A network of quality schools has been suggested as a means of achieving excellence in Illinois public schools. Such a program to be effective, must be specific while at the same time addressing the broad and complex needs for education. Also, the proposed network must be built upon the mistakes of the past and must stimulate renewal at the local…

The author examines the process and political dynamics of educational reform in greece by focusing on the Education Act of 1976 (Law 309), "On the Organization and Administration of General Education." The main concern is the reform proposals pertaining to the organization, the curriculum, and the general orientation of the school…

The symposium transcript presents and discusses commentaries on "Schooling in Capitalist America," by Sam Bowles and Herbert Gintis. The transcript serves three functions: (1) it offers a comprehensive account of the role of schools in America; (2) critiques efforts to reform schools; and (3) suggests alternative visions of how school reform…

The finding reported previously in this journal (EJ 265 763), that elementary schools conform more to the image of the rational bureaucracy while secondary schools fit that of the anarchy or loosely coupled system, is reinforced and extended using a large sample, more reliable measures, and more elaborate techniques. (Author)

Numerous attempts have been made to improve the effectiveness of decision-making in organizational settings. Some of the historical and contemporary organizational trends regarding these efforts, both in business and in school settings, are presented in this paper. The focus is on the related expectations and outcomes that are evident in diverse…

Describes Pope John Central High School in Elgin, Nebraska, one of the most innovative secondary schools in the state. (CB)

From a British perspective, the author describes and comments on Norway's recent curricular and educational reforms: the development of the grunnskole for students ages 7-16, with emphasis on the lower secondary (ungdomsskole) 14-16 phase, and reforms in the upper secondary (videregaende skole) for ages 17-19. (Author/SJL)

Considers early arguments in Great Britain for adjusting the traditional curriculum to the changing needs of the secondary school population and for developing the "multi-bias" school, one which would allow educational opportunity for every variety of student talent. (RK)

This report by the Governor's Commission on Excellence in Education proposes to restructure middle school education (grades 6, 7, and 8) in Virginia. The restructuring process has two components: the identification of Vanguard Schools and the development and implementation of a restructuring process in other schools. Schools that seek Vanguard…

School administrators can get a better idea of what their purpose is by examining, first, what schools achieve; second, how schools function; and, third, why they function. A school's production function (what it achieves) involves many specific functions, but they all are a product of the relationship between school inputs and outputs. Inputs…

In May 1967, a group of individual school districts from around the nation joined forces with the U.S. Office of Education to devise and execute a long-range program for the development of a new secondary school curriculum and organization. The program is called "Educational Systems for the Seventies" (ES '70). The 18 participating…

For most of its history, Pennsylvania's public school system has consisted of three levels: the state level, the local school districts, and an intermediate level. In 1970, the intermediate level was reorganized into 29 intermediate units (IUs). In 1997 the state's General Assembly directed the Joint State Government Commission to study how the…

Describes aspects of school organization that inhibit and those that facilitate the development of humaneness among three primary client groups of the school: students, citizens in the community, and school employees. (JH)

Reviews literature in political economics that analyzes schools' organizational performance problems and the current decline in public school support. Discusses schools' institutional frameworks, public (or collective) choice theories of political economy, citizen decisions to voice grievances concerning school system expenditures or exit the…

Many sectors in American postsecondary education are experiencing rapid growth, largely due to the maintained and increased need for educational services, research capabilities, and public outreach, community service, and civic engagement opportunities. The factors shaping the institutional responses include demographic changes, pressure for…