The Chicago experience in school governance restructuring is examined in this newsletter. The introduction distinguishes between school-based management and shared decision-making and provides an overview of Chicago's restructured school governance. Next, findings of a study that examined school governance in 12 diverse Chicago elementary schools…

Findings of a 3-year study of the policy implementation process in three western Australian secondary schools are presented in this paper, which focuses on the macro and micro aspects of implementation. To examine responses to the formation of school-based decision-making groups, methodology involved: (1) document analysis; (2) interviews with…

The adoption of a school-based management/shared decision-making administrative process (SBM/SDM) was recommended for the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) school district in June 1990. Findings of a study that determined the attitudes of three non-Chapter 1 elementary school communities in Philadelphia toward the adoption of SBM/SDM are presented in…

Ways in which restructuring approaches to school improvement are likely to promote advances in educational equity are discussed in this paper. The first sections briefly define restructuring and equity and examine three ethics that drive efforts to make schools more equitable: competitive/utilitarian, social justice, and caring ethics. A…

Findings of a study that examined change in four elementary schools (members of large urban public school systems located in the south and southwest sections of the United States) from a conventional to a participatory model of school organization are presented in this paper. To compare teacher roles before and after implementation of the…

The theoretical and practical notions of school-based management (SBM) are critically examined in this paper. Literature is summarized pertaining to the definitions of SBM, philosophical and theoretical issues, leadership, productivity, the degree of innovation, market factors, and funding. Conclusions are that structural change does not always…

Although there have been technological and structural advances in the schools within the past 10 years, the social environment for young people has severely deteriorated. Teenage pregnancy, guns in schools, illegal drugs, homelessness, suicide, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and unemployment are some of the negative mental and physical…

This report examines the state of education reform and policymaking over the 10 years following publication of "A Nation at Risk" in 1983. It compares and contrasts 1983 and 1993 across a variety of aspects: (1) the changing constellation of power and authority in school reform; (2) the changes in the capacity of the system to undertake…

This review of the literature and analysis looks at the concept of full inclusion of students with disabilities in the context of the regular education initiative (REI). The concept of full inclusion is explained as the use of new methods, techniques, and strategies to teach students with and without disabilities in the same classroom.…

This document describes the steps for redesigning public schools into Championship Schools, a comprehensive approach to transformation. Eight transformational processes are outlined: organizational conditioning, clarifying values, strategic planning, measuring, communicating, coaching, team building, and community building. To successfully…

This brief describes political challenges to systemic reform and explores the conditions under which coherent policymaking might occur. A focus is the role of states in achieving policy integration. The first section describes political challenges to systemic reform, which include a lack of consensus on student standards, a focus on inputs and…

The Chicago Public Schools have experienced major reforms since the late 1980s. This has resulted in increased power to local school communities and the creation of local school councils (LSCs) that employ its principals. This paper presents findings of a study that examined principals' perceptions of their changing roles under Chicago's school…

This paper describes school restructuring efforts undertaken since 1991 in the Virginia Beach Public Schools (Virginia). These efforts are based on a resolution adopted by the school board in December 1991, which supported the implementation of school-based management and shared decision making. Several common restructuring themes were shared by…

Policy and program options for economic revitalization in the Southeast region of the United States through educational reform, with a focus on improving the learning experiences of middle-range high school students (30th to 70th percentile on standardized tests), are discussed. The study examined the ways in which state and local school districts…

This state education plan is designed to improve the effectiveness and quality of the educational experiences of all students in Minnesota. Across-the-board improvements and major reforms in policies, programs, and practices are needed to restructure the way schools operate, children are taught, and parents and community members are involved in…