Caring and Systemic Reform (1998)

Page Contents

A      B      C      D      E      F      G      H      I      K      L      M      N      P      R      S      T      V      W

A

Alexander, G. C., & Keeler, C. M. (1995). Total Quality Management: The Emperor's Tailor. Conversations among educators, business leaders, legislators, and educational reformers have generated support for the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) to education. This paper considers whether TQM is indeed the solution to education's problems. After a brief explanation of TQM theory, the paper is organized around four broad issues related to the TQM modelthe application of a business model to schools, the culture of language, the use of the metaphor of school as factory, and the implicit role of administrators in the TQM approach. The paper argues that TQM is yet another management model imposed on schools as the "one right way" to achieve educational reform. The dangers of using language that narrowly defines teachers as managers and students as workers are discussed. It is suggested that educators use a metaphor based on education rather than on business, and develop a culture of caring within schools rather than the climate of the factory. Administrators should be viewed as stewards practicing moral leadership rather than as management. TQM, on the other hand, promotes a metaphor based on factory organization and structure, the language of business, and corporate-leadership authority to restructure education. The appendix contains a list of W. Edwards Deming's 14 principles. (Contains 84 references.) (LMI) ED387922

Altenbaugh, R. J., & Others, A. (1995). Caring for Kids. A Critical Study of Urban School Leavers. The study reported concentrated on school leavers in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) who returned (dropbacks) to Job Corps Programs over an 8- year period. Interviews with 100 dropbacks explored who left school, why they left school, what caused them to come back, and the kinds of interventions that might succeed with other students. Part 1 provides a contextual framework for the dropout problem in Pittsburgh, other large cities, and the nation. Part 2 concentrates on student perspectives of schooling, focusing on student decisions about continuing in school. Part 3 analyzes the findings of the interviews and offers policy recommendations. Absenteeism, low achievement, feelings of alienation, school suspension, and early parenthood preceded dropping out for many students. These findings point to areas that reform efforts must address. Systemic change, altered school climate, smaller class size and better access to counselors, greater flexibility, and programs that reflect more caring, such as child care, are all needed to reduce the dropout problem. An appendix contains the interview protocol. (Contains 1 table and 210 references.) (SLD) ED388735

Anderson, V., & Others, A. (1991). Community Service Learning and School Improvement in Springfield, Massachusetts. Phi Delta Kappan, v72 n10 p761-64 1991. Educators in Springfield, Massachusetts, see connections between the current school reform agenda and their own program of Community Service Learning. Staff see the program as a way to increase student learning, enrich the curriculum, and foster the spirit of caring and lifetime service. (MLH)

B

Bamburg, J., & Isaacson, N. (1991). A Conceptual Model of the Instructionally Effective School: Confronting the Whys, Whats and Hows. 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) ED333533

Bates, R. (1993). Educational Administration as Cultural Practice. Occasional Paper No. 20. This paper offers a critique of the corporate-management culture manifested in Australian education systems and institutions. It is argued that in Australia, the drive toward a market culture is a form of administrative achievement that turns culture into commodities. One of the major features of the current educational reform context is a substantial increase in demands, accompanied by a severe decline in the proportion of national wealth directed toward educational activities. The market model is viewed as a strategy to protect middle-class privilege. A key effect of market policies is the redistribution of public resources away from those most in need. The devolution of education is accompanied by new forms of control: a performance-based national curriculum; a national testing system that allows inaccurate comparisons; budgets that are linked to performance; and a curriculum that ignores social, cultural, and ethic understandings. An examination of the perceived anti-educational impact of a "corporatist" culture concludes with a call to educators to show their commitment to a caring, just, morally responsible, compassionate and ecologically aware society. (LMI) ED367049

Bauch, P. A., & Goldring, E. B. (1993). Teacher Work Context and Opportunities for Parent Involvement in High Schools of Choice: A View from the Inside. Schools of choice are fast becoming part of the national debate on educational reform. This study, part of a larger study of schools and families, examined how the work context of teachers and opportunities for parent involvement differ under different choice arrangements, and investigated aspects of the sociobureaucratic context of teachers' work that have the greatest impact on opportunities for parent involvement and communication under different choice arrangements. The study focused on four sets of variables: parent choice arrangements, teacher work context, opportunities for parental involvement, and parent characteristics. Data were collected from 14 metropolitan high schools of choiceCatholic schools and single and multi-focused magnet public schools. To be included in the project, schools had to serve a large proportion of minority or low- income students. Data were collected through a teacher survey augmented by information provided by parents in a separate, parallel survey. Findings indicated that schools with a unified, focused mission, set in a context of caring, exerted a greater influence on parent involvement than either socioeconomic status, institutional instability, or bureaucratic functioning. Appendixes provide survey measures and scale construction. (Contains approximately 50 references.) (LL) ED376169

Bell, K. N., & Simkin, L. S. (1993). Caring Prescriptions: Comprehensive Health Care Strategies for Young Children in Poverty. This report examines how communities and groups can shape the content of health services to bring more comprehensive health services to poor children and families. The report is based on a study of 11 comprehensive primary care programs and systems some of which offer school-based services: 4 freestanding community-based programs, 4 local systems or networks, and 3 state maternal and child health programs. Suggested actions include promoting attributes of quality in primary health care programs by improving accessibility, comprehensiveness, coordination with other services and agencies, accountability, and community orientation. The report also advocates restructuring health programs to meet the needs of children by organizing health care systems to respond to changing needs, incorporating case management or care coordination, and involving hospitals in local systems. In addition, the report argues for creating new comprehensive primary care systems that respond to community needs through national health care reform, state policies and programs, and expansion of promising local efforts. The challenge is to create many partnerships that can assess possibilities for local systems development, identify needs and services, and implement the needed changes. Appendixes contain a list of project participants and the case summaries. A glossary is included. (Contains 46 references.) (JB) ED361443

