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Clearinghouse on Educational Policy and Management
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| College of Education · University of Oregon |
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Trends and Issues: School Reform
Lessons from PracticeEJ667195 SP531001 Using Student Portfolios To Increase Reflective Practice among Elementary Teachers. Author: Elisworth, Judith Z. Availability: For full text: http://olam.ed.asu.edu/epaa. Journal Citation: Journal of Teacher Education, v53 n4 p342-55 Sep-Oct 2002 Publication Date: 2002 ISSN: 0022-4871 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: CIJSEP2003 Abstract: Documented an elementary school that implemented student portfolios as port of a comprehensive school reform effort. Findings indicated that portfolios were an important mechanism through which teachers came to deeper understanding of their professional practices. Teachers began to recognize changes in classroom practice and school-wide responsibilities and to identify organizational structures and professional development opportunities necessary for the inquiry and reform process. (SM) EJ660362 UD524192 What Makes a Comprehensive School Reform Model Learner Centered? Author: McCombs, Barbara L.; Quiat, Melinda Availability: Connecticut Birth to Three System, 460 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT 06106. For full text: http://www.birth23.org/Autism2002.PDF. Journal Citation: Urban Education, v37 n4 p476-96 Sep 2002 Publication Date: 2002 ISSN: 0042-0859 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: CIJMAY2003 Abstract: Surveyed urban elementary students and teachers, noting whether implementing the Community for Learning (CFL) model would meet the criterion of being learner centered and result in positive changes and whether teachers identified as implementing the CFL program to a high degree had high scores on a learner-centered rubric. There were some highly positive results for those most concerned with the plight of children at risk for academic failure. (SM) Descriptors: *Change Strategies; *Educational Change; Elementary Education; Inner City; Program Effectiveness; Student Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; Urban Schools EJ653694 EA540075 Looking Back over a Decade of Whole-School Reform: The Experience of New American Schools. Author: Berends, Mark; Bodilly, Susan; Kirby, Sheila Nataraj Availability: http://www-writing.berkeley.edu/tesl-ej/ Journal Citation: Phi Delta Kappan, v84 n2 p168-75 Oct 2002 Publication Date: 2002 ISSN: 0031-7217 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: CIJFEB2003 Abstract: Describes findings of Rand analyses of New American Schools (NAS) approach to whole-school reform. Includes description of the Rand Corporation's role; a brief history of New American Schools; the conceptual framework of the Rand studies; and a summary of the findings grouped into three broad areas: the evolution of designs, implementation of the designs, and student outcomes. Discusses conclusions and implications for future reform efforts. (32 references) (PKP) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Holistic Approach; Scores ED471697 UD035402 First Things First: Creating the Conditions & Capacity for Community-Wide Reform in an Urban School District. Author: Gambone, Michelle Alberti; Klem, Adena M.; Moore, William P.; Summers, Jean Ann Institutional Author: Manpower Demonstration Research Corp., New York, NY.(BBB17200) Availability: Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, 16 East 34th Street, New York, NY 10016-4326. Tel: 212-532-3200; Fax: 212-684-0832; Web site: http://www.mdrc.org. Sponsoring Agency: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO. (BBB34196)@; Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036)@; Rockefeller Foundation, New York, NY. (BBB00165) Publication Date: November 2002 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: RIEAUG2003 Abstract: This report describes an ongoing, large scale evaluation of First Things First (FTF), a district-wide comprehensive school reform initiative in Kansas City, Kansas. FTF is an example of a theory of change initiative, which entails specifying and sequencing each step required to achieve the desired outcomes in order to monitor early, intermediate, and long-term results. The report documents strategies and activities of FTF partners from the preparatory phase through the first year of implementation, which involved two groups of elementary and secondary schools. It also assesses the extent to which these activities were successful in achieving early outcomes: creating the conditions and building the capacity of the system's key stakeholders to plan and begin reform. Chapter 1 introduces the effort. Chapter 2 describes the reform model. Chapter 3 discusses creating the conditions and building the capacity for change (e.g., preparing district leadership for change and reallocating central office resources). Chapter 4 discusses planning for change at the building level (variations in district level activities with clusters and variations in contextual characteristics of schools). Chapter 5 looks at the effectiveness of district activities in achieving early outcomes of FTF (e.g., examining cluster level early outcomes, assessing awareness and knowledge of FTF, and assessing the sense of urgency and commitment to FTF). Three appendices contain research methodology. (Contains 30 references.) (SM) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Change Strategies; Disadvantaged Youth; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; Program Evaluation; Resource Allocation; School Districts; Urban Schools Descriptive Terms: Produced with assistance from Gambone and Associates. For a related document, see UD 035 305. Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania ED468517 EA031892 Memphis, What Happened? Notes on the Decline and Fall of Comprehensive School Reform Models in a Flagship District. Author: Franceschini, Louis A., III Availability: ED Pubs, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Tel: 877-433-7827 (Toll Free); TTY/TDD: 877-576-7734 (Toll Free); Fax: 301-470-1244; e-mail: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/planrpts.html. For full text: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/annualreport2001/annualplan2003.pdf. Publication Date: April 04, 2002 Language: English Document Type: Opinion papers (120); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEAPR2003 Abstract: The Memphis Restructuring Initiative (MRI) was an attempt at comprehensive school reform in Tennessee that ended with a whimper. Its downfall seems to involve some sort of "schismogenesis" or "inversion," in which many teachers violently reacted against being overworked and overwhelmed, culminating in the easy discarding of 8 years of reform with hardly a tear shed. Although it is possible that a flaw existed within the reforms themselves, it is more likely that it existed in how reform progress swelled or "brought to scale." With specific reference to the reform models used, perhaps it was some admixture of administrative fiat and nostalgia that proximally realized the end. Another element involved in the demise of the reforms may have been a kind of silence that is engendered when "people think they are always right, whether in their machines or their ideas." This absence or dialogue or "dialectic" may have proven to be the final action that ended the reforms. Things might have turned out more positively if communication involved less dependence upon the technicalities of doing reform and incorporating a more encompassing approach. (Contains 61 references and 4 figures.) (RT) Descriptors: *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Political Influences; Program Administration; Program Evaluation; *Program Termination; *Resistance to Change Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, LA, April 1-5, 2002). Geographic Source: U.S.; Tennessee ED463574 EA031573 Instructional Leadership in a Standards-Based Reform. Author: Supovitz, Jonathan A.; Poglinco, Susan M. Institutional Author: Consortium for Policy Research in Education, Philadelphia, PA.(BBB33693) Availability: For full text: http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/publications/pubs/mattermo st.asp. Publication Date: December 2001 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEOCT2002 Abstract: This document is an external evaluation report on the America's Choice School Design. The design is a K-12 comprehensive school-reform model focusing on raising academic achievement by providing a rigorous standards-based curriculum and safety net for all students. Its essential principles and tools include high expectations for student performance, an initial focus on literacy, a common-core curriculum, standards-based assessments, a distributed school leadership structure, safety nets, and a commitment to teacher professionalism. Data for this report came from interviews with nine principals who implemented the design at their schools. Developing a community of instructional practice is discussed, including the need for creating a safe environment for teachers, for emphasizing collaboration and communication, and for creating a framework of accountability. Suggestions are also given for principals in observing instruction, developing content knowledge, facilitating teachers' content knowledge, and becoming a supporter and service provider to teachers. By developing an organizational emphasis on instructional improvement, principals can demonstrate how schools can attain the instructional emphasis that leads to notable improvement in student performance. (RT) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Academic Standards; Elementary Secondary Education; *Instructional Leadership; *Principals Identifiers: *Reform Efforts Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania EJ646380 SP530098 How They Turned the Ship Around. Author: Dicembre, Elizabeth Availability: Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, 101 SW Main St., 500, Portland, OR 97204. Tel: 503-275-9500. Journal Citation: Journal of Staff Development, v23 n2 p32-35 Spr 2002 Publication Date: 2002 ISSN: 0276-928X Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJSEP2002 Abstract: Eighteen schools in the Baltimore City Public School System have developed a successful whole school reform model. The components of the entire whole school reform package (focused professional development with the staffing to support it, a balanced literacy education program, and monitoring of the instructional program) have enabled the schools to significantly increase student achievement. (SM) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Change Strategies; *Educational Change; Educational Improvement; Elementary Education; *Faculty Development; *Literacy