Provides four determinants of educational organizational development diffusion rates: administrator involvement, incentives, practitioner development, and knowledge base. (Author/AM)

Organizational changes, within the existing structure of public schooling, have the potential to decrease the oppositional behavior of students and to foster humane, positive learning and working enviroments. It has been documented that managers can create organizational structures that promote positive behaviors and facilitate people's…

The implementation of a matrix structure as an alternative to the traditional collegial/bureaucratic form at a college of education in a medium-size state university is described. Matrix organizational structures are differentiated from hierarchical bureaucratic structures by dividing the organization's tasks into functional units across which an…

Several aspects of unplanned system change in schools are investigated in this paper. Researchers relied heavily on current theoretical perspectives on the nature of educational systems, particularly those that emphasize the "loosely coupled" nature of educational organizations. Two hypotheses were tested. The first is that natural…

This paper describes a conceptual framework that can order the host of changes occuring in institutional structure as a consequence of recent learner-centered reform in postsecondary education. Several schemata are examined, and a functional systematization of structures suggested; however, none of these purports to be a completely satisfactory…

This bibliography is compiled for persons who wish to understand organizational change as it occurs in the schools or who wish to enable it to happen more surely. Most of the entries deal with processes, structures, or events in the schools or their environments. Writings about other organizations are included only when they translate easily to…

Educational planning involves giving attention to the social, political, and educational complexity of schooling. Where reform programs do not consider the underlying patterns of school belief and conduct, innovations may only rearrange the technological surface. (Author)

Interviews with the heads of planning units in four Mexican universities at different stages of organizational development in 1982 and 1983 provided data for research on the relationship between organizational structure and adaptive performance. The findings suggested that universities that reorganize have better opportunities to adapt to external…

Explores the historical development of British Columbia's community college, university college, and institute system with the focus on voluntary collaboration in relation to provincial coordination and on swings between centralization and decentralization. Study examines development in BC's post secondary system in light of broader global…

Like most other reform endeavors, the current restructuring movement may fail. Advocates often oversimplify restructuring, overlooking serious underlying issues, such as the politics of organizational change, and ingrained U.S. schooling characteristics, including inclusiveness, deep structure, knowledge industry influences, growth of state power,…

Forming teams is the logical first step in the transition to middle school from junior high school. Offers 10 questions that middle-level educators should ask as they embark upon this new venture of interdisciplinary teaming. (13 references) (MLF)

Proposes that the organizational transition period of a school's restructuring requires special attention and that major responsibility for transition management should rest with teachers. Illustrates the dilemmas and frustrations of the transition period with a fictional case. Discusses special demands on the organization, teacher leadership for…

Shows that action research and process consultation methodologies used in the organizational development (OD) field are vital to our changing educational culture. Instead of diagnosing and prescribing solutions, the OD consultant teaches clients (schools) how to make appropriate interventions for specific change objectives. (12 references) (MLH)

Five years ago, Robert E. Lee High School was a big school with big problems. Overcrowding at the 3,100-student school forced some students to use air-conditioning units for chairs. Hallway fights broke out daily. At least half the freshmen disappeared from the roll books before reaching 12th grade. The thing to do, school leaders decided, was to…

Austin Community College (ACC) is undergoing reorganization in an attempt to create a "single college" organizational structure to replace its current "campus with five competing colleges" model. By doing so, ACC hopes to create an atmosphere in which short and long range planning efforts are aimed at the overall good of the…