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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
Research and EvaluationEJ653694 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 ED472569 UD035485 Comprehensive School Reform and Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis. Author: Borman, Geoffrey D.; Hewes, Gina M.; Overman, Laura T.; Brown, Shelly Institutional Author: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk, Baltimore, MD.(BBB33036) Availability: Publications Department, CRESPAR/Johns Hopkins University, 3003 N. Charles Street, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21218. For full text: http://www.csos.jhu.edu. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: November 2002 Report Number: CRESPAR-R-59 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIESEP2003 Abstract: Using 232 studies, this meta analysis reviewed the research on the achievement effects of the nationally disseminated and externally developed school improvement programs known as "whole-school" or "comprehensive" reforms. In addition to reviewing the overall achievement effects of comprehensive school reform (CSR), the meta analysis considered the specific effects of 29 of the most widely implemented models. It also assessed how various CSR components, contextual factors, and methodological factors associated with the studies mediate the effects of CSR. The analysis concludes that CSR is still an evolving field and that there are limitations on the overall quantity and quality of the research base. The overall effects of CSR, though, appear promising and the combined quantity, quality, and statistical significance of evidence from three of the models in particular set them apart from the rest. Whether evaluations are carried out by the developer or by third-party evaluators and whether these evaluators use one-group pre-post designs or control groups are especially important factors for understanding differences in CSR effects. Schools implementing CSR models for five years or more showed particularly strong effects, but the models benefited equally schools of higher and lower poverty levels. A long-term commitment to research-proven educational reform is needed to establish a strong marketplace of scientifically based models capable of bringing comprehensive reform to the nations schools. One appendix lists studies included in the meta analysis, and the other discusses CSR design characteristics. (Contains 1 figure, 5 tables, and 74 references.) (SLD) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Achievement Gains; *Educational Change; *Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; Meta Analysis; Models Contract Number: R-117-D40005 Geographic Source: U.S.; Maryland ED465063 CE083306 Helping Disadvantaged Youth Succeed in School: Second-Year Findings from a Longitudinal Study of CTE-Based Whole-School Reforms. Author: Castellano, Marisa; Stringfield, Samuel; Stone, James R., III Institutional Author: National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education, Columbus, OH.(BBB36132) Availability: NDCCTE Product Sales Office, Ohio State University, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090 (Order code: RR2001; $8.50). Tel: 800-678-6011, ext. 24277 (Toll Free); Tel: 614-292-4277; Fax: 614-688-3258; Fax: 614-292-1260; e-mail: ndccte@osu.edu; Web site: http://www.nccte.com/. For full text: https://www.nccte.org/publications/infosynthesis/r&dreport/H elpingDisadvanCastellano.pdf. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00013) Publication Date: March 2002 Language: English Document Type: Information Analysis (070) Journal Announcement: RIEDEC2002 Abstract: A 5-year longitudinal study was designed to examine diverse and promising programs to integrate career and technical education (CTE) with whole-school reforms in schools serving predominantly disadvantaged students. A literature review focused on conceptual underpinnings: disadvantaged youth; transition points; whole-school reform; and CTE. Longitudinal descriptions were provided of CTE-enhanced whole-school reforms with strong track records of improving educational chances of concentrated groups of highly disadvantaged students: Perkins III, High Schools That Work, career academies, career pathways, and urban learning centers. Second-year findings were based on qualitative data gathered to date. Progress of 3 cohorts of students--seventh, ninth, and eleventh grade--was followed as they proceeded through 10 schools at 3 sites. Findings indicated all three high schools had integrated CTE and academic education; faculty at high schools participated in many professional development activities; all high schools used computers--for student assessment and reporting requirements, teaching students about computers, instruction, and remediation; all middle schools were involved in some reform effort; strong leadership was a crucial factor in effecting change across all high schools; and administrators and faculty attempted to allow students to have their first choice of unit/program. (Contains 67 references.) (YLB) Descriptors: Academic Education; Career Academies; *Computer