Conditions that influence a school's readiness for change are analyzed in this monograph for the purpose of providing practitioners, especially those who provide assistance to schools, with specific guides for diagnosing readiness for change. The publication is a tool to help school personnel and others make wise and deliberate decisions about…

This guidebook provides evaluation assistance to district and school staff. It was published in response to the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) Program, passed by Congress in 1997 to provide incentives and support for low-performing, high-poverty schools. CSRD is an attempt to ensure that schools conduct evaluation of whole-school…

The authors provide information on how school personnel can help provide both opportunities for intergroup relationships and strategies for creating rewarding social interactions between severely handicapped and nonhandicapped students. (SW)

Offers eight steps for administrators to follow to develop cohesiveness among a school faculty and thus foster positive student attitudes toward school. The eight steps are divided among three distinct strategies: developing common goals, reexamining organizational structure, and evaluating school leadership. (Author/WD)

Higher order thinking can be defined as interpreting, analyzing, and manipulating information to solve a challenging problem. This definition does not restrict higher order thinking to any level of cognitive ability or any class of people; it includes thinking involving both nonacademic and academic topics; and it is not limited to any particular…

Closing small schools because of declining enrollment could be avoided by implementing a new organizational structure in which a cluster of small schools would function under one administrative director. Excess space could be shared with the community. (MLF)

This research indicates that educational organizations consist of a loose collection of individuals, units, or levels, each performing activities independently--as segmented units buffered from one another. The authors suggest ways administrators can be effective in this environment. (Author/IRT)

This checklist is designed to help states at various stages develop their system of support to reach struggling high schools. The checklist can be used to assess where your state is in terms of the elements of using existing support and guidance mechanisms, and reconfiguring and/or creating new structures to leverage system change for high school…

The second wave of reform involves a comprehensive view of restructuring schools. This means rebuilding relationships among all school community members, changing organizational arrangements, and rethinking the curriculum. Written by second wave educators committed to professionalizing teaching and building a more collaborative school culture, the…

A handbook for teaching assistants (TAs) at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park, is presented to provide information concerning departmental organization and facilities as well as teaching ideas and problems. TAs with the department are either graders who primarily grade homework and tests and…

This book describes changes that must be made in central-office administration to facilitate the movement to site-based management. It is intended for educational administrators in central administration or for those who are planning to work as superintendents, business managers, or supervisors of curriculum and instruction. The book covers all…

This manual is intended as a resource guide for school councils in Arizona. The state created school site-based councils to bring together parents, the community, administrators, teachers, and students to form a decision-making body that can empower all stakeholders. The guide details the process of school councils as it relates to Arizona…

Forming teams is the logical first step in the transition to middle school from junior high school. Offers 10 questions that middle-level educators should ask as they embark upon this new venture of interdisciplinary teaming. (13 references) (MLF)

Proposes that the organizational transition period of a school's restructuring requires special attention and that major responsibility for transition management should rest with teachers. Illustrates the dilemmas and frustrations of the transition period with a fictional case. Discusses special demands on the organization, teacher leadership for…

A learning team comprises two or more teachers of any two or more subject areas who seek to create a small, cohesive learning community. Interdisciplinary learning teams are vehicles that can empower school community members. This first part of this handbook introduces the learning team concept, discusses issues to consider in implementing…