In this article, we review research from the organizational sciences to develop lessons for educators and policy makers. The approach is an integrative review of the literature. We employ a comprehensive process to unpack and make sense of the turnaround literature from the organizational sciences. We rely on strategies appropriate for document…

This volume presents a "big picture" perspective on the charter-school movement. It provides a definition of charter schools, what they are, and where they fit on the landscape of school reform; an explanation of why charters enjoy widespread bipartisan support; a look at how charters are situated in the larger school-reform movement of the last…

Argues for reframing the profession of school leadership based on unifying concepts of social justice, democratic community, and school improvement. Reframing provides context for a subsequent discussion of school leadership in terms of three metaphors: moral steward, educator, and community leader. (Contains 51 references.)(PKP)

Responding to David Erlandson's critique of the author's article concerning the National Policy Board for Educational Administration's agenda for reforming administrator education, this article claims familiarity with the work of parallel professional associations such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Also, practitioner…

Because the first educational reform waves were centered at state and school levels, superintendents have been left out of the picture. Excluding the superintendency from overall improvement designs or demeaning its contribution could unravel many change efforts. Superintendents must commit to a well-crafted educational agenda and redefine their…

Reviews current governance problems in education and details the range of possible governance models for post-industrial schooling. After describing problems that governance must address, the paper describes various possibilities for school governance in the future. Five types of control processes are considered. Ideological foundations of an…

After publication of the National Commission for Excellence in Education's 1987 report "Leaders for America's Schools," the reform of school administration became central. This article outlines some problems in educational administration, summarizes the National Policy Board for School Administration's agenda to address these problems,…

Traces the evolution of U.S. administrator training programs, focusing on 20th-century developments. Delineates four eras: the Ideological Era, 1820-1899; the Prescriptive Era, 1900-1946; the Scientific Era, 1947-1985; and the Dialectic Era, beginning around 1986. Underscores key dimensions and events in each time frame, highlighting inter-era…

In the early 1980s, a series of research studies reported that American schools had failed to produce literate and numerate graduates. This shortcoming was linked to the nation's declining economic position in the world marketplace, which led to a widespread, intensive school-restructuring movement. Drawing on multiple perspectives, the purpose of…

Reviews several privatization strategies and their applications to public education, including load-shedding, asset sales, volunteerism, self-help, user fees, contracting, franchises, vouchers, subsidies, and deregulation. The major forces promoting privatization in education are those stemming from growing discontent with the public sector and…

The reform movement is likely to have a strong positive influence on special-needs students. Schooling for disadvantaged and minority students is currently so poor that new policies could hardly worsen the situation. The integrated approach to serving these students augurs well for increased equity when examining dropouts, course enrollments, and…

There have been few studies on restructuring's effect on central office administrators. By analyzing 74 chief executive officers' perceptions about how restructuring is shaping the superintendency in Kentucky, this study helps address this gap. Three themes emerged: an enhanced superintendent role in developing community; redefinition of…

Recently, the National Center for Educational Leadership surveyed 35 Kentucky superintendents about changing roles since passage of the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act. Results showed that superintendents were learning to lead from the background, enhancing all stakeholders' participation, and working hard to manage reform requirements. Many…

This paper is part of a larger report entitled "The Reform of American Public Education in the 1980s; Themes and Cases." A discussion on the reform of school administration, specifically the forces leading to the reform of school administration in the 1980s is presented. The first part of the report documents the forces that led to demands for…

States should take an active and direct role in education reform: supporting school reform efforts, providing technical assistance, defining and controlling educational content, and assessing the outcomes of education. (MLF)