Uses in Education; Course Selection (Students); *Disadvantaged Youth; *Educational Change; Faculty Development; Federal Legislation; Federal Programs; High Schools; *Integrated Curriculum; Leadership Responsibility; Longitudinal Studies; Middle Schools; School Guidance; School Restructuring; *Vocational Education Identifiers: *Career and Technical Education; Career Paths; Carl D Perkins Vocational Technical Educ Act 1998; High Schools That Work Contract Number: VO51A990006; V051A990004 Geographic Source: U.S.; Minnesota ED464984 UD035011 Challenges of Conflicting School Reforms: Effects of New American Schools in a High-Poverty District. Author: Berends, Mark; Chun, JoAn; Schuyler, Gina; Stockly, Sue; Briggs, R. J. Institutional Author: Rand Corp., Santa Monica, CA. Inst. for Education and Training.(BBB28936) Availability: RAND, 1700 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138. Tel: 310-451-7002; Fax: 310-451-6915; e-mail: order@rand.org. For full text: http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1483. Sponsoring Agency: Ford Foundation, New York, NY. Education and Research Div. (BBB17561) Publication Date: 2002 ISBN: BN- 0-8330-3116-3; Language: English Document Type: Book (010); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIENOV2002 Abstract: This study compared New American Schools (NAS) classrooms to non-NAS classrooms in the high poverty San Antonio, Texas, school district. NAS promoted whole-school reform to address lagging achievement and lackluster school reform attempts that produced little meaningful change. The study investigated whether NAS designs extended beyond changes in school organization and governance and permeated classrooms; whether NAS teachers and students interacted with each other and subject materials in ways that reflected the innovative curricular and instructional approaches of the design teams; and what factors at the district, school, and classroom level related to implementation of designs, changes in classroom instruction, and student achievement. Data collected from fourth grade students and teachers over 2 years included principal and teacher surveys; interviews with district staff, design team leaders, local facilitators, principals, and teachers; classroom observations; examples of student work; district data on test scores and student and teacher demographics; and achievement data. Results revealed few differences in teacher perceptions of instructional environments between NAS and non-NAS schools. While NAS designs had no significant effects on student achievement, principal leadership and instructional conditions promoted by NAS reforms related to student achievement. Study data are appended. (Contains 84 references.) (SM) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; *Classroom Environment; *Educational Change; Faculty Development; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; *Poverty; School Districts; Teacher Attitudes; Urban Schools Identifiers: *New American Schools; Reform Efforts; Texas (San Antonio) Descriptive Terms: Supported by New American Schools. Geographic Source: U.S.; California ED464981 UD035006 The Detroit Public Schools Michigan Department of Education CSRD Grant Funded Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) Models, 1998-1999 through 2000-2001. A Joint Collaborative Preliminary Evaluation. Author: Thomas, Regina; Woods, Paul; Hillman, Stephen; Ross, Steven M. Institutional Author: Memphis Univ., TN. Center for Research in Educational Policy.(BBB32858); Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI. Coll. of Education.(MVK94500); Detroit Public Schools, MI. Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment.(BBB34624) Availability: Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota, 330 HHH Center, 301-19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Tel: 612-625-1551; Fax: 612-626-0273; e-mail: cura@umn.edu; Web site: http://www.cura.umn.edu. Publication Date: March 2002 Language: English Document Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data (110); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIENOV2002 Abstract: This study evaluated the Michigan Department of Education Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) Grant Funded Reform Demonstration Program, which helps raise student achievement in the Detroit Public Schools. The four objectives evaluated were: CSRD schools will demonstrate differences in the classroom learning environment compared to non-CSRD schools; CSRD schools will have a better school climate; teachers from CSRD schools will have positive opinions about the effectiveness of the CSRD model; and CSRD schools will show more growth in student achievement than traditional schools. The evaluation included 20 CSRD schools and their matched controls. Evaluation involved the School Observation Measure, School Climate Inventory, Comprehensive School Reform Teacher Questionnaire, provider survey, and student outcome data. CSRD schools used mainly direct instruction. Student behavior, trust, and parent/community involvement were concerns in most schools. Key elements for success included support from the