Reports current ideas from the general organizational productivity literature to provide a broader context for restructuring schools. The article discusses work culture patterns (involving schoolwide planning, professional development, program development, and school assessment) and describes how to manage productive schools, presenting…

Views the recent efforts at school restructuring and educational reform as promoting mechanistic education and measurement-driven instruction. Contends that teacher autonomy actually has been reduced because student assessment is now the responsibility of outside experts. Calls for a restructuring process that returns collaborative decision making…

Kentucky's 1990 Education Reform Act instituted new governance structure creating school-based councils composed of parent and teacher representatives who participate with principals in decisions involving eight major areas. School councils' role has remained ambiguous in personnel matters. Model presented here enhances principal's decision-making…

A model of the new participatory-style school leader, San Jose (California) Unified Schools' superintendent Jim Baughman elicits a wide range of ideas and encourages broad-based participation to resolve district problems like imminent teacher strikes and an ever-worsening financial situation. His administrative cluster restructuring plan is…

Studies effects of three styles of seminar presentation on the group decision-making process and group dynamics of 126 mature management students. Finds that using a written presentation and offering ideas as guidance increased student participation in discussion and problem solving. Suggests that the briefing paper style tends to encourage…

Based on an educational consultant's experience with a Pacific Telesis Foundation school restructuring program, this article shows the importance of time and culture. Restructuring means formally rearranging time usage to allow schools to create and sustain an interactive culture and supporting infrastructure for improving student learning. To…

Presents a conceptual framework and a coherent method for information-technology design in an organizational context within the participatory-design tradition. The MUST method, developed through projects in Danish and American organizations, is based on thorough participation with users and managers and combines the use of ethnographic techniques…

Suggests that ethical problems in research involving contact with children can be overcome by using a participatory approach. Describes a study conducted in England and Wales that explored what part children are playing in decisions since implementation of the Children Act 1989 and what the participants think of the process. (LPP)

Analyzes various documents related to renewal of one university's preservice-teacher-education program. Describes design choices that represented significant breaks with past practice (total program planning, partner schools for all teacher candidates, operating within sustainable budgets, and shared governance) and examines resulting consequences…

The realization that students' and teachers' collaborative efforts are more creative, innovative, and academically challenging than traditional teacher-controlled instruction is the underlying premise behind these awards given by the Foxfire Fund. Describes the learner-centered experiences of seven award-winning classrooms from around the United…

In 1986, the University of Illinois initiated the Consortium for Educational Change to facilitate discussions about local reform initiatives among districts and university faculty. A high school dean of students' assessment of his district's CEC Partnership Council disclosed communication and trust problems and unanimous support for goals and…

Articles published from 1980 to 1997 were reviewed on team teaching and school-based problem-solving teams which served students with special needs. Results suggest that research on both models lacks experimental designs and generally report student-based outcomes. Suggestions for continued research efforts are offered. (DB)

The articles in the December 1997 "Educational Administration Quarterly" about replacing the American comprehensive high school lacked historical perspective. Despite contributors' efforts to dissociate them from such schools, certain "innovative" restructuring measures (community building, team teaching, and block scheduling) have historically…

Public school decentralization has increased involvement of multiple constituencies in school governance. This study of a private school and a public school illustrates the complexities of leading teachers in the decision-making process. Both principals were transformational leaders, but teachers were not empowered enough to make changes. (34…

Surveyed Canadian teachers to determine leadership sources for implementing new programs and teaching practices. Results indicated that principals were the most widely identified source of leadership in implementing change. There was ambivalence about the perceived effect of principal-assistant principal teams. Teachers considered informal…