Bishop, P. W., & Mulford, W. R. (1996). Empowerment in Four Australian Primary Schools: They Don't Really Care. International Journal of Educational Reform, v5 n2 p193-21996. Summarizes an ethnographic study examining interactions perceived as empowering in four inner-city primary schools in Victoria, Australia. Teachers wanted interactions between themselves and principals to be characterized by trust, recognition, respect, support, and reliability, but were disheartened by vanishing career and professional development opportunities. (55 references) (MLH)

Blank, M. J., & Lombardi, J. (1991). Towards Improved Services for Children and Families: Forging New Relationships through Collaboration. A Policy Brief Based on the Annual Symposium of the A. L. Mailman Family Foundation (8th, White Plains, New York, July 1, 1991). This policy brief synthesizes the proceedings of a symposium on children and family services, focusing on elements of successful collaboration among human services agencies. In the first section of the brief, the meaning of collaboration in the family services context is clarified, and ways in which the current focus on collaboration differs from earlier service integration strategies are explored. The next section offers brief descriptions of the Florida State Coordinating Council of Early Childhood Services; the Missouri Caring Communities Program; and the Maryland Children and Family Service Reform Initiative. In the following section, six essential ingredients to improving services through integration are discussed, with reference to the three state programs. These ingredients are: (1) a climate for change, including the realization that a problem exists with some vision for solving it, prior experience with coordinating services, a renewed stimulus for change, and start-up funding; (2) leadership at many levels, including foundation officials, mid-level managers, project directors and staff, and families; (3) flexibility to alter service system structures and delivery methods and adequate financial resources; (4) formal and informal problem-solving structures and mechanisms for dealing with conflict; (5) supportive relationships among partners in the collaborations; and (6) demonstrated and documented results. The final section offers concluding comments on potential pitfalls, needs for information and consensus, and means of replicating success; and discusses future directions for promoting a collaborative approach to improved services. (AC) ED364356

Blase, J., & Blase, J. R. (1994). Empowering Teachers: What Successful Principals Do. This book is about exceptionally effective school principals and how they meet the challenges for leadership in a new era of educational reform. It describes the major elements of successful facilitative leadership from the perspectives of teachers. Drawn from a study of highly successful principals affiliated with Carl Glickman's League of Professional Schools, the study identified the characteristics of shared-governance principals that directly and indirectly contribute to teachers' sense of empowerment. Chapter 1 presents a brief overview of the professional literature on teacher empowerment and empowering leadership as well as a description of the study on which the book was based. Chapters 2 and 3 focus, respectively, on two fundamental principal strategiesbuilding trust and developing enabling structures. The ways in which principals use basic supportive resources such as staff development to enhance teachers' instructional capabilities are examined in the fourth chapter. Chapter 5 discusses two strategiesextending autonomy and encouraging innovation. The effects of several personal characteristics of principals, including optimism, caring, honesty, friendliness, and enthusiasm, are highlighted in chapter 6. Chapter 7 focuses on the significance of reducing risk and threat to teachers. The benefits of rewarding teachers are examined in chapter 8, and chapter 9 discusses the importance of a problem-solving orientation. Each chapter concludes with a discussion of several guidelines. The final chapter presents a portrait of today' successful shared- governance principal and discusses possibilities for the future of facilitative-democratic leadership in schools. Research methods and recommended books are included in a resource section. (LMI) ED377576

Bravmann, S. L., & Delisle, R. G. (1996). Recreating Schools: Some Thoughts for the Twenty-First Century. Journal for a Just and Caring Education, v2 n3 p331-35 1996. Distinguishes among educational reform, reconstruction, revolution, and recreation. In education, "reform" means "renewing" or "rebuilding"; "reconstruction" connotes "remodeling" or "remaking"; and revolution calls for replacing one kind of schooling with another. Recreated schools simultaneously emphasize change and continuity and transform all community members into knowledgeable, compassionate risk takers. (MLH)

Bridge, C. A., & Others, A. (1993). Primary Thoughts: Implementing Kentucky's Primary Program. In June 1990, the state of Kentucky passed its innovative Education Reform Act, which totally restructured the finance, governance, and curriculum of its public schools. One of the major provisions of the act was the mandate for Kentucky's primary schools to change from the traditional placement of children of the same age in kindergarten, first, second, and third grades to the placement of youngsters in multi-age, multi-ability classrooms. The resulting primary program recognizes that children grow and develop as a "whole," not one dimension at a time or at the same rate in each dimension. The instructional practices of the primary program address social, emotional, physical, aesthetic, and cognitive needs. The program flows naturally from preschool programs and exhibits developmentally appropriate practices. The philosophy of the primary program stresses a classroom climate that is non-competitive and encourages children to learn from one another as well as from the teachers. The program nurtures the continuing growth of children's knowledge and understanding of themselves and their world in a safe, caring, stimulating environment where the child grows and learning flourishes. This book describes Kentucky's primary program, focusing on the seven critical attributes of the program. Those attributes are: (1) developmentally appropriate educational practices; (2) multi-age and multi-ability classrooms; (3) continuous progress; (4) authentic assessment; (5) qualitative reporting methods; (6) professional teamwork; and (7) positive parent involvement. References are included with each chapter. (TJQ) ED370678