faculty, staff, and administration. CSRD providers offered such support services as onsite and offsite visits, monitoring, professional development, and training workshops. While fourth grade control students' reading scores increased, CSRD students' scores decreased. In mathematics, fourth graders had similar decreases. The two groups had similar seventh grade reading score decreases and mathematics score increases. Appendices include tables and the provider survey. (Contains 16 tables.) (SM) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; *Educational Change; Educational Environment; Educational Finance; Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Faculty Development; Grade 4; Grade 7; Grants; Scores; Teacher Attitudes; Urban Schools Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Detroit Public Schools MI; Reform Efforts Geographic Source: U.S.; Michigan EJ625222 IR543512 Building Information Literacy through a Whole School Reform Approach. Author: Farmer, Lesley Availability: Journal Citation: Knowledge Quest, v29 n3 p20-24 Jan-Feb 2001 Publication Date: 2001 ISSN: 1094-9046 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJOCT2001 Abstract: Discusses standards-based education; explains the development of information literacy standards published in "Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning" by the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology; and presents an action research case study that provides a model for implementing standards with schoolwide commitment. (LRW) Descriptors: *Academic Standards; Action Research; Case Studies; *Information Literacy; Models; Program Implementation; *School Involvement Identifiers: American Association of School Librarians; Association for Educational Communications Tech EJ624723 EA538207 Show Me the Evidence. Author: Slavin, Robert E. Availability: Journal Citation: American School Board Journal, v188 n3 p26-29 Mar 2001 Publication Date: 2001 ISSN: 0003-0953 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: CIJOCT2001 Abstract: Schools should adopt reform programs on the basis of research, not ideology, checking for control groups, the number of participating schools, actual results, and independent resources. Two federal programs, the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program and the 1998 Reading Excellence Act, stress adoption of research-based reforms. (MLH) Descriptors: *Educational Change; *Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; *Ideology; *Research Methodology; *Research Problems; *Validity Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Reading Excellence Act ED462482 UD034759 Turning Around Low-Performing Schools: The Case of the Washington, DC Schools. Publication Series. Author: Wang, Margaret C.; Manning, JoAnn Institutional Author: Mid-Atlantic Lab. for Student Success, Philadelphia, PA.(BBB33944) Availability: For full text: http://www.temple.edu/LSS/pubseries2000-3.pdf. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: 2000 Report Number: LSS-Pub-Ser-2000-3 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEAUG2002 Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Change Strategies; *Educational Change; *Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; *Low Achievement; Program Effectiveness; Public Schools; *Urban Schools Identifiers: *District of Columbia Public Schools Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania ED462417 TM033680 Success for All Alignment with Stanford Achievement Test: Ninth Edition (SAT-9). Author: Madden, Nancy A.; Slavin, Robert E.; Christie, Nicol; Karpouzis, Katerina P. Institutional Author: Success for All Foundation, Baltimore, MD.(BBB36969) Availability: Success for All Foundation, Standards and Curriculum Alignment Department, 200 W. Towsontown Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21204-5200. Tel: 800-548-4998 ext. 2520/2521 (Toll Free); e-mail: statealignment@successforall.net. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: December 2001 Language: English Document Type: Information Analysis (070); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: RIEAUG2002 Abstract: This document contains a brief summary of research on the Success for All comprehensive school reform program and the alignment document that outlines the correlation between Success for All and the objectives and outcomes described in the Stanford Achievement Test: Ninth Edition (SAT-9) as designed by Harcourt, Inc. Research has found Success for All to be one of only two elementary school models of comprehensive school reform to receive the highest ratings for research quality and outcomes. The purpose of the alignment is to assure educators that teaching the Success for All program effectively will not only help children improve their reading ability but will also help them demonstrate what they have learned on state accountability measures. The alignment document is organized into a 2-column chart with the SAT-9 test objectives on the left side and the corresponding Success for All components on the right for grades 1 through 6. An Activities Glossary that briefly describes the various components of the program is included. (SLD) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Achievement Tests; *Educational Change; Elementary Education; *Reading Programs; Research Reports; *Standards; State Programs; Testing Programs Identifiers: Curriculum Alignment; Reform Efforts; *Stanford Achievement Tests; *Success for All Program Descriptive Terms: "Disseminating Research-Based Programs Developed at Johns Hopkins University: Success for All{R}, MathWings{TM}, WorldLab{TM}." Contract Number: 84-215C Geographic Source: U.S.; Maryland ED461916 EA031508 Implementation in a Longitudinal Sample of New American Schools: Four Years into Scale-Up. Author: Kirby, Sheila Nataraj; Berends, Mark; Naftel, Scott Institutional Author: Rand Corp., Santa Monica, CA.