanTassel-Baska, Joyce, & Others (1992). A Conceptual Overview of Science Education for High Ability Learners. Developing Science Curriculum for High Ability Learners K-8. (ED354709) This concept paper outlines the rationale for a project on the development of science curriculum for K-8 high ability learners. The rationale was developed through a synthesis of major recommendations from national science reform reports and from a review of the literature on effective science curriculum for high ability learners. The paper begins with a summary of the background research, with emphasis on six key curriculum components: (1) developing an understanding of scientific concepts; (2) developing scientific inquiry skills; (3) developing a knowledge base in science areas; (4) developing interdisciplinary connections; (5) developing problem-based learning approaches; and (6) developing scientific habits of mind. Then major project objectives are outlined. These include: review of promising science curriculum materials for high ability learners; development of papers on key science concepts; development of a curriculum scope and sequence model; conducting a summer institute on teaching science to gifted learners; development of a set of exemplary science curriculum units; field testing of newly developed curriculum; and generation of scholarly publications. A glossary defines key terms and an appendix provides a synthesis of science report recommendations. (Contains 59 references.) (DB)
Vasquez, Rosetta (1994). Reforming Chicago Public Schools: The Intended and Unintended Consequences. (ED393957) The Chicago School Reform Act provided a rare opportunity for those who were involved in the development of the legislation to be primarily responsible for the initial implementation of the plan. The governance model of the Reform Act, which is the subject of this study, provided for an elected school counsel at each of 542 schools and maintained a modified central office and a central school board. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the evolution of the educational system in the United States, and Chapter 2 presents research findings about the origins of the Chicago School Reform Act, stakeholders' perceptions, and the political context. Chapter 3 considers the swiftness with which the legislation was implemented and some of the conflicts of implementation. The local school counsels and how they will work is the subject of Chapter 4. Chapter 5 calls for the various stakeholders to put the Chicago reforms into a historical, political, and sociological perspective and to realize that the reform effort will not be sufficient to bring about all the change Chicago needs. Appendixes describe the methodology, and the various types of stakeholders. (Contains 134 references.) (SLD)
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Wheeler, Nedra, & Agruso, Ramona (1997). Kentucky and Missouri School Improvement Models. (ED416194) The Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 mandates radical changes in curriculum, finances, and governance for all Kentucky schools and requires that all schools implement school-based decision making (SBDM). SBDM involves a cooperative problem solving approach to operational decisions. New York's Johnson City school district developed an outcomes-driven decision making (ODDM) model. The model combines what research indicates about good teaching, learning, and administration to promote outstanding student achievement. The model is a system of shared beliefs based on participation, deliberation, and discussion by all professional staff through consensus. It is driven by the mission that all students will learn. Johnson City school district personnel provide ODDM training for teachers and administrators. Data from Johnson City schools indicate that student achievement improved when using the ODDM. Springfield, Missouri's Board of Education approved use of the ODDM model as part of a strategic plan. School and community partners received training to teach other adults the ODDM process, which they then took back to their schools, thus ensuring that ODDM would be commonly used throughout the district. Strengths of both the ODDM model and the Springfield model rest in the staff and patron training components for achieving desired outcomes through shared decision making practices. (Contains 15 references.) (SM)
Wideen, Marvin F., & McNally, Gregory W. (Apr 1992). Induction Practices at the District Level: Fact or Fiction. (ED350265) Induction of beginning teachers has become a significant issue in education for several reasons: teacher retention, personal and psychological assistance to beginning teachers, assessment, reform, and academic curiosity. This study examined school district induction practices in the province of British Columbia (Canada). The objectives of the study were: to determine whether induction programs existed, to identify the policies and practices that characterized the programs, and to observe how the reported policies and practices were actually being carried out in the districts. For the study, a model for beginning teacher induction involving four levels of teacher assistance was proposed and used as a rough template against which to view the practices in the districts. The first level of teacher assistance is the "nuts and bolts" level which includes