Restructuring of the Florida education system calls for fundamental changes in curriculum and instruction, authority, staff accountability, reward and incentive systems, and the relationship between schools and others. Five examples of the current school restructuring initiatives were presented at the Florida Conference on School Restructuring:…

This paper examines how the perception and anticipation of political costs and benefits affects decisions about whether and how plans for educational reforms are to be pursued. Two case studies of major educational reform attempts are described: France and Japan. The study analyzes the two societies' underlying dilemmas, which manifest themselves…

Supervisors in Georgia's schools, having assessed their most critical administrative needs through earlier surveys, identified their districts' most troublesome specific problem areas associated with those critical needs. For each critical need, rankings of seven problem areas were determined. Tables in this report display survey responses on each…

One of the working papers in the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and Competitiveness, this document focuses on the normal and documented activities that could be described as leading to strategic choices and implementation efforts in the Arizona universities. The strategic planning literature is…

Two complementary strategies intended to achieve a strengthening of the American educational system within the next 5 years and a transformation of that system within 10 years are presented in this report. The shorter, 5-year strategy targets conventional schools and is intended to help raise student achievement and professional competence. The…

This paper describes the use of a theory-based framework, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), in evaluating the implementation of three educational innovations in the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools during 1986-87: (1) Project READ, a districtwide alternative language arts program for grades 1-8; (2) Timeline, project management software…

This case study exemplifies the particular challenges, successes, and failures a principal faced in coping with a small Catholic school's diverse problems and publics. Names were changed to ensure confidentiality. School policy and administrative leadership are discussed in terms of a principal's interaction with an embattled school board,…

This paper presents a detailed example of teachers' professional development as a part of a district's career ladder pilot-test program in Arizona. A case study describes a secondary school teacher who has been a leader in a major national and state teachers' organization. A description is given of how teachers develop intellectually and…

Approaches to studying enrollment decline are compared and limitations and advantages associated with each method in predicting response to decline are assessed. The literature is reviewed to identify research perspectives on decline. Variables consistent with each perspective are identified and measured on a sample of 56 small- to medium-sized…

Drawing on research conclusions about the process of educational change, this report seeks to demonstrate the importance of understanding the diverse factors that inhibit or enable school improvement efforts. The report focuses on leadership and support in achieving successful change and stresses that principals are but one of several players who…

Part 2 of this congressional hearing contains the testimony and prepared statements of 31 witnesses on the topics of rural community resources, the rural labor force, rural finance, and rural education to assist the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Transportation in identifying the problems and potential of America's rural economy. With emphasis on…

Three days of hearings focused on rural America, in general, and on South Dakota (as the most agrarian of all states), in particular, in an attempt to formulate a blueprint for a national agenda on improving the state of rural America. The first day's sessions addressed the outlook for the South Dakota economy. The second day's sessions considered…

This report examines the desegregation of students, teachers, and administrators in the Fayette County (Kentucky) Public Schools for the 1986-87 school year. It is based on counts of students and professional personnel made in September 1986. Findings show that racial polarization is intensifying in the Fayette County schools. More blacks and…

School officials, civil rights advocates, and students and parents deserve praise for the success the Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public Schools integration program has had in placing almost all schools within the enrollment guidelines for the 1986-87 school year for the first time since school desegregation began. Recommendations made for…

This document provides curriculum materials and a guide for Massachusetts school personnel concerning the issue of sexual harassment in secondary schools. Although the entire document is useful for all school personnel, specific sections are suggested for administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, and students. Section one deals with sexual…