South African schools are constantly faced with evolving needs and challenges characterised by change. As in other countries, schools in South Africa encounter pressure to "produce more for less" and at the same time to achieve certain goals and standards. Transforming schools into inviting institutions requires a paradigm shift among…

In Spring 2007, educators in 63 participating Ohio school districts across the state spoke out on working conditions in their schools by participating in a web-based survey that addressed key teaching and learning conditions related to time, empowerment, school leadership, professional development, and facilities and resources. This is the final…

This guide is for all school leaders, and pastoral care, support and teaching staff who work with young people who are preparing to move on from secondary schooling to the next stage in their lives. It is also for people who work in partnership with the school to support young people who are going into employment or continuing their learning, for…

Instead of concentrating on improving educational quality for children and adolescents, present reform machinations are centered on school leadership and accountability issues. This article discusses three educational reform paradoxes (equity, teacher empowerment, and school effectiveness) that are ignored in most reform reports. Included are 14…

Argues that "empowering" as a philosophy of education must balance its commitments to personal growth and to society, recognizing that just as personal power is primary and prerequisite to synergy so personal growth is prerequisite to societal contribution. (SRT)

Meeting the needs specified by accountability measures under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has provided the importance for schools to create innovative systems for curricular management. To meet adequate yearly progress, schools must be able to address standards and assessment changes in an effective manner. This case study chronicles one…

This book addresses the importance of student involvement in improving the quality of schools. It demonstrates how bringing together students of all achievement levels using empowering activities helps everyone. Chapter 1 demonstrates how student involvement can be used to alter the culture of a school and includes examples of specific projects to…

This report examines five dimensions of various initiatives intended to empower students. It is based on two case studies of schools belonging to the Coalition of Essential Schools, a school-reform project aimed at improving teaching and learning in American schools. The report focuses on the level of power that administrators and teachers…

At the beginning of the 1990s, education in South Africa was in turmoil and experienced a major crisis. Adding to the crisis were problems such as major inequalities in South African society where the majority of people were marginalized and forced to live in a disenfranchised society. Educational change was required to provide equity in terms of…

Examines attempts by black high school student activists in Chicago in the 1960s to gain community control of their schools. Their combined efforts did not lead to decentralization, but instead resulted in more black administrators and curriculum changes, as well as increased awareness of inadequate education, lack of black administrators, lack of…

State-sponsored teacher networks in Vermont and California are compared, using interviews with teachers, network staff, and policymakers. It is concluded that state-sponsored networks can improve teachers' knowledge and motivation while empowering them. Recommendations are made for loosely coupled and capacity-building strategies to support…

Empowered school staff find opportunities to work together. Outlines the superintendent's role and the conditions that must be met in order for empowerment and school improvement to succeed. (MLF)

Teacher empowerment should begin by preparing teachers to make wise decisions about educational experiences and control decisions about educational quality. If teacher educators feel their efforts are shaped by elements beyond their control in situations prizing faculty governance and autonomy, a compliance-oriented socialization process begins…

The 1988 Education Reform Act and subsequent legislation sought to impose on English and Welsh educational services a form of site-based planning called "school development planning." This paper identifies key problems with this approach and instead proposes strategies for managing change and school improvement based on North American…

Explores the reasons for using the Internet in the classroom: (1) stimulates student interest; (2) develops information literacy; (3) encourages student interaction; and (4) offers students control over their learning. Discusses two examples of how the Internet can enhance the social studies curriculum and recognizes the barriers to Internet…