Government policy of competition is resisted and reconstructed by secondary school head teachers from the United Kingdom in the newly formed Urban Schools Development Group. Emphasis is placed on school collaborations between secondary and partner primary schools, and on partnerships between parents and teachers to restore policy coherence and…

Surveyed teachers in traditional public and charter schools in Colorado and Michigan to examine differences in their perceptions of empowerment (specifically, decision making and autonomy). Results found no significant differences between the groups in perceptions of autonomy. Teachers in traditional schools believed they had more opportunities to…

Analyzed information from 14 charter-granting agencies (CGAs) to understand the challenges they have faced in their roles as charter school gatekeepers. CGAs use diverse strategies to meet their responsibilities, but in many cases the processes by which charter schools will be held accountable have not been well-developed. (SLD)

Critics of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) suggest that the effects of state-mandated testing are primarily negative, causing teachers to narrow the curriculum and drill students on tested material. However, the implementation of assessment programs that provide rapid diagnostic information about student progress may allow teachers to prepare…

Serves as an introduction to four subsequent articles of this issue and notes that these articles identify and examine a number of issues central to the school law social change relationship. (Author/AM)

Outlines the author's participation in several programs designed to effect change in educational institutions. Observations regarding school decentralization, community participation, and staff development programs are presented. (APM)

Describes the use of cost effectiveness analysis of educational productivity in Phase I and II of the Regents Study of Organizational Change. Twenty school districts were selected for the study based on declining enrollment, high noninstructional expenses, high state aid, and high local tax burdens. (MMU)

This article summarizes findings and implications of recent reports on education. The following three guidelines should influence future educational planning: (1) well-educated teachers and effective instruction are basic to good school systems; (2) administrators play a crucial role; and (3) actors in the educational establishment must recognize…

Discusses the teacher accountability movement in relation to the implementation of teacher-centered mastery approaches in effective schools. Focuses on schoolwide issues, instructional support personnel, institutional support mechanisms, mastery learning, and school district accountability plans that promote student learning of high-level…

Presents an overview of ways in which urban school bureaucracies constrain and can impede educational change, and attempts to illuminate some principles for working effectively for change. (APM)

A survey of the broad policy community rates the governor, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, mayor, Chicago Board of Education, district central office, and the Chicago Teachers union in their work of Chicago school governance before and after the July 1995 restructuring. Preliminary results suggest improvement in school governance following…

Introduces a collection of articles on accountability, testing, and academics in schools with minority group and low-income students. The articles share the common viewpoint that there have been, and will continue to be mixed effects of accountability on educational equity in schools and districts. (SM)

Presents an urban practitioner's reaction to arguments about the positive effects of accountability policy on improving educational equity for minority and low income students. Recounts the Houston Independent School District's experiences with accountability and suggests that high levels of learning for all students has become the new civil…

Reviews the literature on the political context of school desegregation, including: the effect of federal involvement, the impact of policy on equitable opportunities for urban children; school reform and school achievement; and equity and accountability. Addresses the compatibility of educational improvement strategies and achievement in the…

Reviews the historical and political context of school reform, examining its problems and ambiguities as a policy and offering suggestions to minimize the risks of reform in urban schools. Concludes that state takeovers are detrimental because they do not address systemic problems in the affected school systems. Contains 51 references. (Author/SLD)