Suggests building U.S. schools around the assumption that effort actually creates ability and outlines the effective features of a system based on this premise: (1) clear expectations; (2) fair evaluation; (3) payoffs for success; (4) the time needed to meet learning expectations; and (5) expert instruction. (SLD)

Investigated the causes of school failure from a student perspective through interviews with 40 urban high school students experiencing academic difficulties. Findings magnify issues of power, resistance, and diversity as they are linked to patterns of student achievement urban schools must address before advancing specific restructuring efforts.…

Using a sample of 160 students from New Hampshire's Brewster Academy, a study investigated possible improvements in student performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test that covaried with participation in the School Design Model. Results were positive, indicating that a research-driven improvement process can enhance independent school performance.…

Discusses how to implement block scheduling in secondary schools. Topics include restructuring time; leadership as the key to successful change; the concept of Total Quality; human resources; the necessity of the change process; how to effect change; and the value of school restructuring. (LRW)

Researchers followed the progress of 10 restructured secondary schools as they "detracked" their curriculum. Most schools abolished low-level courses in favor of regular classes with honors options. Two middle schools developed a common curriculum; some high schools required all students to pass benchmark classes. Others created opportunities for…

Presents three case studies of the initial efforts of change agents in a large urban school district as they develop mechanisms to coordinate resources at school sites and to establish linkages with community agencies. The case studies demonstrate that implementation of change differed according to the local context and the personal visions of the…

Reports on a survey completed by 454 members of the National Dropout Prevention Network about whether school reform is serving at-risk students. Nearly three-fourths of respondents thought that restructuring programs in their communities are not effectively changing the schools to meet the needs of students in at-risk situations. (SLD)

Discusses establishing a new basis for discipline in U.S. high schools, and suggests making high school voluntary to increase the number of students who really want to be in school. Another suggestion is to find ways to introduce adults into the classrooms to boost the authority of classroom teachers. (SLD)

Explores the appropriateness and synchrony between educational policy reforms imported into Hong Kong and central features of the host culture. Draws upon Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions to provide a framework for identifying and matching Hong Kong's culture in juxtaposition with other cultures. Despite powerful Western influences, Hong Kong…

In The Netherlands, waning confidence in government has resulted in educational policy favoring deregulation and increased autonomy for school boards and schools. Despite restructuring reforms, an intermediary administrative tier has developed that may be undermining school autonomy and weakening the central government's sense of responsibility.…

Argues that developmentally appropriate knowledge-in-use may be academically rigorous even when it does not mimic the more adult-like academic disciplines. Considers the creation of developmentally appropriate curriculum and ways to measure the academic rigor of learning outcomes without relying upon achievement tests grounded in academic…

A survey of local school-board chairs in North Carolina concluded that such leaders show more philosophical agreement with reform ideas (decentralization, work redesign, the student as worker, school choice, and the board chair's role) than practical knowledge of how to implement those ideas locally. (MLH)

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,…

Examines the experience of participants in the 25 British Columbia teacher research groups involved in a primary education restructuring initiative. Characterizes teacher research as a striving for authenticity involving participants in five different struggles: engaging in professional discourse; providing mutual support, stability, and…

The origin of the idea of systemic educational reform is traced, placing the concept within the context of educational developments in the 1980s and 1990s. How systemic reform is being interpreted and applied by analysts and policymakers today is explored. Systemic reform should be a useful step toward genuine improvement. (SLD)