A 1990 workshop discussed the dissemination and transfer of innovation in science, mathematics, and engineering education. The workshop was comprised of 20 participants, representing all levels of responsibility in higher education and a broad range of disciplines including chemistry, communication, computer science, earth science, engineering,…

This paper presents findings of one in a series of four case studies that examined leadership in schools committed to reform. Sullivan High School is an innovative, innercity Chicago (Illinois) high school dedicated to creating a learning environment based on critical thinking and intellectual experiences. The role of the principal as an…

Issues in school choice as a method for achieving educational reform are discussed in this booklet. The first part provides a brief historical background of the school choice movement, including an analysis of the issues being debated over the marketplace theories and the general philosophy behind school choice. The second part highlights a few of…

In recent years, community colleges have developed innovative assessment programs to respond to more explicit state guidelines and mandates for greater accountability. In California, for example, the State Assembly began requiring community colleges to address specific educational and fiscal performance issues in assessments in 1989, while…

As part of the Model Leadership Training Program for charter-school founders and leaders, a workbook representing the training component developed during the first year was prepared. During the first year, 12 teams of charter-school founders and leaders (N=48) participated in the Charter School Leadership Training Academy. The workbook provides…

The book covers 10 exemplary curriculum development sites, ranging from those that follow detailed state guidelines to those with few external mandates. All the examples are public schools, have been involved in the process of curriculum leadership for several years, and are geographically diverse. The book is organized around four questions: (1)…

This synthesis report examines the 30-year history of educational change to identify differing perspectives, strategies, and adoptable principles. Three influential perspectives in educational change have been: (1) the rational-scientific perspective positing that change is created by dissemination of innovative techniques; (2) the political…

A follow-up was done of an earlier study that found that industrial arts teachers had failed to accept technology education as a replacement for industrial arts. A reassessment of Rogers' (1989) Stages of Concern (SoC) research was conducted. All industrial educators from both the Omaha (Nebraska) and Millard (Nebraska) Public Schools were…

This booklet challenges assumptions about the hopelessness of educational reform in urban high schools by presenting the stories of: (1) Theodore Sizer's Coalition of Essential Schools; and (2) Metro High School in Cedar Rapids (Iowa), a school that participates in the Coalition. Following an introduction, the Coalition of Essential Schools…

Information about alternative education as a baseline of thought for school reorganization is presented in this document. Chapter 1 describes the perspectives of alternative education and identifies common types. Teaching methods, strategies, and beliefs of alternative education are discussed in chapter 2. Chapter 3 focuses on the structural…

Outcomes of a school improvement program begun in 1988 at Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene, Oregon, are described in this paper. The first part provides a background of the school's innovative process and program development. The second part outlines the school's major components of restructuring--a common vision and core beliefs, principles of…

This booklet examines the role of business in school restructuring and the types of precollege activities in which business is currently engaged. Chapter 1 briefly discusses what restructuring means including its salient features and general method of operation. The second chapter looks at why restructuring is so difficult, and identifies two…

Issues in transforming educational policy into practice are examined in this report, with a focus on the implementation of school-based decision making (SBDM). The importance of understanding change as a process is underscored in the introduction. The first section offers a definition of and the rationale for school-based decision making and…

This report examines the problem of diminishing opportunities for professional library education in California. The first section examines topics related to the supply of and demand for librarians and library education programs, including U.S. and California demographics on librarianship and library education, librarianship and the information…

Noting that teachers and students who actually use an educational innovation in a classroom setting recreate it, this paper analyzes the implementation of ENFI (Electronic Networks for Interaction), an innovation that uses computers and local area networks in the teaching of writing. The paper presents ENFI's idealization in terms of its…