assistance and orientation to the context of the workplace in which the beginning teacher will be employed. At the second level, beginning teachers receive psychological support. At the third level, programs deal with changes in teaching practice. The fourth level involves programs that focus on reflection and professional growth. Telephone interviews with district personnel in eight districts were used to obtain information on district policy; questionnaires were used to collect data from beginning teachers in two school districts about the kinds of assistance they actually received. Results based on 53 responses to the questionnaire indicated that: the districts appeared to be working primarily at the first level of the teacher assistance model; while induction is widely talked about at the district level, it has not yet become a serious and integral part of most school districts; and the assistance that beginning teachers received was more a function of the school atmosphere and help from significant colleagues than any planned district programs. (Contains 26 references.) (IAH)
Williams, Shayne, & Others (Sep 1993). Get It Right: Indigenous Demands for Control of Indigenous Higher Education. (ED403087) Despite the proliferation of indigenous higher education programs and institutions in Australia, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are concerned about continuing forms of imposition and domination. The central challenge is to understand that continuing forms of colonialism are responsible for the insidious and embedded features of hegemonic systems that still constrain the struggles of indigenous people through the manipulation of consent and dissent. Aborigines receive an education that is not congruent with their cultural values, but is designed to assimilate them into the wider society. The question of who should define and control "appropriate outcomes" is central to the growing demands for indigenous control of indigenous higher education. Alternative, independent higher education models in South Africa, Palestine, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States demonstrate that cultural survival, empowerment, and self- determination can be promoted when indigenous people exercise genuine control of their own affairs. Among the critical features that must be included in the emerging model of indigenous higher education are: control and direction by indigenous people; participation by indigenous communities; the role of elders as custodians of law and culture; attention to the question of "education for what?" in order to address the dilemma of continuing cultural assimilation and genocide; respect for the spiritual relationship between people and the earth; recognition of the traditions and aspirations of the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders; and culturally appropriate ways of thinking, living, and working. (TD)
Willis, Wayne, Ed. (1994). Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Southwest Society of Philosophy and History Education (44th, September 23-25, 1993, New Orleans, Louisiana). (ED413254) This annual publication offers a collection of papers, essays, and speeches related to the history and philosophy of education. This volume contains: (1) "The Presidential Address: The Educational Revolution in Kentucky, or How To Build the Plane After You're Off the Ground" (Wayne Willis); (2) "The Seventh Annual William E. Drake Lecture: Was Bill Drake a Religious Person?" (William H. Fisher); (3) "Inferences from Studies about the Contradictory Role of Adult Education in the University" (Henry R. Weinstock); (4) "Critical Pedagogy, Liberalism, and Dewey" (David Snelgrove); (5) "The Privatization of Schools and the General Welfare" (Richard J. Elliott; Carol S. Stack); (6) "Character Education, Values Education, Equity Education and Politics: A Challenge to American Educators" (Fred D. Kierstead); (7) "The Junkyard Dog" (Stanley D. Ivie); (8) "The Dead Dog" (Stanley D. Ivie); (9) "Reconstruction and Deconstruction: Implications of Contemporary Critical Theory for Qualitative Research Techniques" (James D. Swartz); (10) "Derrida, Deconstruction, and Education Policy Analysis" (Charles J. Fazzaro); (11) "Reform and Reconstruction in Education: Commitment or Fad" (James Van Patten; James Bolding); (12) "Mind, Character, and the Deferral of Gratification; An Rx for Educational Change" (Louis Goldman); (13) "Pragmatic Conceptions of Community" (Sam Stack); (14) "International Partnerships in Education" (Margaret Clark; Annette Digby); (15) "A Study of the Degree of Progressivism among Arkansas Public School Superintendents: Implications for Educational Reform" (Ann E. Witcher); (16) "Education Philanthropist George Peabody (1795-1869), George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, and the Peabody Library and Conservatory of Music, Baltimore: A Brief History" (Franklin Parker; Betty J. Parker); (17) "It's All in the Way We Look At Things - Is It?" (Cornell Thomas); (18) "Men's Roles in Women's Studies: A Case in Point" (Joe L. Green); (19) "Somewhat Less than Perfect: Carl Schurz's Policies and the Indian Schools" (Karen McKellips); (20) "The Biography of a Radical Chinese Feminist and Revolutionary (1875-1907)" (Timothy J. Bergen, Jr.); (21) "New Theoretical Perspectives on Educational Organizations" (Spencer J. Maxcy); (22) "Images