Education; *Poverty; Program Evaluation; Public Schools; Reading Skills; Scores; Standardized Tests Identifiers: Baltimore City Public Schools MD ED459154 SP040374 Whose Reform: Teachers' Voices from Silence. Author: Estola, Eila; Syrjala, Leena Availability: Heinemann, 88 Post Road West, P.O. Box 5007, Westport, CG 06881 ($20). Tel: 800-793-2154 (Toll Free); Web site: http://www.heinemann.com. Publication Date: April 2001 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Descriptive (141); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEAPR2002 Abstract: Finnish teachers were asked to describe school reform and changes in the classroom and to discuss how they translated the moral language of administration into their own language as teachers. The study focused on a comprehensive school reform intended to enhance educational quality in a welfare state by providing all children equal opportunities for social progress regardless of socioeconomic status. The reform involved developing a comprehensive 9-year elementary school system. This reform included a service-providing school with alternative options available to students and without remedial instruction. Analysis of previous research and of teachers' narratives about the school reform indicated that teachers believed that while the goal of equality in the new system was good, the change might have been achieved by developing the old system. Teachers believed that administrators left them without support to tackle the problems of daily school life under the reform. Teachers felt that despite the lack of realism in public rhetoric about change, the reform ultimately gave them more freedom and encouraged them to examine topics that had not been discussed before. However, the researchers concluded that the voices of teachers are not heard in the official discourse of school reform. (Contains 31 references.) (SM) Descriptors: *Educational Change; Educational Policy; Educational Quality; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; Faculty Development; Foreign Countries; Inservice Teacher Education; Personal Narratives; *Teacher Attitudes Identifiers: Finland; *Reform Efforts Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001). Geographic Source: Finland ED454591 EA031065 Evaluation Report of the AEL CSRD Academy for External Facilitators: 2000 Summer Institute. Author: Howley-Rowe, Caitlin; Leopold, Gregory D. Institutional Author: AEL, Inc., Charleston, WV.(BBB35660) Availability: AEL, Inc., P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348. Tel: 800-624-9120 (Toll Free). Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: September 2000 Language: English Pages: 59 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142); Test/questionnaires (160) Journal Announcement: RIEDEC2001 Abstract: The Academy for External Facilitators is a significant component of AEL's Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration and is the subject of this report. External facilitators are usually assigned by state departments of education to assist low-performing schools. This report summarizes evaluation of the second summer institute of the Academy for External Facilitators, convened August 2-5, 2000. Forty-seven participants from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia attended the institute. Participants tended to be pleased with the institute and perceived presenters to be competent and their presentations professional and appealing. External facilitators participating in both the 1999 and 2000 institutes showed more skill and knowledge in 2000 with regard to school reform models and strategies, technological abilities, team building, group process, resource identification, the change process, situational analysis, and collaborative leadership. Recommendations included providing participants with more time to interact with presenters, focusing future institutes on areas in which external facilitators report the least expertise, and continuing to offer participants access to Academy resources and events to support ongoing work. There are 14 tables and one figure. Appendices include a Stages of Concern Questionnaire, an External Facilitator Self-Assessment Questionnaire, session evaluation forms, an Overall Institute Evaluation Form, the 2000 Institute Agenda, and the Completed Evaluation Standards Checklist. (RT) Descriptors: *Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; School Effectiveness; School Support Identifiers: Virginia Descriptive Terms: Document was produced by the CSRD Evaluation Team of the Planning, Research, and Evaluation Unit of AEL, Inc. Target Audience: Policymakers; Practitioners; Researchers Contract Number: RJ96006001 Geographic Source: U.S.; West Virginia EJ635815 RC514930 Where Teachers Are Learners, Too. Author: Boss, Suzie Availability: For full text: http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu. Journal Citation: Northwest Education, v7 n1 p22-29 Fall 2001 Publication Date: 2001 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJAPR2002 Abstract: Despite an increasingly diverse student population with many English language learners, Reynolds School District (Oregon) has successfully implemented rigorous academic standards. At Glenfair Elementary School, a schoolwide improvement model helps teachers and administrators use educational research to guide decision making about the best ways to meet student needs. A sidebar provides examples of effective comprehensive school