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…

Argues for a model of university organization that is based upon problem areas rather than upon the traditional departmental structure that is itself based upon strict disciplinary delimitation. Asserts that the shift is made difficult by the bookkeeper mentality of university administration, but that it must nevertheless adapt to the new…

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…

The paper raises theoretical insights against central premises underlying the policy of parental choice and educational market from the standpoint of the institutional theory of organization. It discusses how the institutional theory may explain the barriers to diversity, responsiveness, and improvement, all of which are assumed to be driven by…

As a follow-up to an earlier effort to distinguish schools by stages of development along the context of organizational learning (OL), this paper further targets the OL processes and outcomes to generate a more dynamic and functional framework for sustaining and refining the earlier version of the typology. It is hoped that through such a…

This article presents new systems produced by systemic change. First is Systemic Changes in the Chugach School District by Wendy Battino and Jo Clem. Second is Systemic Changes in Public Schools through Brain-Based Learning by Renate N. Caine. Third is A Vision of an Information-Age Educational System by Charles M. Reigeluth. Fourth is Systemic…

A team of faculty and students from a principal preparation program sought to discover how administrators and teachers in two culturally diverse middle schools were implementing the concept of learning community. The purposes of the study was to: (1) Explore how administrators and teachers defined learning communities; (2) Determine how the two…

The education reform movement that began in the 1980s has produced disappointing and unsatisfactory results. This book asserts that the reform movement must be reformulated, and that this information is possible and even likely for a new and vigorous effort to save the children and the schools. It argues that the reform movement is rooted in a…

This paper focuses on two aspects of the Improving the Quality of Education for All (IQEA) Project, a model implemented in England and Wales since the passage of the 1988 Education Reform Act. First, it offers an overview of those management arrangements, or conditions, that the project has sought to enhance in participating schools. These…

This study examines retention rates in Dade County (Florida) schools, using aggregate statistical data for the school years 1982-83 through 1988-89 to describe existing patterns and changes over time. An earlier study established commonalities of pattern across grades, over great disparities of circumstances, and across time. The following…

The organization and weekly class schedule of the newly reformed French educational system is described. (DE)

Educational restructuring, an emerging concept without a single definition or a definitive model, supports the notion of multiple alternatives. Typical school improvement and excellence initiatives do not, by themselves, constitute restructuring. Restructuring means that schools should be organized according to children's learning needs. To…

In March 1988, the South County Community College District (SCCCD) requested the approval of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to change the status of the Livermore Education Center from an "educational center" to a "college." An analysis by the Chancellor's Office of the request indicated that the District met Title 5…

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…

Author compared the comprehensive reorganization of French secondary education through the creation of Colleges d'Enseignement Secondaire with developments in this country over the past twelve years. (Editor/RK)