of African-American Teachers in the American South: A Colonized People, Carriers of the New Slavery, or Human Agents" (Clinton B. Allison); (23) "Paulo Freire's Influence on the Community of Faith, Through Religious Education" (John M. Townsend); (24) "The Educational Philosophy of Mao Zedong from 1949 to 1976" (Hanfu Mi); (25) "Major Paradigms for Educational Reform in Oregon" (Bill Cowart); (26) "The Hedge Schools and Education in the American South" (Karl J. Jost); (27) "Influences that Shaped Susan Blow's Involvement in Kindergarten Education" (Paul D. Travers); (28) "Kenneth D. Benne in Retrospect" (William H. Fisher); (29) "Effective Education for African American Students: A Cultural Model" (Barley L. McSwine); (30) "Thomas Jefferson After 250 Years" (Jed Arthur Cooper); (31) Minutes of Business Meeting; (32) Conference Program; and (33) Membership List. (EH)
Wirszup, Izaak, Ed., & Streit, Robert, Ed. (1992). Developments in School Mathematics Education around the World. University of Chicago School Mathematics Project. Volume Three. Proceedings of the UCSMP International Conference on Mathematics Education (3rd, October 30-November 1, 1991). (ED377030) Papers from the International Conference on Mathematics Education are organized into four parts. Part 1, "The Goal of Mathematics for All," includes: "Will Everybody Ever Count?" (Steen); "Mathematics Education: An Industrial View" (McHenry); "The Popularization of Mathematics" (Kahane); "Is There a Real Chance for 'Mathematics and Science for All Americans'?" (Keitel); "Higher Order (Un- )Teaching" (de Lange); "Mathematics for All Students: Technology and the Power of Visualization" (Demana & Waits); "MASS-MATHICS: A Curriculum for Non-College Bound Students in Israel" (Movshovitz-Hadar); and "Equity, Assessment, and Thinking Mathematically: Principles for the Design of Model-Eliciting Activities" (Lesh, Hoover, & Kelly). Part 2, "The Process and Evaluation of Reform Efforts," includes: "America Is Likewise Bestirring Herself: A Century of Mathematics Education As Viewed from the United States" (Kilpatrick); "The Mathematical Sciences Education Board: Preparing for the Twenty-first Century" (Rosen); "What Does It Mean to Be Modern in Mathematics Education?" (D'Ambrosio); "Reflections on the Mathematics Assessments of the National Assessment of Educational Progress" (Lindquist); "Certifying Accomplishments in Mathematics: The New Standards Examining System" (Resnick, Briars, & Lesgold); and "Assessing Mathematics: Enhancing Understanding" (Dossey). Part 3, "The Content of Reform," includes: "Toward a World Class Curriculum in the United States" (Romberg); "What Are the Goods and How Do We Deliver Them?" (Sally, Jr.); "Investigations in Number, Data, and Space: A New Elementary Curriculum" (Russell); "The UCSMP Elementary Mathematics Specialist Project" (Sconiers); "Reflections on Inservice Work with U.S. Teachers of Mathematics" (Becker); "The Effects of Technology on the Mathematics Curriculum: What Goes In? What Goes Out?" (Ellis); "Computers, Understanding of Concepts, and Problem Solving" (Bjork & Brolin); "Getting Students to Function in Algebra" (Schwartz); "Statistics in the Mathematics Curriculum: Why and What?" (Moore); "Algorithms in School Mathematics: Why, What and How?" (Johnson); and "Applications and Modeling in School Mathematics Directions for Future Development" (Niss). Part 4, "International Comparisons," includes: "The Third International Mathematics and Science Study: Issues and Questions" (Robitaille); "School Mathematics in the U.S. and U.K.: Similarities and Differences" (Johnson); "School Mathematics in Japan and the U.S.: Focusing on Recent Trends in Elementary and Lower Secondary School" (Miwa); "Results of U.S.-Japan Cross-national Research on Students' Problem Solving Behaviors" (Becker); "Some Puzzling Questions Arising from Mathematics Education in China" (Zhang); "Competition and Cooperation in School Mathematics" (Usiskin). Appendices contain lists of the conference participants, speakers, and presiders. (MKR)
Wohlstetter, Priscilla, & Others (Apr 1994). New Boundaries for School-Based Management: The High Involvement Model. (ED369186) While school-based management (SBM) is increasingly becoming a part of state and district reform efforts, there is little evidence that it improves school performance. However, this may be an unrealistic expectation for a governance- oriented reform. SBM also can improve organizational performance not only when people at lower levels are brought into the decision-making process, but when these people are trained for their new roles and rewarded for achievement. This study examined whether and under what conditions high-involvement SBM, when combined with curriculum and instruction reforms, could improve school performance. Twenty-four schools in four North American school districts were studied using interviews and surveys. The results supported the importance of three elements in SBM: knowledge and skills training for those involved; access to information about the performance of the organization; and rewards granted for results. These findings contribute to a new understanding of SBM that goes beyond the traditional boundaries of mechanisms for sharing power. Also, to improve school performance, SBM must focus school-level educators' attention on performance rather than new management structures. (Contains 29 references.) (JPT)