(CIQ74890) Availability: RAND, 1700 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138 (Stock No. MR-1413-EDU, $15). Tel: 877-584-8642 (Toll Free); 310-451-7002; Fax: 310-451-6915; e-mail: order@rand.org. For full text: http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1413/. Sponsoring Agency: New American Schools Development Corp. (BBB32857) Publication Date: 2001 ISBN: BN- 0-8330-3060-4; Language: English Document Type: Book (010); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEAUG2002 Abstract: New American Schools (NAS) initiated whole-school reform in 1991 as a response to school reforms that had produced little change in the nation's test scores. Its mission is to help schools and districts raise student achievement using whole-school designs. NAS is in the scale-up phase of its effort in which designs are being diffused in partnering jurisdictions across the nation. The analysis sample for this study consists of 71 schools. Despite the small sample size, findings show a robust trend. Design implementation increased and deepened over the first 4 years after schools adopted designs. Downturn in implementation was found, however, between the 4th and 5th years. Findings indicate that factors need to be aligned for effective implementation, including strong principal leadership, teachers who support the designs and have a strong sense of teacher efficacy, district leadership and support, clear communication and provision of materials, and design team staff support. Without strong implementation, the promise of these designs to help schools improve is unlikely to be met. Three appendices contain core components of the designs, NAS school sample characteristics, and a table of standard deviations for the core implementation index and its components. (Contains 109 references.) (RT) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Longitudinal Studies; Program Implementation Identifiers: New American Schools Geographic Source: U.S.; California ED461696 UD032403 Can Change Happen Fast? Preliminary Findings of a Comprehensive School Reform Effort. Spotlight on Student Success. Author: Evans, William Institutional Author: Mid-Atlantic Lab. for Student Success, Philadelphia, PA.(BBB33944) Availability: Laboratory for Student Success, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19122-6901. Tel: 800-892-5550 (Toll Free). Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: 1997 Report Number: LSS-Ser-213 Language: English Document Type: Information Analysis (070) Journal Announcement: RIEJUL2002 Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Achievement Gains; Cooperation; Disadvantaged Youth; *Educational Change; Educational Improvement; Elementary Education; *Elementary School Teachers; Inclusive Schools; Mainstreaming; *Partnerships in Education; Program Implementation; *Teacher Attitudes; Urban Schools Identifiers: Adaptive Learning Environments Model; *District of Columbia; *Reform Efforts Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania ED460971 TM033647 Evaluating the Accelerated Schools Approach: A Look at Early Implementation and Impacts on Student Achievement in Eight Elementary Schools. Author: Bloom, Howard S.; Ham, Sandra; Melton, Laura; O'Brien, Julieanne Institutional Author: Manpower Demonstration Research Corp., New York, NY.(BBB17200) Availability: For full text: http://www.mdrc.org. Sponsoring Agency: Ford Foundation, New York, NY. (QPX27000) Publication Date: November 2001 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEJUN2002 Abstract: The Accelerated Schools Approach is a whole-school reform being implemented in more than 1,000 U.S. elementary and middle schools. The program is characterized by a school structure that sets high expectations for students and teachers, a governance structure with broad teacher participation, and a "powerful learning" approach to curriculum and instruction. This report looks at the implementation of the program in eight elementary schools and evaluates program effects at the third grade. An interrupted time series technique was used to study the effectiveness of the Accelerated Schools model. In the first 3 years of implementation, schools focused on reforming school governance and culture, turning to curriculum and instruction only in the third or fourth year. The findings indicate that the Accelerated Schools model improved standardized test scores in