Bullock, L. M., Ed., & Others, A. (1994). Monograph on Inclusion: Ensuring Appropriate Services to Children and Youth with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders1. Highlights from the Working Forum on Inclusion (St. Louis, Missouri, October 1, 1993). This proceedings document presents a series of papers critically examining the complex issue of full inclusion of students with emotional or behavioral disorders. It contains presentations by two keynote speakers: "Caring for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders amidst School Reform" (Jo Webber) and "Planning for Inclusion: Program Elements That Support Teachers and Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders" (Sandra Keenan). Highlights from the forum's dialogue groups are then presented in the following papers: "Including Children with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders in General Education Settings: Issues and Practical Strategies" (Tim Lewis and Kathy Bello); "Advocate, Not Abdicate" (L. Juane Heflin and others); "Inclusion of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: The Issues, the Barriers, and Possible Solutions" (Eleanor Guetzloe); "Promoting Inclusive Education for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders" (Joseph P. Price); "Welcoming Back Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders into the Least Restrictive Environments" (Sharon A. Maroney); "Eliminating the Confusion about Inclusion: Providing Appropriate Services to Our Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders" (Beverley H. Johns); and "A New Age of Enlightenment in Public Education: Prerequisite for the Successful Inclusion of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders" (Kevin Callahan). (JDD) ED369243

C

_________. (1992). Child Care Reform Consultation Infopack = Consultation sur la reforme des services de garde d'enfants. Trousse d'information. This information packet presented here in both the English and French language versions, summarizes the results of a public consultation on the subject of child care reform in Ontario, Canada. The packet consists of: (1) a table that describes the six modes of consultation that were used in the consultation process (public meetings, round table meetings, parent questionnaire, briefs and letters, locally initiated activities, and francophone community preconsultation); (2) a graph that illustrates the constituencies, such as parents, caregivers, and the education sector, that participated in the consultation; and (3) an overview of the results of the parents questionnaire. Parents' answers to six closed-ended questions in the questionnaires are summarized, and some of the parents' answers to three open-ended questions are provided. In response to a question about important characteristics of high-quality child care, parents discussed the philosophy of the child care facility, the presence of caring and well- trained caregivers, and safe environments. Information which parents mentioned as being useful in choosing child care included a program's reputation, its participation in a registry of services, and its adherence to provincial standards. In response to a question about parent involvement in their children's child care, parents stressed visiting centers, sitting on boards of directors, volunteering in program activities, and valuing their child's opinion. (ME) ED356857

_________. (1993). Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Education. Task Force Report. This document examines how to meet the educational needs of children and youth from diverse cultures. Selected data and vignettes are used to provide a context for the lives of children in America. Values that currently drive the educational enterprise are listed, accompanied by a list of reformed values that address the needs of students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. A vision of society, community, and education is then presented, calling for: a society free of prejudice and bias that embraces diversity and in which each individual has intrinsic worth that is acknowledged and respected; a community that strives to achieve basic goals of equity, representation, and opportunity, where there is caring and acceptance of all individuals; and an educational system that takes a holistic approach to nurturing all students and embraces individual and cultural differences. Strategies for achieving the three visions are presented for federal, state, and local levels, in seven areas: (1) administration and policy, (2) assessment, (3) curriculum and instruction, (4) funding, (5) parents and families, (6) society and community, and (7) training and personnel. Measures of progress in each area are also identified. A bibliography lists eight references and appendixes provide a list of over 40 human resources and a list of six suggested readings. (JDD) ED359738

_________. (1994). Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Groups: Necessary Considerations for Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Development. Zero to Three, v14 n5 Apr-1994 1994. This special issue focuses on infant and toddler child care. The title article, by J. Ronald Lally and others, examines the sources of problems in the management and planning of quality child care. It also explores six key components of early group experience: group size, quality of the physical environment, primary caregiving assignments, continuity of care, cultural and familial continuity, and meeting the needs of the individual within the group context. Other articles include: (1) "Making Family Day Care Work for Infants and Toddlers" (Mary Larner); (2) "Helping Toddlers with Peer Group Entry Skills" (Alice Sterling Honig); (3) "Developing Supportive Relationships in Child Care: A Training Initiative of the Northeast Florida City TOTS Team" (Virginia Greiner and others); (4) "Providing Goal-Directed Technical Assistance to State Policymakers: Lessons learned by Zero to Three's Better Care for Babies Project"; and (5) "Welfare Reform, Child Care, and Families with Infants and Toddlers" (Bernice Weissbourd and J. Ronald Lally). The journal also has reviews of 3 instructional videotape series and 10 books and other publications. (MDM) ED371885

Chaudry, A., & Others, A. (1993). Service Integration: An Annotated Bibliography. This annotated bibliography describes 53 books, papers, and articles written about efforts toward integrating and improving human services for children, youth, and families living in poverty. The bibliography has been developed for individuals working on and interested in service integration, including policymakers, program administrators, practitioners, academics and researchers, and students. The criteria for selecting materials were that publications be timely, relevant, and currently in print; approach the subject from a broad-based perspective; place a greater emphasis on practice than theory; and be available through a library or for purchase from a publisher or distributor. Early items are from the mid- to late- 1980s; most items are dated 1991 or 1992. The following topics are considered: (1) human services integration; (2) JOBS case management practices; (3) school linked services; (4) balancing custody and care; (5) integration through early intervention/child care collaborations; (6) family support and education; (7) policy maker collaboration; (8) building a community agenda; (9) refinancing and restructuring children's services; (10) strengthening families; (11) at-risk adolescents; (12) welfare reform; (13) confidentiality and collaboration; (14) service integration; (15) investing in family self-sufficiency; (16) interagency partnerships; (17) caring communities; and (18) fighting fragmentation. (JB) ED358172

