The structure of US public education is changing. Rather than exclusive district management of schools with standardized programs, new types of systems have emerged. In the case of "portfolio" systems, advocates argue that choice, performance-based accountability, and autonomy challenge traditional schooling and foster a diversity of…

In large-scale educational reforms, many actors play their roles. The diversity of contributions and lack of harmonization prove to be frequently found to cause educational reform failures. Many explanations for these failures focus on differences between the actors and on differences in their contributions to the reform process. In this article,…

To sustain world preeminence, 21st century university and college leaders in the United States are redesigning their institutions organizationally and culturally to align with the direction of local and global societies and markets. The New American University enterprise model at Arizona State University has become one of the leading organization…

Previous qualitative studies show that when the formal organization of a school and patterns of informal interaction are aligned, faculty and leaders in a school are better able to coordinate instructional change. This article combines social network analysis with interview data to analyze how well the formal and informal aspects of a school's…

This dissertation explores the formal theologies and organizational readiness for change with a view towards adopting missional prototypes for theological education across a school's (system's) tradition, curriculum, and structure. The research assessed five theological schools in the United States through an exploratory, action-oriented,…

New organizational arrangements are required to solve the problems confronting a rapidly changing society. A dynamic, ongoing organization responsive to the requirements of this new era can be designed from a systems approach in terms of inputs, conversion process, and outputs. (Author/DN)

In order for meaningful change to take place in education, the organizations which can effect this change must orient themselves to accept new ways of doing things. (CK)

A study of five Vermont high schools suggests that change must grow from seeds already planted in different schools, fed by a constant flow of human energy interacting across all school organizational levels. Certain patterns, such as top-down or bottom-up change, are not as interactive as systemic efforts. (MLH)

The basis of this investigation is formed upon the current dilemma of public education and the educational climate surrounding it. (RK)

The five key elements comprising any school organization may be described as structural, professional, renewal-oriented, curricular, and collaborative. School leaders committed to change must recognize three realities: (1) change is hard, even painful work; (2) the parts cannot be treated without treating the whole; and (3) reform starts at the…

A PLANNED APPROACH TO EDUCATIONAL CHANGE FOCUSES UPON THE INTERNAL FUNCTIONING OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. RESEARCH GENERALIZATIONS INDICATING CONDITIONS WHICH INFLUENCE LEARNING ARE CITED AS A BASIS FOR A CONCEPTUAL MODEL. FROM THIS MODEL, SOME ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTIONS WHICH NEED TO BE DEVELOPED WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ARE DERIVED. FIVE LEVELS OF…

From time to time critics of the middle level publish works that suggest that our philosophy is too much "feeling good" and not enough academic substance. Confusing this debate is the current trend of districts (especially large urban ones) to reconfigure their schools to K-8 neighborhood schools. In this article the author takes a long look at…

Overall aim of this paper is to identify and clarify a conceptual framework which can be used by educators to formulate a more adequate relation between public education and the democratic way of life. (Author)

Examines school reform efforts through a "reculturing," rather than a restructuring, lens, based on a sample of schools engaged with five reform models (Accelerated Schools, Coalition of Essential Schools, Comer's School Development Program, Effective Schools, and Success for All). A newly developed instrument enhances understanding of…