reform models. (SV) Descriptors: *Academic Standards; *Diversity (Student); *Educational Change; Educational Research; Elementary Education; Limited English Speaking; School Effectiveness; *Theory Practice Relationship Identifiers: Oregon Descriptive Terms: Theme issue title: "High Standards for All: Confronting the New Paradigm." EJ603259 EA536928 From Micro to Macro: The Model Science Lab as a Template for Whole-School Reform. Author: Craig, Cheryl J. Availability: Journal Citation: Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, v15 n3 p255-66 Spr 2000 Publication Date: 2000 ISSN: 0882-1232 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJSEP2000 Abstract: The Model Science Lab, an innovative approach to sustained inservice teacher development and educating underserved youth, has transformed a Houston-area school. Introducing the lab brought an integrationist plot line that has interrupted the school's segregationist and separationist legacy. Layered forms of collaboration aided reform efforts. (Contains 25 references.) (MLH) Descriptors: *Educational Change; *Inservice Education; Middle Schools; Professional Development; *School Desegregation; *Science Laboratories Identifiers: *Texas (Houston) EJ602580 SP528173 Using Whole-School Restructuring Designs To Improve Educational Outcomes: The Memphis Story at Year 3. Author: Ross, Steven M.; Alberg, Marty; Smith, Lana; Anderson, Rebecca; Bol, Linda; Dietrich, Amy; Lowther, Deborah; Phillipsen, Leslie Availability: Journal Citation: Teaching and Change, v7 n2 p111-26 Win 2000 Publication Date: 2000 ISSN: 1068-378X Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJAUG2000 Abstract: Describes a comprehensive school reform initiative in one Memphis, Tennessee district. The restructuring started when the district began collaborating with New American Schools. Data from interviews, focus groups, surveys, observations, and student achievement records revealed which reform designs demonstrated the most progress in team building, goal setting, teacher attitudes, school climate, changing teacher practices, and student achievement. (SM) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Change Strategies; *Educational Change; Educational Environment; Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Faculty Development; *School Restructuring; Teacher Attitudes Identifiers: Goal Setting; New American Schools; *Reform Efforts; Reform Strategies; Team Building; Tennessee (Memphis) EJ595860 RC513573 Stepping Up the Rigor: A Tiny, Rural School Intensifies Its Reform Efforts. Author: Moores, Samantha Availability: Available at Web site: http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/. Journal Citation: Northwest Education, v5 n1 p28-31 Fall 1999 Publication Date: 1999 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJMAY2000 Abstract: Describes changes at Lake Labish Elementary in Salem, Oregon, resulting from the school's participation in the federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program. Comprehensive reform streamlines every aspect of the school, from leadership, curriculum, and instruction to attitudes, resources, and parent involvement. The school's new reading program is highlighted. (CDS) Descriptors: Change Strategies; *Educational Change; Elementary Education; Elementary Schools; Participative Decision Making; *Reading Instruction; Rural Schools; *Small Schools; Teacher Attitudes Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Salem Public Schools OR Descriptive Terms: Theme issue title: "Sea Change: Meeting the Challenge of Schoolwide Reform." EJ595859 RC513572 Comprehensive Means Everything: Deep Change Requires a Maverick Principal and a Staff That's Willing To Put All Resources on the Table. Author: Sherman, Lee; Rhines, Chris Availability: Available at Web site: http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/. Journal Citation: Northwest Education, v5 n1 p22-27 Fall 1999 Publication Date: 1999 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Opinion papers (120) Journal Announcement: CIJMAY2000 Abstract: Interview with Chris Rhines, who oversees the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program in Oregon, discusses the process used to select schools for CSRD, the critical role of principals as leaders of change, the importance of a school's ability to do a needs assessment and apply the findings, and common implementation problems. (CDS) Descriptors: Administrator Role; Change Strategies; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Needs Assessment; Parent Participation; Principals; Program Implementation; State Programs Identifiers: *Barriers to Implementation; *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Oregon Descriptive Terms: Theme issue title: "Sea Change: Meeting the Challenge of Schoolwide Reform." EJ595858 RC513571 No More Revolving Door: A Schoolwide Literacy Block Ends Disruptive Pullouts. Author: Paglin, Catherine Availability: Available at Web site: http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/. Journal Citation: Northwest Education, v5 n1 p18-21 Fall 1999 Publication Date: 1999 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJMAY2000 Abstract: Daniel A. Grout School in southeast Portland, Oregon, built a unified literacy program that sparked change across the school. The "literacy block" program, which focuses on teacher collaboration, early intervention, and higher-order thinking skills, began in 1996 as a Title I Schoolwide