Clark, D. L., & Astuto, T. A. (1994). Redirecting Reform: Challenges to Popular Assumptions about Teachers and Students. Phi Delta Kappan, v75 n7 p512-20 1994. Current reform movement is stuck in a worsening negative cycle that bruises human spirit. Teacher-centered reform movement is needed. Challenging dominant assumptions about professional educators and students is necessary to generate a new sense of purpose. Metaphor for tomorrow's schools should be the successful home guided by mature, caring adults. External agencies should support, not dominate, local community schools. (MLH)

Clough, D. B. (1991). The At-Risk Student: Designing Administrative Strategies. School reform efforts today have a personal focus that emphasizes attending to the problems faced by individual at-risk students. After outlining the impact of student dropouts, this document uses information from a review of 150 at-risk student programs described in related professional literature to describe six basic weaknesses in current at-risk programs. Most programs reviewed failed to: (1) exhibit a design to meet needs identified via a formal assessment process; (2) integrate effectively with the school's total education program; (3) adequately address the social and emotional needs of at-risk students; (4) offer preventive strategies at the elementary school level; (5) adequately serve the most problematic at-risk students; and (6) address at-risk students' negative perception of the value of learning. A seven-step process for developing administrative strategies to implement programs that would meet at-risk students' needs is described: creating a climate for change; conducting an appropriate needs assessment; initiating organizational changes; assessing organization resources; determining program objectives; designing program components; and implementing the action plan. Last, steps for creating a more caring, supportive, and nurturing educational climate are described. (CLA) ED334664

D

Dana, N. F. (1992). Teacher Leadership through Collaborative Action Research: Implications for Teachers, Principals, and University Researchers/Teacher Educators. This study was conducted to explore the process of teacher and principal change initiated by elementary school teachers who wished to replace the school's culture of isolation and seclusion with a culture of collegiality and caring. Their vision of change and the change process itself was intertwined with the development of a sense of teacher leadership and teacher voice. The teachers, the principal, and a university researcher engaged in an action research project to explore, initiate, implement, and document change at the school. Data were gathered utilizing participant observation, ethnographic interviewing, document analysis, and dialogue journals. Results suggest that voice and reflection are the common threads that weave cultural change, and that teacher, principal, and researcher narratives change into one collective narrative. A subsection of the paper examines the assertion that the nature of one's own voice, critical reflection, and change are intimately linked. The finding and silencing of voice, critical reflection, and change are reciprocal, interactive, and dynamic processes. (Contains 20 references.) (LL) ED352343

Davidson, F. H., & Davidson, M. M. (1994). Changing Childhood Prejudice: The Caring Work of the Schools. Long-term studies were undertaken to attempt to link children's prejudices with their stages of moral development. If a relation could be shown between a low moral stage and prejudice, it might be possible to devise educational strategies to raise children's moral stages and strengthen their moral development and consciences. A broad cross-sectional study of 154 students in several city and suburban schools around Boston (Massachusetts) and a long-term study of 22 students who, when they were in the fifth grade in the 1970s, had engaged in role-playing exercises about prejudice demonstrate how complex the causes of prejudice and arrested moral growth are. Case studies of 10 of the fifth graders show that much adult-like prejudice is actually a temporary tactic to preserve self-esteem. It is demonstrated that education can increase respect for ethnically different people. The second half of the book focuses on the means by which parents and others can take responsibility for changing prejudice and moral judgment in children and adolescents. How whole-school reform can bring about children's desire to be helpful and seek approval is covered in detail, as is the assertion that recognition of the value of social order should be a goal of high schools. (Contains 442 references.) (SLD) ED378253

DeYoung, A. J. (1992). At-Risk Children and the Reform of Rural Schools: Economic and Cultural Dimensions. Discussions about rural children at risk of school failure require careful consideration of the economic and cultural contexts in which disadvantaged rural children live. These contexts frequently differ from those found in metropolitan areas. A literature review discusses: (1) images and realities of rural America today; (2) poverty and unemployment in rural areas; (3) poverty and rural children; (4) rural-urban differences in at-risk factors; (5) the relationship between lack of rural economic development and poor student outcomes; (6) rural-urban cultural differences and their impact on educational attitudes, particularly attitudes about the economic utility of education; and (7) school consolidation and educational reform based on urban models. A case study of Braxton County, West Virginia, and its school system illustrates these themes. Continued economic decline since the 1930s led to massive outmigration, and both factors diminished the local tax base and prompted school consolidation. In the face of prevalent at-risk factors, the school district has pursued strategies involving implementation of effective schools guidelines and development of caring school environments. However, funding for school programs and initiatives remains problematic. Inherited economic disadvantage in rural places has consequences for the present and the future. Redefining the economic base upon which depressed rural schools build their programs must have priority in any systematic effort to improve the life chances of rural at-risk students. In addition, rural schools must demonstrate their relevance to rural students and inculcate the incentives necessary to complete school. (SV) ED361153