Wohlstetter, Priscilla, & Mohrman, Susan Albers (Dec 1994). School-Based Management: Promise and Process. CPRE Finance Briefs. (ED379771) This publication summarizes research that investigated how school-based management (SBM) can be implemented for long-term school improvement. It is argued that a successful SBM plan must be part of a quest for improvement and utilize a "high involvement" model. In addition to having more power, schools need knowledge of the organization, information about student performance, and rewards. Findings are based on a study of 27 schools in 3 United States school districts, 1 Canadian district, and 1 Australian state that had been operating under the SBM umbrella for approximately 4 years. Interviews were conducted with almost 200 individualsschool board members, district office administrators, principals, teachers, parents, and students. Slightly more than one-half of the schools were characterized as successful, or "actively restructuring," and the rest had experienced little change. The two categories of schools differed on each of the four dimensions of power, knowledge, information, and rewards. Actively restructuring schools: (1) engaged in a broad set of reform activities; (2) developed schoolwide consensus on goals; (3) involved all teachers in decision making; (4) actively worked to include parents; (5) used state and district curriculum frameworks to focus reform efforts; (6) redesigned school schedules to increase teacher interaction; (7) had principals who acted as facilitators; (8) invested heavily in professional development; (9) received district support; and (10) acknowledged the efforts of school staff. Barriers took the form of autocratic principals, staff factionalism, and staff apathy. In conclusion, implementation of SBM involved time and pervasive change, which affected almost all aspects of the organization. Finally, a school culture that fosters trust and participation is critical to the implementation process. (LMI)
Walstad, William B., Ed., & Soper, John C., Ed. (1991). Effective Economic Education in the Schools. Reference & Resource Series. (ED332904) The Developmental Economic Education Program (DEEP) was launched in 1964 by the Joint Council on Economic Education as an experimental program in three school districts. By 1989 there were 1,836 school districts enrolled in DEEP, covering some 39 percent of the precollege student population. This book tells the story of DEEP, an effort to improve the economics education curriculum by involving teachers, administrators, universities, and businesses in a curriculum change partnership. This current look at the DEEP experience is divided into five major parts. Part I consists of four chapters that give a rationale for economic education and explain in more detail the features of the DEEP model. Part II focuses on the research and evaluation that have been conducted over the 25-year history of DEEP and on related studies of economic understanding among students in secondary and elementary grades. The next two parts offer case studies of how DEEP works. Part III looks at DEEP operations and issues in four diverse states. Part IV shows how the DEEP process works in six different school districts. In part V the focus shifts from the present to the future; these chapters discuss the future of DEEP in the context of educational reform, requirements for new curriculum materials, needs of school districts, and leadership from the Joint Council on Economic Education. (DB)
Wardlow, George, & Swanson, Gordon (Jun 1991). Institutional-Level Factors and Excellence in Vocational Education: A Review of the Literature. (ED333236) A review of the literature is presented on the excellence movement in education and vocational education. The review focuses on the contribution of the educational institution to excellence and describes institutional-level factors associated with excellence. Several questions guide the review: What elements characterize exemplary institutions? What are the common elements? Can these attributes be developed? How do the elements compare to those found in other settings? What implications do the findings have for further study? Several issues are identified: (1) the "unattended" issue (how vocational education was ignored in national reform reports); (2) a model for excellence; (3) outcome factors; (4) institutional variables; (5) organizational structure of the system; (6) personnel qualifications; (7) curriculum development; and (8) program access. In the study of excellence in public education, several topics are identified: (1) structural variables; (2) schools in transition; (3) changes occurring in education; and (4) themes of excellence. Five research concerns and 13 questions for research are listed. Fifty-six references and a 178-item bibliography are included. (NLA)
