Describes how 16 superintendents spurred district reform efforts by creating a positive environment through a four-step process: establishing trust, planning the district's future, communicating their vision effectively, and following through. An inset provides advice to other change-oriented superintendents. (MLH)

Before schools purchase computer hardware and software, the district should set goals for their use, establish effective teacher training, and determine a realistic schoolwide implementation plan.(MD)

Despite serving growing numbers of at-risk students, Pasco (Washington) School District has been transformed through outcome-based education into a district widely recognized for quality. Pascoe's OBE process demanded a school vision and mission statement; intensive teacher retraining; implementation of mastery learning, reality therapy, and…

To support educational reforms, new assessments must stress the performance of complex, holistic tasks, not snippets of performance in segments, elements, or chunks of complex tasks. Sidebars present helpful guidelines for developing staff and creating an assessment. Assessments can assume numerous shapes, including budgeting activities,…

Each Oregon school is required to have a council responsible for developing a staff development plan, improving the instructional program, and coordinating school-reform efforts. During the Eugene district's implementation phase, central-office administrators played a key role in providing organizational development training and in allocating…