DeYoung, A. J., & Others, A. (1994). The Cultural Contradictions of Middle Schooling for Rural Community Survival. During 1968-91, middle schools were the only school type to grow in number, increasing by over 400 percent. Middle school advocates focus on early adolescents' need for developmentally appropriate institutions, but show only a weak historical understanding of the emergence and status of middle schools. Critical factors in early support for the middle school movement included urban interests in countering de facto school segregation without use of busing, urban overcrowding of elementary and high schools, and a "bandwagon effect"the desire to appear modern and reform oriented. The emergence of rural middle schools under the cloak of psychological progress can be destructive to both the declining sense of community in America, and to the actual persistence of many rural communities still organized around K-8 or K-6 public elementary schools. Examination of the National Center for Education Statistics's Common Core of Data indicates that the construction of rural middle schools has led to the closing and consolidation of rural elementary schools. During the school years 1987/88- 1991/92 the proportion of schools that were middle schools increased 20 percent in rural areas, was unchanged in suburban areas, and decreased 6 percent in urban areas. At the same time, the proportion of rural schools that were K-8 declined precipitously. Emerging school reform agendas that provide alternatives to the "inevitability" of consolidation include efforts to restructure schools as caring communities (requiring active parent and community participation), and the development of rural schools as centers for integrated social services. Contains 52 references. (SV) ED372883

Diedrich-Rielly, I., & Zenz, K. (1992). D. Charles E. Gavin School: A Case Study. Project Report. This paper presents findings of one in a series of case studies designed to study leadership in schools committed to reform. Gavin Elementary School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, serves a predominantly African-American, low- income, neighborhood. In 1988, the school's achievement test scores were the lowest in the lowest-achieving Illinois school district. This paper describes the school's attempts to shield students from the surrounding harsh conditions while engaging in a mutually supportive relationship with the community. It examines the leadership structure at work within the school and how it successfully creates a healthy, caring, learning environment. The school's affiliation with the Illinois Network of Accelerated Schools is also described. Conclusions are that a school's mission develops from real-life experience rather than from workshop exercises and that intrinsic rewards drive staff commitment. In the final section, the researcher describes the personal lessons she learned from the experience and offers reflections on the relevance of her white-liberal philosophy for the realities of poverty. The case study methodology included onsite observation, interviews with stakeholders, and informal discussions. (LMI) ED360686

E

_________. (1993). Ensuring Student Success through Collaboration: Summer Institute Papers and Recommendations of the Council of Chief State School Officers, 1992. This volume contains papers that were commissioned for the 1992 Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Summer Institute. These papers form the basis for the CCSSO's study of school-community collaboration, which focuses on the role of the community in ensuring the success of all students. Following the acknowledgements and introduction, the papers include: (1) "Community Support for Student Success" (Lisbeth B. Schorr); (2) "Changing the System for Children's Services: Building Linkages with Schools" (Michael W. Kirst); (3) "Pushing the Boundaries of Education: The Implications of a Youth Development Approach to Education Policies, Structures, and Collaborations" (Karen J. Pittman and Michelle Cahill); (4) "Current Human Service Reforms" (Ruth Massinga); (5) "Taking a Family- Centered Approach" (Judy Langford Carter); (6) "Funding Initiatives for School-Linked Family Services" (Frank Farrow); (7) "Collaborating to Meet the Readiness Agenda: Dimensions and Dilemmas" (Sharon L. Kagan); (8) "Collaboration for Young Adolescents: Transforming Middle-Grades Education" (Frank A. Loda); (9) "Comprehensive School Health Services: Does It Matter and Is It Worth the Fight?" (M. Joycelyn Elders and Jennifer Hui); (10) "Savannah's New Futures Initiative: Getting to the Root of the Dandelion" (Otis S. Johnson); and (11) "The Walbridge Caring Communities Program" (Khatib Waheed). An appendix contains the CCSSO policy statement, "Student Success through Collaboration." (LMI) ED364947

F

Finger, J. A. (1991). Family Support Programs and Comprehensive Collaborative Services: Overview of Family Support Programs. This fact sheet begins with an overview of family support programs, which includes a discussion of the premises of family support programs and a list of typical program components. The remainder of the fact sheet focuses on one approach to family support, comprehensive and collaborative (C&C) services. The fact sheet underscores the need for service reform in light of the crisis-oriented and highly fragmented character and the inaccessibility of the current service system for at-risk families. It is argued that delivering family support services within a C&C framework can yield more effective results than separate uncoordinated services. The argument is based on the following tenets: (1) problems seldom occur one at a time; (2) forging supportive relationships is at the heart of the C&C process; (3) C&C services increase efficiency and effectiveness by promoting interagency awareness and ensuring better monitoring; (4) collaborative bodies are empowered politically by virtue of their collective clout; (5) C&C programs empower both the individuals and the families they serve; (6) C&C programs emphasize sustained change rather than temporary solutions; and (7) C&C programs provide a comprehensive array of prevention, treatment, and support services beyond the capacity of any single agency. Brief descriptions of five model programs (Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc.; Denver Family Opportunity Program; Walbridge Caring Community Program; Tennessee Cares: Comprehensive Child Development Program; and Kentucky Integrated Delivery System) and five resource organizations are provided. (AC) ED352146

G

_________. (1990). Good Education in Oakland: Strategies for Positive Change. The goal of school reform in Oakland (California) is a learning environment that enables all students to be competent, confident, conscious, and caring individuals and holds the school accountable for the delivery of equal education. The following conditions are essential: (1) effective school leadership; (2) rigorous, challenging curriculum and instruction; (3) effective staff; (4) parent participation; (5) safety and security; and (6) district leadership. The following problems must be overcome: (1) low expectations of students; (2) inadequate funding; and (3) poor teacher preparation. The following change strategies are outlined: (1) build a system of staff renewal; (2) construct a system of accountability for student outcomes; (3) make effective and equitable use of personnel and resources; (4) demand honest assessment, aligned with community expectations, that charts a course of action; (5) use communication to empower all participants in the teaching and learning process; (6) promote the coordination of multiple community resources to respond to the life circumstances of students; and (7) commit to the principle of equity in the allocation and development of resources. The following materials are appended: (1) school statistical data presented in 17 tables, 13 graphs, and one map; (2) descriptions of exemplary staff development, student support, and parent involvement programs; (3) overcrowding and underutilization considerations; (4) an explanation of school finances; and (5) a list of participants. (FMW) ED329623

