This report contains presentations made a t a conference for university trustees on the subject of the campus in crisis. The presentations concern preventing of and dealing with crises and examining the role of law in the institutional setting as it affects the rights and responsibilities of students, faculty, administrators, and trustees. (JF)

This report is the last of a 3-part study of the readiness of parents, school board members, administrators and teachers to accept innovations in the educational system. The target group in this part of the study consisted of 307 administrators and 330 teachers. Each respondent was asked to give his reaction to 13 briefly described educational…

In the 1970s, the Mt. Currie school in British Columbia was transformed into a locally controlled Native Canadian Indian institution. Using interview data, this articles reviews changing role relationships of the school board and staff. Recommendations applicable to other community education ventures across North America are made. (Author/BS)

Decentralization is no longer the dominant reform strategy in the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools. The Chicago School Reform Amendatory Act of 1995 redesigns the school governance arrangement so that power and authority are now integrated among city officials, school boards, local school councils, and a Chief Executive Officer. To examine how…

This paper discusses the 21st century urban school superintendency, noting new challenges for urban superintendents. Currently, schools are much larger, media coverage is extensive, racial minorities settle most often in the city, and cities cope with vast social problems. School boards have an enormous effect on the success or failure of…

Applying the educational experiences of Arizona as a backdrop, this opinion paper discusses, quite broadly, reform of public education. In Arizona, academic standards have been judged the best in the nation by the Fordham Foundation; to measure academic progress, the state uses only the Stanford 9 test; there has been public school open enrollment…

David Easton's model describing how political systems operate can help health educators initiate improvements and resist harmful changes. The Memphis (Tennessee) Board of Education's experience with the adoption of family life education is cited as an example of a constructive political strategy. (PP)

Describes the plan to decentralize all public schools in Chicago (Illinois). The following unique features are discussed: (1) local school councils governing each school; (2) principals' responsibilities; (3) central school board's role; (4) specific school and system goals. (FMW)

A school board member-turned-English teacher shares several insights: teaching is exhausting work; class size matters; teachers are isolated; teachers often misunderstand board actions; administrative filters distort what boards and teachers are really saying; adopting one-sided, radical change is foolhardy; and teachers are professionals…

Summarizes the crises and calls for change from 1981-1988 within the Detroit (Michigan) school system that led to the creation of the HOPE (Hayden, Olmstead, and Patrick for Education) coalition. Discusses the years the HOPE coalition headed the school board and the reasons for its failure. Addresses the implications for other cities. (CMK)

Most of the data on the outcomes and effects of school uniforms come from elementary and middle schools. In many cases, school uniforms are only one part of an overall reform effort. More research is needed. Offers suggestions to help schools work on developing school-uniform policies and summarizes the legal view. (15 references) (MLF)

Elementary school principals who received a Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) award in January or August 2002 (n = 21) were invited to be interviewed in the late spring and summer of 2003. A total of 19 principals consented to audiotaped interviews. The interviews focused on several CSR dimensions, including principals' beliefs about the extent to…

This manual is intended to be a how-to guide for school district leaders who want to begin using a school-based approach to improve the quality of education in their districts. The manual provides a brief review of the school-based improvement process--what it is and the rationale for using it. One section deals with implementing school-based…

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the context and process by which the Board adopted a policy, came to question that policy, and ultimately rescinded that policy, while maintaining legitimacy within its environment. In 1977, the Board of Directors of a large urban school district adopted a policy establishing successful…

Current dissatisfaction with operations of the New York City school system calls for policy proposals based on a better understanding of the system, rather than on economic issues. Any policy proposals aimed at reform must describe the goals of suggested programs and indicate how they relate to the goals of other programs. An evaluation of student…