Prodded by an outpouring of philanthropic and federal largess, school districts and even some states are downsizing public high schools to combat high dropout rates and low levels of student achievement, especially in big- city school systems. For longtime proponents of small schools, the upswell in support for their ideas is making for heady…

Chicago is embarking on a major initiative to convert at least 10 percent of its schools into small schools, most of which will be run by private operators. Mayor Richard M. Daley portrayed his plan, called Renaissance 2010, as a way to "shake up the system," introduce fresh ideas that could save its lowest-performing schools, and…

Highlights of the 2006 Annual Report include: (1) Program outreach to more than half a million teachers in all 50 states and 50 countries outside of the U.S. via distance-learning tools to provide teachers in some of the poorest and most remote regions of the world with up-to-date materials and training; (2) Advisors to the board of the National…

This issue of "Infobrief" concludes the exploration into the potential for high school reform in the United States. Earlier issues defined five components of an Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) proposal to effect reform: (1) multiple measures of assessment; (2) personalized learning strategies; (3) new models of…

New Visions for Public Schools is the largest education reform organization dedicated to improving the quality of education children receive in New York City's public schools. For 16 years, New Visions has worked with the public and private sectors to develop programs and policies that energize teaching and learning and increase student…

Purpose: A subgroup of principals--leaders for social justice--guide their schools to transform the culture, curriculum, pedagogical practices, atmosphere, and schoolwide priorities to benefit marginalized students. The purpose of the article is to develop a theory of this social justice educational leadership. Research Design: This empirical…

School and university partnerships are a key strategy for reforming education and increasing college going. Successful programs such as GEAR UP demonstrate the need to expand these relationships. Yet, practitioners find it is difficult to work between these two very different contexts. This paper explores successful practices for navigating…

The higher education diversity programs that Texas enacted after "Hopwood v. University of Texas" banned affirmative action had unexpected positive consequences for the state's high schools. The Texas top 10% law, the Longhorn Opportunity Scholarship and Century Scholarship programs, and the Towards Excellence, Access and Success Grant…

The middle years are a crucial stage of schooling where the range in student achievement widens and progress for some students slows significantly (Cairney, Buchanan, Sproats & Lowe 1998, Hill & Russell 1999). Despite moves towards middle school reform and improved literacy standards, there remains a gap in literacy provision for young…

This paper examines the impact of vouchers in general and voucher design in particular on public school performance. It argues that all voucher programs are not created equal. There are often fundamental differences in voucher designs that affect public school incentives differently and induce different responses from them. It analyzes two voucher…

This book presents essays written by school reformers that discuss the reform movement and examine the partnership that inspired the creation of small, intimate school communities known as charters. They also reflect on the comprehensive changes that inform each charter and the personal and collective struggles to institutionalize these new…

For two and one-half days in November 1990, members of the Lehigh University School Study Council met in retreat to explore the idea of restructuring and to reflect on its relevance for their schools. Participants included superintendents, principals, teachers, and faculty from institutions of higher education. This resource guide was developed by…

This second volume of selected readings is designed to accompany Video Conferences 5-9 in the series "Restructuring to Promote Learning in America's Schools." The readings in this volume explore several key issues in school restructuring. Four sections include: (1) Schools as Learning Communities; (2) Many Roads to Fundamental Reform:…

Reassessment of the role of the superintendent largely has been excluded from the educational reform movement of the 1980s. This paper contends that superintendents must utilize a new "leaderly" model of active instructional leadership in superintending to improve the education of students. The paper is a tool for those working to…

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…