Gideonse, H. D. (1993). The Governance of Teacher Education and Systemic Reform. Educational Policy, v7 n4 p395-426 1993. The governance of teacher education in the context of systemic reform must adopt a policy posture congruent with current constructivist learning forms. Governance must stimulate teacher education to become fully professional, committed to knowledge and inquiry, constantly attuned to its own competence, and caring of its many clients. Establishing a national system of teacher education accreditation is essential. (MLH)

H

Haberman, M. (1994). The Top 10 Fantasies of School Reformers. Phi Delta Kappan, v75 n9 p689-92 1994. Advises would-be reformers to envision what reformed schools should look like before advocating their pet changes. Most reformers fail to connect their proposals with their goals. As the 10 "equal opportunity" reform fantasies show, rhetoric alone is useless. Basic condition preventing significant school change is public resistance. Increasing the number of good, caring teachers in second-rate schools is essential. (MLH)

Harris, I. M. (1993). Teaching Love to Counteract Violence. Thresholds in Education, v19 n3 p12-20 1993. Modern school reform efforts stressing competition ignore the redemptive power of love to heal wounds that cause so many youngsters to despair, leave school, withdraw from society, and abandon productive futures. This article discusses 15 commonly identified forms of love that can help address the problems of violence and provide evidence of diversity's value. (57 references) (MLH)

Harris, I. M. (1996). From World Peace to Peace in the 'Hood: Peace Education in the Modern World. Journal for a Just and Caring Education, v2 n4 p378-95 1996. Schools are facing increasing levels of violence spawned by violent media and communities. In response, many educators employ peace education strategies to make schools safer and help students deal positively with conflict. This article summarizes these reform efforts, distinguishes among three levels of peace education, describes resources, and discusses ancillary school productivity gains. (41 references) (MLH)

Henry, A. (1992). African Canadian Women Teachers' Activism: Recreating Communities of Caring and Resistance. Journal of Negro Education, v61 n3 p392-404 Sum 1992. Explores the relationships among family, community, and classroom teaching as they inform the perspectives of African-Canadian women teachers on teaching African-Canadian children. Interviews and observations of five teachers demonstrate how they fight for social justice and the academic achievement of their students. (SLD)

Higuchi, C. (1993). Performance-Based Assessments and What Teachers Need. Performance-based assessments and the instructional programs from which they emerge and into which they fit demand intelligent caring teachers with experience and knowledge in assessments, instruction, student learning, and human development theory. Full implementation of performance-based assessments requires that teachers discuss performance and standards and the changes required to support an instructional program that improves performance. The key to educational reform is the professionalization of teachers, and the key to the professionalization of teaching is systemic reform. Site-based management is a necessary part of the reform required for educational improvement. Genuine collaboration is a prerequisite for genuine reform. An appendix presents six transparencies used in the presentation of this paper. (Contains 6 references.) (SLD) ED378222

Hilgersom, K. M. (1994). Achieving Equity and Excellence through Improved Assessment. OSSC Bulletin, v37 n8 1994 1994. When evaluating student performance, teachers often find themselves in a quandary. Teachers must judge, sometimes with firm frankness, while also demonstrating caring. Fortunately, assessment in schools is moving away from judgment to embrace the notion of teachers and students sitting beside one another during the teaching, learning, and assessment process. Traditionally, numerically based grades and standardized test scores have been used to set a fixed value on student capability and educator effectiveness. Current debate centers on what comprises effective learning and teaching and how best to measure outcomes. This Bulletin hopes to clarify the recent history surrounding newer assessment forms and to persuade reform-minded educators to consider equity as well as excellence. Chapter 1 briefly examines the relationship between standards and assessment and explores issues surrounding the sophisticated debate on educational assessment. Chapter 2 discusses the difficulties arising as educators balance equity and excellence concerns while designing and implementing assessment tools. Chapter 3 explores various assessment tools being implemented in the United States and Australia. Chapter 4 discusses criteria for evaluating assessment choices (consequences, fairness, transfer and generalizability, cognitive complexity, content quality and coverage, meaningfulness, and cost and efficiency) and makes recommendations. (Includes 44 references.) (MLH) ED371489

Hill, I. T., & Others, A. (1993). State Initiatives to Cover Uninsured Children. Future of Children, v3 n2 p142-63 Sum-Fall 1993. To address the health care needs of the millions of uninsured children of low-income families ineligible for Medicaid, many states have developed innovative public and private programs. Examines the privately funded Blue Cross/Blue Shield Caring Program and promising public programs in 11 states. (MDM)

Hofferth, S. L. (1995). Caring for Children at the Poverty Line. Children and Youth Services Review, v17 n1-2 p61-90 1995. Examines the child-care needs and arrangements of working and nonworking- poor and working-class families relative to middle-class families. Suggests that child-care decisions of low-income parents appear to be very similar to those of high-income parents; what differs is access, including convenience, and the ability to afford adequate programs. (AA)