program. In 1998, Grout staff received "early bird" funding for a Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration proposal. (CDS) Descriptors: *Block Scheduling; *Disadvantaged Schools; *Educational Change; Educational Planning; Educational Strategies; Elementary Education; Elementary Schools; *Language Arts; Reading Instruction; *Teacher Collaboration Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Portland School District OR Descriptive Terms: Theme issue title: "Sea Change: Meeting the Challenge of Schoolwide Reform." EJ595856 RC513569 Putting It All Together: Schools Reinvent Themselves So Every Child Can Succeed. Author: Sherman, Lee Availability: Available at Web site: http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/. Journal Citation: Northwest Education, v5 n1 p2-9 Fall 1999 Publication Date: 1999 Language: English Document Type: Information Analysis (070); Journal articles (080) Journal Announcement: CIJMAY2000 Abstract: Federal legislation passed in 1994 and the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program (CSRD) encourage high-poverty Title I schools to adopt prepackaged research-based models of schoolwide reform. The nine components of CSRD and key ingredients for its implementation are discussed. Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School (Vancouver, Washington) is an example of a school undergoing such reform. (CDS) Descriptors: Curriculum Development; *Disadvantaged Schools; *Economically Disadvantaged; *Educational Change; Educational Planning; Elementary Secondary Education; Holistic Approach; *Improvement Programs; Parent Participation Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program Descriptive Terms: Theme issue title: "Sea Change: Meeting the Challenge of Schoolwide Reform." EJ568537 EA534767 Designed for Learning. Author: Anderson, John Availability: Journal Citation: American School Board Journal, v185 n7 p27-29 Jul 1998 Publication Date: 1998 ISSN: 0003-0953 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJMAR1999 Abstract: Included in this year's U.S. Department of Education appropriations was a $150 million Comprehensive School Reform Initiative that will send at least $50,000 to each school that wants to use a reform model based on reliable research and effective practices. Comprehensive reform improves the entire school, from curriculum and instruction to parent and community involvement. (MLF) Descriptors: *Educational Change; Educational Practices; Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; *Federal Aid; Models; Public Schools; *School Effectiveness Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; *New American Schools; Reform Efforts Target Audience: Administrators; Policymakers; Practitioners ED454625 EA031135 A Case Study of Resource Reallocation To Implement a Whole School Reform Model and Boost Student Achievement: Parnell Elementary School. Author: Archibald, Sarah; Odden, Allan Institutional Author: Wisconsin Center for Education Research, Madison.(BBB20214); Consortium for Policy Research in Education.(BBB36718) Availability: Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 W. Johnson St., Room 653, Madison, WI 53706-1796. Tel:608-263-4260; Web site: http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/cpre. Sponsoring Agency: National Inst. on Educational Governance, Finance, Policymaking, and Management (ED/OERI), Washington, DC. (EDD00114) Publication Date: March 2000 Language: English Pages: 35 Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEDEC2001 Abstract: This study outlines the redesign of an elementary school, including the cost of the redesign. The school had been placed in the lowest category of the district's accountability system. Redesign meant a new principal, staff, schedule, philosophy, and curriculum. Direct Instruction was selected as the whole-school reform for literacy and math programs, with ability grouping based on Direct Instruction assessments. Four hours of additional instruction were gained by eliminating recess. Two daily block times of 90 minutes and 60 minutes were set aside for uninterrupted literacy instruction. Class size was limited to 18, as opposed to the previous 25. Decisions concerning programs and resources were team based, with a vertical multigrade team and a horizontal team for grade-level issues. A sample schedule allowing for block time and team planning is provided. The financial aspects of these changes are also examined. To fund additional classroom teachers for smaller classes, instructional aides were eliminated, federal Title I dollars were reallocated, federal class-size-reduction funds were used, and extra district funds were gained from extra weighting for every student. Other cuts included the librarian becoming a Direct Instruction facilitator and the forming of a partnership with a community group to provide social- and mental-health services. (RKJ) Descriptors: *Accountability; *Educational Change; Elementary Education; *School Effectiveness; *School Restructuring; *School Schedules Identifiers: Direct Instruction Contract Number: R3086A60003 Geographic Source: U.S.; Wisconsin ED445875 RC022660 Participation of Rural Schools in Comprehensive School Reform Demonstraton Program: What Do We Know? Author: Dewees, Sarah Institutional Author: AEL, Inc., Charleston, WV.(BBB35660) Availability: Full text at Web site: http://www.ael.org/rel/rural/abstract/dewees.htm. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: 2000 Language: English Pages: 28 Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEMAR2001 Abstract: The federal Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program provides incentives for high-poverty schools to pursue reform. In fiscal years 1998-99, $120 million, or 83 percent of total CSRD funds, was made available to states to target Title I schools serving disadvantaged students. Of the 1,748 schools participating in CSRD, over 85 percent received Title I funds and almost two thirds were Title I Schoolwide Program grantees. It has been suggested that rural school participation in CSRD may be hampered by such barriers as geographic isolation and lack of staff. This paper examines the distribution of CSRD funds across the rural-urban continuum, both overall and for high-poverty schools (schools with 50% or more of their students participating in the free and reduced lunch program). Data were drawn from a database on school participation in CSRD, and the rural-urban location of schools was based on the Johnson Locale Codes used by the U.S. Department of Education. The data indicate that: (1) rural high-poverty schools were funded by CSRD at a slightly lower rate than total rural schools; (2) students in rural high-poverty schools were served at a slightly higher rate than students in total rural schools; (3) the largest CSRD grants went to urban schools due to their larger size; and (4) compared to urban schools, rural schools funded by CSRD had fewer students but more money per student to implement reform. Appendices outline issues related to rural school participation in CSRD and define the Johnson Codes. (SV) Descriptors: *Disadvantaged Schools; Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Federal Aid; Federal Programs; Poverty; *Rural Schools; *Rural Urban Differences; *School Involvement; School Size Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program Contract Number: RJ96006001 Geographic Source: U.S.; West Virginia ED441915 UD033587 Making Comprehensive School Reform Work. Urban Diversity Series, No. 112. Author: Desimone, Laura Institutional Author: Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Inst. for Urban and Minority Education.(BBB12115); ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, New York, NY.(BBB00899) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: May 2000 Language: English Pages: 115 Document Type: Information Analysis (070); ERIC product (071) Journal Announcement: RIENOV2000 Abstract: Comprehensive school reform (CSR) has the potential to help overcome inequities in education, to provide a vehicle for a combination of state and local control, and to allow reform to permeate the classroom. It is instructive and timely to survey the research on CSR models to determine how well the programs are performing. This monograph does not attempt to synthesize the results of evaluations of individual CSR designs. Instead, it focuses on principles learned from evaluations of CSR, especially large-scale implementation of efforts of CSR designs. A section about CSR implementation reviews what is known about: (1) variations in implementation; (2) design choice; (3) principal leadership; (4) politics; (5) support from design teams; (6) resources; and (7) context. The third section considers preliminary findings from research about the effects of comprehensive school reform on student outcomes. Recommendations for implementation of CSR are synthesized, and recommendations are presented for future research. Most of the conclusions that can be drawn about CSR at present focus on implementation. They stress the importance of teacher participation, principal leadership, adequate resources, and contextual factors. An appendix describes CSR models. (Contains 173 references.) (SLD) Descriptors: *Educational Change; Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; Instructional Leadership; *Integrated Services; *Outcomes of Education Identifiers: *Comprehensive Services Program; *Reform Efforts Contract Number: ED-99-CO-0035 Geographic Source: U.S.; New York ED440791 RC022373 Examining Comprehensive School Reform in Schools Serving Native American Communities: Plan and Progress Report. Author: Aguilera, Dorothy Institutional Author: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Aurora, CO.(BBB35978) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: March 2000 Language: English Pages: 13 Document Type: Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: RIEOCT2000 Abstract: The federally supported Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) Program provides a minimum of $50,000 to local schools to engage in a comprehensive change process facilitated by the development and adoption of a comprehensive school reform plan, including technical assistance from an external model developer. This report summarizes the research design and progress of Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning's (McREL's) study of the implementation of CSRD programs in schools serving Native American communities. This study is part of a larger project involving three regional educational laboratories and selected CSRD-funded schools that serve a high percentage of Native American students. The purpose of this study is to investigate how these schools use the CSRD initiative to meet the needs of American Indian students and the different ways that tribal cultures have or have not influenced the adoption and adaptation of reform models. The