Weiner, Lois (May 1990). The "Triumph of Commercialism": The Corporate Ethos and Educational Reform. (ED322647) State education reform efforts, like national proposals for educational excellence, have blamed poor schooling for widening the gulf between poor and rich and influencing economic and industrial decline. Improved schools will supposedly restore economic health to society and its individual citizens. This conflation of educational reform and economic revitalization has encouraged business leaders to shape policy strategies for educational reform as they do for their corporations, focusing on purpose and restructured work relationships. Better schools are frequently defined as those meeting the needs of business, as Lee A. Iacocca's syndicated column illustrates. Although educational policy analysts have criticized various components of the excellence movement, few have examined the underlying commitment to a corporate ethos and a factory organizational model. The rhetoric of empowering teachers and rewarding competency with higher pay and status masks structural changes which will undermine the conditions nurturing effective teaching. The old factory model has merely been replaced with a new manufacturing model that is equally incompatible with education's democratic purposes and is being challenged (even within factories) as a less humane workplace organization system. By allowing corporate leaders and ideology to dominate the national and state policy debates on educational reform, educators have won increased funding for schools and teacher salaries at the cost of further isolating education from its democratic goals and constituencies. (34 references) (MLH)
Wendel, Frederick C., Ed. (1992). Reforming Administrator Preparation Programs. UCEA Monograph Series. (ED366087) This publication contains four chapters that examine the reform of administrator preparation programs. In "The Reform Paradigm: Exploring the Fuzzy Logic of Educational Administration," William Ammentorp and Thomas Morgan develop a model based on linguistic algorithms to understand qualitative policy formation and decision making. In "Student Recruitment and Selection Practices in Educational Administration Programs," M. Scott Norton presents findings of a study that examined the student-recruitment and selection practices in educational administration programs at 40 University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) member institutions. Findings indicate that the institutions employed various strategies and multiple sources of evidence to recruit and select women and minorities and other talented populations to their preparation programs. "Challenging the Conventional Assumptions about the Preparation Programs for Aspiring Superintendents," by Daniel C. Douglas, reviews research conducted by the UCEA Center for the Study of Superintendents and School Boards for implications for the restructuring of superintendent-preparation programs. The chapter offers proposals concerning the need to consider a triad of elements in preparation programs and the development of a clinical professor model. Finally, in "Evaluation of Rigor and Value as a Base for Restructuring the Administrative Internship," Virginia L. Wylie and Ernestine H. Clark report the results of efforts by Valdosta State College's Department of Educational Administration and Supervision (EAS) to revise and upgrade the traditional administrative internship. References accompany each chapter. (LMI)
West, Mel (Apr 1994). Re-Thinking School Management and StructureThe Role of School Improvement. Pre- Conference Draft. (ED375479) This paper focuses on two aspects of the Improving the Quality of Education for All (IQEA) Project, a model implemented in England and Wales since the passage of the 1988 Education Reform Act. First, it offers an overview of those management arrangements, or conditions, that the project has sought to enhance in participating schools. These conditions for school improvement are: (1) a commitment to staff development; (2) practical efforts to involve staff, students, and the community in school policies and decisions; (3) transformational leadership approaches; (4) effective coordination strategies; (5) proper attention to the potential benefits of inquiry and reflection; and (6) a commitment to collaborative planning activity. The paper also presents vignettes from five secondary schools to illustrate how participating schools found additional pressure to restructure. As the schools engaged in long-term, systematic improvement efforts, they became more aware of the shortcomings of their inherited school structures. The schools encountered the following primary structural/management problems: (1) the gap between the senior management team and the school; (2) the mismatch between school goals/priorities and senior management roles; (3) confusion about management and leadership; (4) the relationship between delegation and empowerment; (5) time to manage; and (6) the gap between policy and practice. Six propositions about the role of school improvement in restructuring are offered. One figure is included. (LMI)
