Downsizing schools--creating small schools, schools-within-schools, and small learning communities--has been a highly favored school reform strategy of recent years, one that is supported by considerable research. Yet for many of these schools, the going has not been easy, bedeviled by bureaucratic resistance, public misunderstanding, and…

This do-it-yourself booklet is designed to help those who want to facilitate a Learning Circle but who cannot attend a training workshop. The booklet explains what a learning circle is; the principles of a learning circle; the difference among learning circles, discussion groups, and structured classes; why the learning circle methodology should…

The Multicultural Awareness Project for Institutional Transformation (MAP IT) was developed at the University of Minnesota's General College with the goal of integrating multicultural education within higher education. As the acronym indicates, the aim is transformative. MAP IT is an adaptation of "Diversity Within Unity: Essential Principles for…

The elimination of student overcrowding--the objective in writing this report and the objective in seeking reforms of the school facilities construction process--must be the top priority for the city in the next decade. The premise of this report is that much of the planning process for building and repairing schools requires fundamental change,…

Collegiality can effectively address complex schoolwide problems requiring shared expertise or cohesive schoolwide action for resolution, but traditional teacher autonomy may inhibit such collegiality. Two New Zealand schools used collegial processes to develop solutions to schoolwide problems. Forest High was worried that staff failure to meet…

This paper describes a qualitative study at an at-risk primary school after a year of implementing educational changes. The paper opens with a detailed diary of the author's first morning observing the principal in action at the school. The analysis of data and field notes centers on the strengths of the principal's leadership, and the themes in…

This paper describes the establishment of shared governance in the College of Education at Mississippi State University, and the transformation of a dean's advisory council into a representative council with an expanding role. Emphasis is on the importance of defining the faculty council's role, its constituencies, its assessment procedures, and…

This paper reviews research on principals' and teachers' roles in site-based decision making (SBDM). Research examining teacher participation in SBDM is reviewed, finding that higher quality teaching behaviors and higher student academic attainment resulted from teacher participation. The review focuses on steps in implementing SBDM, means for…

This symposium summary has been designed as a reference tool to promote continued dialogue about higher education's outreach agenda. Only a short summary of each conference session (including a contact name for further information) is presented. Following the prologue, which reviews Michigan State University's outreach model, the first section of…

Setting high academic standards and achieving against them is an important educational objective. Academic standards should originate within the student's community; be used to measure student achievement and school performance; be shared and understood by all members of the community; and be both explicit and comprehensible to lay people. The…

Educators in intentionally small schools in Chicago are working to create a climate that is inviting, engaging, and challenging to some of the most academically disadvantaged students. Over a period of 18 months, data were collected from eight intentionally small schools that included elementary, middle, and high schools; freestanding schools;…

This article describes a collaborative project between an English language class in Japan and one in the United States. The institutions involved were Tokyo International University (TIU), located in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan, and its branch campus, Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) in Salem, Oregon. This project created an…

This study investigated how decisions were made in selecting elementary school cooperating teachers and subsequently placing student teachers from the perspectives of key university, school district, and school participants. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups with university placement directors, school district officials,…

In 1994, four New York City school reform organizations joined to form the New York Networks for School Renewal (NYNSR) and received the first Annenberg Challenge urban grant. NYNSR goals are to expand the number of small, excellent public schools in New York City neighborhoods, particularly those with few educational options; encourage the spread…

After a review of the literature, critical reflective work behavior (CRWB) was defined as: a set of connected, individual activities aimed at analyzing, optimizing, or innovating work practices on the individual, team, or organizational level. The combination of literature review and analysis of case studies led to the operationalization of CRWB…