I

K

L

M

McPartland, J. M. (1993). Dropout Prevention in Theory and Practice. This paper presents a four-fold typology developed as a general theory of student motivation to stay in school and work hard at learning tasks. Each of the four-fold categories is described with an initial statement of the specific source of student motivation, an analysis of how the source fits in more general motivational theories, and how the experiences of poor and minority students make them especially at risk for lacking motivation. The four-fold categories that are discussed involve the opportunities that exist for success in schoolwork, the human climate of caring and support, the relevance of school to a student's community and future, and the help that is given in attaining freedom from personal problems. Analysis of a sample of dropout students is presented that shows activities designed to prevent them from dropping out are not up to the task. This is because the tasks are not basic or intense enough to reform the primary causes identified by educational theories of low student motivation to remain in high school. Reforms are needed to change the atmosphere from the current emphasis on controlling and sorting students to a new emphasis on supporting and caring for individual learners through major modifications in the roles and responsibilities of teachers and students, including services geared toward assisting students with outside problems. (Contains 27 references.) (GLR) ED366695

Mednick, F. (1996). Rebel without a Car: Surviving and Appreciating Your Child's Teen Years. Arguing that adolescence is a syndrome to be managed rather than a stage to be outgrown, this book offers suggestions from a high school principal as an insider's guide to today's teenage world. The book contends that the major task of adolescence is to gain mastery over emotion, and that a partnership between parents and educators is imperative if the modern American teenager is to survive. The intention of the book is not only to help parents cope with their teens, but to also shed light on what parents can learn about themselves in the process. The book presents timely issues with helpful tips for parenting teens. The chapters of the book are: (1) "Adolescence Is a Syndrome," explaining that adolescence is an unavoidable though temporary departure from normalcy; (2) "Let's Get Cranky," examining how adolescence is full of contradictions; (3) "Let's Get Hysterical," dealing with authoritative vs. authoritarian or permissive parenting styles; (4) "Let's Get Physical," providing tips for discussing sexuality, sexual abuse, rape and AIDS; (5) "Let's Get Moral," examining temporary moral insanity and issues of moral education; (6) "Lying, Cheating, and Stealing," explaining the reactions of authoritative parents to these behaviors; (7) "Crossing the Line," addressing drugs, runaways, suicide, depression and eating disorders; (8) "Young Women," dealing with feminine identity; (9) "Difference in the 1990s," urging education for and acceptance of diversity; (10) "Let's Get Educated," calling for education reform that fosters a relationship between teachers and students; and (11) "Let's Get Motivated," discussing factors which foster or block motivation. The conclusion of the book portrays the isolation that many teens feel and emphasizes the importance of contact with caring adults. Contains an annotated list of 42 suggested readings and a bibliography of 190 references. (AMC) ED400071

Melenyzer, B. J. (1 1991). Empowerment and Women in Education: A Critique of the Feminist Discourse. This paper reviews the dominant theoretical framework espoused by feminist writers in order to gain a deeper understanding of the distinction between feminist groups on the question of empowerment within the higher education establishment. Feminists are described as falling into three groups liberal feminists, radical feminists and social feministsthough an alternative model sees feminist thinking as influenced either by a liberation model of pedagogy or by a gender model based on recent theories of women's development. Four major themes of empowerment are supported by these theories. The collective action and critique theme urges teachers and administrators to seek ways to work together. The gender and power theme sees the inequality and discrimination among women teachers as a gender concern which encompasses larger issues of power. The reform and feminist voice theme offers a model for feminist professionalism in opposition to masculine, mainstream visions of career advancement. A theme called caring, community, connectedness and equality emphasizes collaborative relationships. Included are 34 references. (JB) ED341302

Miron, L. F. (1995). Pushing the Boundaries of Urban School Reform: Linking Student Outcomes to Community Development. Journal for a Just and Caring Education, v1 n1 p98-114 1995. Argues that the goal of improving student outcomes in urban school districts is insufficient. Urban school reform should be tied to efforts to enhance community development. If children and educators feel unsafe in schools, then increased student achievement is virtually meaningless. Profiles the "City of New Orleans" Empowerment Zone strategy. (30 references) (MLH)

Morse, W. C. (1994). Comments from a Biased Viewpoint. Journal of Special Education, v27 n4 p531-42 Win 1994. Reactions to Lloyd Dunn's 1968 paper and Evelyn Deno's 1970 paper calling for educational reform for students with disabilities are discussed from the perspective of an emotional and behavior disorders specialist. Several underlying issues are highlighted, such as the relationship of special education to general education, the mutability of individual differences, and the place of caring in special education. (JDD)

Murchland, B. (1990). Voices in American Education: Conversations with Patricia Biehl, Derek Bok, Daniel Callahan, Robert Coles, Edwin Dorn, Georgie Anne Geyer, Henry Giroux, Ralph Ketcham, Christopher Lasch, Elizabeth Minnich, Frank Newman, Robert Payton, Douglas Sloan, and Manfred Stanley. Interviews expressing a variety of viewpoints on the present and future status of education on a national and global scale are offered by 14 major educators and public figures. The theme of educational reform frames each interview. Patricia Biehl reflects on the diminishing effectiveness of secondary education. Derek Bok favors the teaching of ethics. Applying the humanities is the focus of Daniel Callahan's argument that the acquisition and application of knowledge should be interdisciplinary. Robert Coles comments on the moral power of literature. Edwin Dorn punctuates his interview about racism in America with a plea for race awareness. Education for global understanding underpins Georgie Anne Geyer's belief that nations must cooperate rather than confront. Henry Giroux's dream of radical education includes educating students for public life by training them to be critical of the existing social order. Inadequate citizenship education can only be resolved by training citizens to be active, according to Ralph Ketcham. Christopher Lasch comments at length on the social role of the educator and argues for an expanded humanities curriculum. Elisabeth Minnich describes the thinking citizen who is well-versed in the humanities and committed to critical introspection and circumspection. Frank Newman restructures American education. Robert Payton believes that the components of public education, social discourse, and philanthropy must be shaped by forces from without the school's walls as well as from within. Douglas Sloan, Manfred Stanley, and Bernard Murchland contend that technology must be tempered by a humanities-saturated core curriculum in order to instill imagination, caring, and social consciousness into school curricula. (JAM) ED319137