Wheeler, Nedra, & Agruso, Ramona (1996). Implementing School Centered Decision Making. (ED416195) This paper describes conditions and processes involved in implementing school- based decision making (SBDM), examining an outcomes-driven developmental model (ODDM) and describing the training components within Springfield, Missouri's and Kentucky's strategic plans. The Springfield Board of Education approved a plan to guide a schoolwide community staff development process utilizing the ODDM process. The training developed a SBDM model to help each school achieve its goal of success for all students. In Kentucky, the changing political context at the school level provided the basis for a problem-based learning module for principals implementing Kentucky's school-based reform. A research project examined problems encountered in implementing SBDM in Kentucky and explored issues related to leadership, school and community empowerment, and principal training and preparation. SBDM helps move schools from a centralized system into a participative management mode by extending the principal's leadership role to many individuals who engage in ongoing dialogue. SBDM emphasizes school improvement and management at the building level. It involves administrators, teachers, parents, and community members in a team-building, consensus mode designed to create a school plan to produce improved student outcomes. As schools move to participative management, they must consider such issues as changes in the principal's role and the need to develop other leaders in the school community who can manage in a SBDM environment. Principals need specialized staff development to meet the new demands of legislated reform. (Contains 15 references.) (SM)
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Yager, Robert E., & Tamir, Pinchas (9 Apr 1992). The STS Approach: Reasons, Intentions, Accomplishments and Outcomes. Draft. (ED356945) Science/Technology/Society STS) has been defined as teaching and learning in the context of human experiences. The STS movement has grown out of dissatisfaction with the curriculum reform of the 1960s and utilizes a problem solving approach that appeals to students' interests. This paper describes the STS approach and reports research results comparing STS and non-STS approaches to science instruction. The paper has six distinct purposes as follows: (1) to identify urgent problems related to school science teaching; (2) to describe how the STS approach can help solve these problems; (3) to describe the Iowa STS model and goals; (4) to give concrete examples of the use of STS in the classroom; (5) to report the results of four studies evaluating learning outcomes in STS courses; and (6) to identify some problems concerning the future use of STS. To meet these purposes, nine urgent problems related to the teaching and learning of science are identified and a discussion of how the STS approach would solve those problems is provided. Following this, a unique inservice teacher model to disseminate the STS approach called the Iowa Chatauqua Model is described. Five of the six major goals of this model are described in depth. Characterized as "domains," they are: (1) concept; (2) process; (3) applications; (4) creativity; and (5) attitude. The four studies assessing the impact of the STS approach on each of these domains are discussed next. The studies examined K-12 teachers (n=176) who had completed all aspects of the Iowa Chautauqua Program for 1988-89, and compared results of STS and non-STS students in grades 4-9 and student teachers in Taiwan. Results from the four studies indicated that no statistically significant differences were found in achievement in the concept domain. In the four other domains, strong differences were found in creativity and process domains for grades 4 and 5, in the application domain for grades 8 and 9, and for low ability students in the attitude domain. STS had a strong positive effect on the attitudes of females toward science. Finally, implications of these results in the areas of curriculum reform, assessment, STS, and the professional development of teachers are discussed and it is concluded that the four studies provide "hard" empirical evidence in favor of the STS approach for schoolchildren as well as for teachers. As regards purpose number 6, "problems," these are outlined very briefly in terms of activities considered to be important for future research. (Contains 33 references.) (MDH)
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Zhang, Chi (13 Apr 1993). Vocationalism and Social Efficacy: The Chinese Model. (ED360485) The development of vocational education in modern China may be traced through four stages. The progress made during the experimental stage (1949-1965) was largely reversed during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), at which time many secondary technical and vocational high schools were closed. The period 1977-1984 marked a recovery stage when many secondary technical schools were reorganized, reopened, and expanded to repair the damage of the Cultural Revolution. Around 1985 policymakers finally recognized the potential value of vocational education and worked to achieve a 50:50 mix of general and vocational education at the senior high school level by 1990. The growth of vocational schools soon outpaced the development of effective vocational education strategies, and policymakers were forced to reassess vocational education in light of China's economic and educational reform. Vocational education must be redefined as education aimed at preparing people for working life. Strong government leadership in vocational education must be continued. Vocational education must be based on the needs of the community, and it must allow maximum individual choices. Education is undergoing major reform in both China and the United States. Exchange of ideas among vocational educators of both countries can only improve the profession. (Contains 19 references.) (MN)
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