The collaborative schools networks are an important means for modernizing education in the Netherlands. The freedom of organization allowed by the Dutch educational system results in schools having more responsibility for their own financial affairs, task differentiation for staff, and curriculum organization and structure. Nearly 70 percent of…

Faced with government-mandated restructuring, Dutch secondary schools and universities are networking to tackle school and professional development concerns. The collegial network helps teachers interpret and influence government policies, learn from one anothers' experience, tap into external expertise, and develop new educational approaches,…

Since 1988, the University of Amsterdam's Center for Professional Development in Education has collaborated with 20 schools to create the Upper Secondary Education School Network. This paper discusses network development and participants' efforts to interpret and influence government policies, learn from others' experiences, tap into expertise,…