progress of reform implementation will be examined by addressing the following research questions: What are the major contextual factors that influence outcomes? How did the model developer address the Native American context? What schoolwide reform model was chosen and why? and What has the school accomplished since beginning this initiative? Two rural K-12 schools in tribal communities have been selected and baseline data collected. Data will be collected via: document reviews; interviews with families, community members, and model developers; and observations of classrooms, schools, and communities. Future activities are discussed, and a final report will be completed by September 2000. (TD) Descriptors: *American Indian Education; American Indians; Cultural Influences; *Data Collection; *Educational Change; *Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; Participatory Research; Program Implementation; *Research Design; Research Projects; Rural Schools Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; *Native Americans Contract Number: RJ96006101 Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado ED440444 EA030355 Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration: Summary of LEA Roundtables. Author: Clark, Gail; Dean, Ceri Institutional Author: Mid-Continent Regional Educational Lab., Aurora, CO.(BBB23081) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: March 23, 2000 Language: English Pages: 105 Document Type: Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: RIEOCT2000 Abstract: This publication offers an overview of a series of roundtables organized in Colorado, North Dakota, and Missouri. The purpose of the roundtables was to further the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program by bringing together educators in similar stages of reform. In each case the roundtable was the first time that the state had convened its CSRD sites as a group. The general goals for the roundtables were to: identify technical assistance needs; provide information about technical assistance options and evaluation strategies; create a network of local-education-area sites by strengthening communication links among them; and share successful strategies about implementing comprehensive school-reform programs. Some of the problems identified by the roundtables include a lack of time for teachers to plan and learn collaboratively, inadequate staff training from model developers, an unwillingness to change, high teacher and administrator mobility, and a lack of coordination of resources to support reform. On the positive side, participants offered several strategies for initiating reforms, such as monthly recognition celebrations to honor staff's work, meetings held at off-site locations, and regular teacher-collaboration meetings for planning. The bulk of the document is contained in five appendices that provide samples of roundtable packets and other information. (RJM) Descriptors: Change Strategies; Educational Administration; *Educational Change; Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Guidelines; Models; *Needs Assessment Identifiers: Colorado; *Comprehensive School Improvement Program; Missouri; North Dakota; Roundtable Reports Contract Number: RJ96006101 Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado ED439514 EA030322 Comprehensive School Reform: Five Lessons from the Field. Institutional Author: Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO.(BBB00544) Availability: ECS Distribution Center, 707 17th Street, Suite 2700, Denver, CO 80202-3427 (AN-99-01, $8.00 plus postage). Tel: 303-299-3692. Sponsoring Agency: Annenberg Foundation, St. Davids, PA. (BBB31120) Publication Date: December 1999 Language: English Pages: 36 Document Type: Guides--Non-classroom (055); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: RIESEP2000 Abstract: This report presents the results of a 5-year study conducted by governors and other state and local policymakers on education reform. It is intended for a general audience and offers advice on what it takes to implement comprehensive school reforms. The document elaborates on five lessons learned in implementing comprehensive school reform: (1) comprehensive school reform changes the way schools, districts, and states do business; (2) legislative leadership sets the tone; (3) state education department support is key to long-term success; (4) teachers make or break comprehensive school reform; and (5) evaluation of results--early and often--is critical. The text focuses on the dramatic difference between comprehensive reforms and piecemeal improvement strategies that have long dominated education. It stresses the importance of district support in any reform, emphasizing the importance of finding a strong match between schools and reform models and the need to create stability in schools in spite of administrative changes. The document illustrates the benefits of union support and professional development, and the importance of showing parents, teachers, and students positive results. It states that comprehensive reforms will keep state leaders on the mark as regards education issues, will create savvy consumers, and will balance supply and demand in education. (Contains 36 references.) (RJM) Descriptors: *Change Strategies; *Comprehensive Programs; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Improvement Programs; Models; School Effectiveness Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado |