Studied the implementation of a state-funded restructuring initiative that intended broad changes in teacher roles aimed at higher student achievement. Multiple data sources from three schools indicate that the observed changes in professional roles were not well enough established to affect core educational practice in the long run. (SLD)

Notes that bullying behavior is thought to be one of the major causes of violence in schools. Suggests that implementing programs to improve student behavior associated with character traits is a task worth undertaking. Proposes that everyone in the school community should be involved. Concludes that with these improvements in student behavior and…

In 1986 the Center for Policy Research in Education began a five-year study of state educational reform implementations and effects in six states (California, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, Florida, and Georgia) chosen for their diverse approaches. Most efforts (not all successful) concentrated on increased academics, teacher professionalism, and…

School choice should be promoted only under conditions guaranteeing that costs will be outweighed by benefits. Implementing choice means developing an effective assignment policy, conducting parent surveys, providing for adequate staff involvement, committing to parent outreach, managing effects on individual schools, and setting up a…

Any plan to create a communications/governance structure to empower stakeholders must address several questions: rationale, potential advantages and disadvantages, problems to be considered, format, committee structure and responsibilities, and evaluation techniques. Includes 10 references. (MLH)

According to a 1987 survey of administrators in 154 exemplary middle schools, certain implementation strategies are essential to ensure success, including participatory decision-making, leadership and philosophical vision, windows of opportunity, staff development, and evaluation and public relations expertise. Postimplementation strategies are…

All planning approaches require a result to be assessed. Images of the planning-implementation cycle's success or failure influence the planning process itself. This article attempts to identify the components that determine success and failure thresholds, develop a success-failure framework, apply the framework to analyze some basic planning…

The goal-setting component of a professional growth evaluation model for teachers was examined through a survey of 572 teachers, interviews with 65 teachers, and interviews with 12 teacher-supervisor pairs. Data suggested that teachers did not really develop high quality goals and that they lacked knowledge about the process. (SLD)

Interviews were conducted with 26 classroom teachers to investigate their beliefs and attitudes about implementing integrated special education services for students with moderate and severe disabilities. Views toward integration focused on four aspects of the change: its purpose, clarity of implementation methods, effort required of teachers, and…

District officials often assume that decentralization will produce immediate improvement, uncover abundant building-level expertise, and spawn productive, harmonious decision making. Staff development must be geared to eliminating false expectations, developing a thorough knowledge base, and understanding how to control and evaluate the program.…

Although portfolio assessment offers exciting alternative to traditional testing methods, ensuring accurate representation and measurement of student performance is challenging task. As Vermont's experience shows, reliability of teacher evaluation is very low, and setting acceptable standards is difficult. Before adopting portfolio approach,…

Reviews small-scale, exploratory research into British schools' management of concurrent educational reform innovations generated by government, local education authorities, and the schools themselves. Describes changing innovations patterns, key factors influencing their adoption and implementation, the central management strategies employed, and…

As societal demands for health and fitness are changing, physical education curricula must also change. The traditional multiactivity curriculum is inadequate, because poorly skilled students lack enough time to learn the necessary skills. Three alternative curriculum models (adventure education, physical fitness, and sports education)…

Although sympathetic to the philosophic goal of developing an adequacy conception, this article questions that goal's feasibility for any but the earliest primary grade levels. Suggested reform strategies are a grab bag of untested ideas. As evidence from the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) project shows, little progress has been made in…

Documents the process and the results of restructuring the College of Education at the University of New Mexico. The goal is to inform other colleges and universities of these experiences, so that they can anticipate the issues that will arise during the restructuring process. Describes the implementation plan and discusses major questions posed…