N

_________. (1992). New York State Commission on Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled. Annual Report 1990-91. This annual report on the quality of care for the mentally retarded in New York is organized in three sections focusing on obligations, opportunities, and the future, respectively. Subsections are organized into discussion, findings, and conclusions/corrective actions or recommendations. The first section examines issues in protecting individuals at risk in adult homes, in psychiatric centers, in emergency rooms, in correctional facilities, from abuse, from sexual abuse/exploitation, from child abuse, and from financial exploitation. The next section focuses on advocacy functions in specific situations and through the protection and advocacy networks. Specifically covered are closure of developmental centers, fiscal reforms, preventing deaths and promoting quality of life, responding, caring, and helping, legal advocacy, the surrogate decision-making committee program, and education and outreach. The section on "Looking Ahead" notes plans for a Children's Services Review, the Children's Medication Study, a study of discharge practices in psychiatric units of general hospitals, a review of familial abuse allegations of adults with developmental disabilities, a study on developmentally disabled parents, and a review of adult home deaths. Appendices show locations of programs and offices. (DB) ED348794

P

R

Robicheaux, R. (1996). Professional Development: Caring Teachers Can Realize the Vision of the Standards. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, v1 n9 p738-42 Mar-1996. Illuminates some concerns of teachers about the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum Standards. Demonstrates changes in attitudes of teachers who have sufficient time to assimilate and accommodate the NCTM reforms. (MKR)

S

St. John, E. P. (1995). Parents and School Reform: Unwelcome Guests, Instruments of School Initiatives, or Partners in Restructuring. Journal for a Just and Caring Education, v1 n1 p80-97 1995. Examines changes in parental participation over a 2-year period in 10 accelerated Louisiana schools. At first, parents were unwelcome in nine of these schools. The most fundamental factor was changing teacher and administrator attitudes toward parents of poor children, which fostered the emergence of a more meaningful parent role. (13 references) (MLH)

T

_________. (1993). The Condition of Education 1992: Making Changes, Measuring Results. Vermont is working to reform its educational system, and, according to some assessments, improvements are being made. On average, Vermont's students write reasonably well and fourth graders perform better than national averages in mathematics on selected questions from the National Assessment of Education Performance. However, many students also suffer from poverty, hunger, and abuse that hinders their school performance. Vermont has four goals for improving its educational system. First, every child must become a competent, caring, productive, responsible individual and citizen who is committed to continued lifelong learning. Lack of preparedness to enter school, poverty, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and poor student health and well-being are obstacles to accomplishing this goal. Second, schools will be restructured to support very high performance for all students. Special- education programs and math, science, and technology education are to be improved. Third, the state will recruit and support the nation's most effective teachers and school leaders. New professional development opportunities will be offered, and teacher assessment and salaries will also be reviewed. Fourth, partnerships will be formed among parents, educators, students, and other citizens to support teaching and learning in every community. (JPT) ED355622

Thomas, C., & Simpson, D. J. (1995). The Twenty-First Century Professor: A Search for Community. International Journal of Educational Reform, v4 n3 p341-49 1995. To prepare for the future, professors will have to develop community, collegiality, and diversity. At present, college faculty's priorities and perversities may keep them from facilitating this triadic set of values. A radical tolerance for disagreeable, distasteful, even dangerous differences must occur for faculty to communicate honestly and facilitate the growth of approachable communities of scholars. (15 references) (MLH)

V

W

Wagner, T. (1994). How Schools Change: Lessons from Three Communities. School reform efforts to date have not always resulted in meaningful change. This book presents findings from an ethnographic study that examined the change process in three schools undertaking systemic reform. The schools included the Hull Junior-Senior High School, a primarily white public school in a recession-battered community; the Academy at Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, a multi-ethnic, urban public school; and Brimmer and May, a private school in a wealthy suburb. Data-collection methods included observation; document analysis; and interviews with teachers, administrators, students, and parents. The focus was on ninth-grade classes. The first three chapters describe in detail the environment of each school. Chapter 4 offers conclusions about the ways in which schools change. Findings indicate that the three essential components of a successful school-improvement plan included: (1) establishing clear academic goals based on developing and assessing students' competencies; (2) creating a caring community with explicit core values; and (3) encouraging many forms of collaboration. Aspects of a new vision of educational changeeducation for a changing economy, for continuing learning, for world citizenship, and for personal growth and healthare discussed. The roles of higher education, business, government, and the media are examined. (LMI) ED379741

Walker, E. V. S. (1993). Interpersonal Caring in the "Good" Segregated Schooling of African-American Children: Evidence from the Case of Caswell County Training School. Urban Review, v25 n1 p63-77 1993. Reviews the daily interactions identified as part of the interpersonal "caring" in "good" segregated schools, discusses the response of students to caring, and explores the significance of caring in historical context and implications for current reform. Uses data from a historical ethnographic study of Caswell County Training School. (JB)

Contact Us

Enter feedback, comments, questions, or suggestions:

Email this page

Caring and Systemic Reform (1998)

Community-Based Decision Making (1998)

Search

(Indexed quarterly)

positivepractices.com

WWW

Translations

Caution: Machine generated language translations may contain significant errors. Use with care.