In "Time for Results" (1986), the nation's governors announced a new education reform agenda that develops and extends states' recent initiatives. This article discusses governors' progress since 1986, focusing on their Reconstruction of Schools Project to manage consultation, information sharing, and assistance to states. (MLH)

Article is based partially on work done by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in Portland, Oregon, in the development of instructional systems which provide increased problem-solving capabilities for teachers and administrators. (Editor)

Applauds Anne Raywid's critique of the ASCD's "Public Schools of Choice" monograph in the same "Educational Leadership" issue for advocating the revitalization of public schools and the creation of more democratic governance structures. However, parental choice will be meaningless unless school norms and teacher-student work relationships are…

As schools are typically organized, children work under the guidance of female teachers employed by a male principal (the boss) empowered to interrupt their classes at will and mete out discipline. The principal serves as district stationmaster but not necessarily as educator. Two hypothetical examples show how teachers and secretaries can…

Presents five definitions of "systemic change," ranging from "working with school districts or education departments to effect change" (vertical approach) to "working with every school in a system" or "working with every aspect of the school system (horizontal approaches). "Systemic" can also mean…

Illustrating major points with specific examples (including a "Doonesbury cartoon), the main article faults schools' organizational efficiency and educators' ignorance of child development for forcing young children to work beyond their developmental readiness. An inset article presents the 19th century kindergarten as a haven for children to grow…

The Organizational Health Description Questionnaire (OHDQ) was developed by the authors because no known instrument existed that would lend itself to the measurement of organizational health as defined by Matthew B. Miles. (Authors)

McGavock, H.S. in Nashville boasts specialized curriculum programs for careers, programs relevant to socioeconomic backgrounds, and community school programs achieved through team planning, team organization and team evaluation. (AF)

The team management approach can work in educational administration if school personnel share a common philosophical commitment. (MLF)

Another in a series of articles summarizing results of a study sponsored by the National Science Foundation, discusses the minimal impact of curriculum revision due to the extraordinary social complexity of schools and systems. (Author/MLF)

A summary of 64 research studies between 1968 and 1990 clearly support using nongraded/continuous progress programs. Students in nongraded settings do as well as or better than students in traditional self-contained classes. R.E. Slavin's sidebar argues for keeping nongraded schools simple. Pavan's sidebar calls nongradedness a philosophy not just…

Adapted from the Preface to Perspectives on Management Systems Approaches in Education: A Symposium,'' Educational Technology Publications, 1973. (CB)

Contrasting American education with that of other countries, compares systems that differ profoundly in objectives, values, and organization. The American decentralization, lack of a national examination system, and values of egalitarianism, utilitarianism, and individualism work against the single-minded concentration on academic goals of other…

Reviews some of the forms school centralization has assumed, some of the problems following in its wake, and a few of the solutions undertaken to date. Optional (nontraditional) schools are singled out as a promising answer to governance difficulties. (Author/MLF)

The problems of education stem from system design, not faulty operation. Traditional education is based on autocratic principles, or order without freedom. The innovative Individual Education design, based on democratic principles, gives students control over their own learning and promotes the development of responsibility, respect,…