Describes an innovative secondary schools project which did not initially succeed, despite a collaborative approach, shared decision making, local control, and a decentralized structure. Contends that preexisting expectations and assumptions about change, shared by participants, can inhibit a progressive, elaborately preplanned change model.…

Uses the example of the takeover of the Chelsea (Massachusetts) public schools by Boston University to illustrate the problems of educational reform without the involvement of classroom teachers. Argues that no collaboration can be successful without the involvement of parents and teachers. (FMW)

Controlled choice is a method of desegregation that is voluntary, empowers parents and school staff, and leads to new and exciting school organization and curriculum. To move in the direction of controlled choice, substantial changes in present school organization and operation must be made. This planning guide, based upon the actual experiences…

A study conducted in Massachusetts between October 1986 and May 1987 assessed the behaviors and skills principals exhibit when they make curricular revisions. Questionnaires were sent to all superintendents in Massachusetts, of which 48 were returned. From the information furnished by these questionnaires, 18 principals were selected for onsite…

The University of Massachusetts has recently developed and implemented a new student opinion survey system. The concept was based on the perceived need of various university decisionmakers for information on student opinion in making various decisions. The purposes of the project were (1) to develop and provide a system whereby a rapid response…

This document presents findings from interviews conducted to obtain information on changes that have occurred in state Special Education Advisory Panels (SEAPs) since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The interviews investigated general organizational changes, SEAP involvement in the…

The monograph presents essential components of a decision making sequence used to incorporate formalized family assessment and service planning procedures into two existing early intervention programs in Massachusetts. The 1-year effort used a consultant to: (1) redefine screening and assessment processes to include both child and family centered…

Relying on standardized tests to measure performance and determine accountability obscures the fact that only reciprocal rights and responsibilities can create authentic accountability. A student has the right to expect a teacher will begin on time with a well-prepared lesson, the necessary materials, and the skill to conduct a class. A teacher,…

This article describes a study of enrollment patterns under the Massachusetts open enrollment law as of fall 1992. Results from 33, districts with 20 or more school-choice transfers, show that families generally enroll children in schools with higher indicators of performance and higher socioeconomic status. (SLD)

The goal of this guide is to provide Massachusetts teachers of visually impaired students with an opportunity to increase the quality of evaluation procedures through a more consistent approach to assessment and to provide a means of recording the outcomes of such assessment procedures in more meaningful ways. The guide covers basic elements…

A questionnaire survey of 1,506 teachers in 89 elementary and secondary schools in eastern Massachusetts examined teachers' reactions to declining enrollments and school district retrenchment policies. The hypotheses tested suggest that, in districts whose reduction-in-force (RIF) policies include performance evaluations as well as seniority as…

This book focuses on the question of how citizen participation affects the making of the school budget, the crucial controlling instrument of modern bureaucratic organizations. The four communities studied differed in size, social and economic characteristics, and form of government. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and begins the discussion of the…

Presents strategies to make planning-through-play activities a fun and integral part of the preschool developmental curriculum. Strategies are influenced by a Piagetian approach and an information processing approach that focuses on development of decision making. Specific suggestions are based on a model preschool program in Brookline,…

This report outlines the activities and impact of the Massachusetts Dissemination Project, a capacity-building program funded from 1976 to 1982 to further the dissemination of information on educational resources in Massachusetts. Major project outcomes are listed, including the production of two serials entitled Resources for Schools (26 issues)…

This study of Massachusetts focuses on policymaking for the elementary and secondary schools at the State level. A systems framework is used to illustrate the impact of the govermental structure on and the economic, social and political context of the policies, roles, and relationships within the political process known as Massachusetts…