reading and mathematics once the schools in the study turned to changing curriculum and instruction. These findings should be interpreted with caution because of the small number of schools examined and the focus on a single grade. Impacts were not uniform across all students or all schools. The largest impacts were observed among students who would have scored in the middle of their school's test score distribution without the reform and among schools that had the lowest scores before the reform began. Two appendixes contain supplementary tables and the qualitative data protocols. (Contains 6 figures, 18 tables, and 42 references.) (SLD) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Educational Administration; *Educational Change; Elementary Education; *Elementary Schools; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; School Restructuring; Standardized Tests; Test Results Identifiers: *Accelerated Schools; Reform Efforts Descriptive Terms: With Fred C. Doolittle and Susan Kagehiro. Geographic Source: U.S.; New York ED460221 UD034673 Sustaining Reform: Students' Appraisals of the Second Year in Talent Development High Schools in Philadelphia, 2000-2001. Author: Corbett, H. Dickson; Wilson, Bruce L. Institutional Author: Philadelphia Education Fund, PA.(BBB34518) Availability: Philadelphia Education Fund, 7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1208. Tel: 215-665-1400, ext. 3485; Web site: http://www.philaedfund.org. For full text: http://www.philaedfund.org/pdfs/SustainingReform.pdf. Sponsoring Agency: Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, PA. (BBB28123) Publication Date: 2001 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEMAY2002 Abstract: This report summarizes the responses of students in two Philadelphia high schools to the second year of implementation of the Talent Development comprehensive school reform model. Both schools served low-income, predominantly African American and Hispanic American students. The Talent Development model was intended to improve schools facing problems with attendance, discipline, achievement, and dropping out. Its cornerstone was the Ninth Grade Success Academy, which promoted high expectations and extensive academic and social support as central vehicles for encouraging success for all. Interviews with 9th and 10th grade students were compared to interviews with students from a school in the first year of program implementation. Overall, students in both groups had similar attitudes. They were satisfied with the quality of their education and appreciated the support. Students articulated the value of teams as a meaningful organizational unit that connected them to the school via activities and offered more diverse learning activities. Students thought their teachers were doing a good job, that they themselves were making progress toward graduation, that few improvements were needed, and that their academy choice for the next year would help them with future careers. (SM) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Black Students; *Educational Change; *Educational Improvement; High Risk Students; High School Students; High Schools; Hispanic American Students; Poverty; Program Effectiveness; Student Attitudes; *Talent Development; Teacher Expectations of Students; Urban Schools Identifiers: African Americans; *Philadelphia School District PA; Reform Efforts; *Talent Education Method Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania ED456534 EA031224 Comprehensive School Reform and School-Based Budgeting in New Jersey. Author: Goertz, Margaret E. Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Publication Date: March 24, 2001 Language: English Pages: 25 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEFEB2002 Abstract: In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court directed schools in 30 poor urban districts to adopt a comprehensive school reform program by the 2000-2001 academic year. Part of this program involved delegating resource-allocation decisions to the school level, thereby increasing schools' effectiveness and productivity by bringing the perspectives of parents and school personnel into the decision-making process. A study was done to examine the implementation and consequences of school-based budgeting in the first 2 years of whole-school reform (1998-99 and 1999-2000). Schools were sampled in two reform cohorts: 32 schools in Cohort One, 26 schools in Cohort Two. School, district, and state department of education personnel were interviewed (approximately 280 individuals); questionnaires were sent to all teachers in the 57 study schools; and school-based budgets were collected to provide information. The study showed that reform implementation was conducted poorly because of unrealistic budget submission deadlines, inconsistent communication between school and state levels, insufficient information and training from the state, and micromanagement by the state. State micromanagement limited the schools' flexibility to allocate resources to meet student needs. The growing state role in school reform raises long-term questions about who is, and who should be, responsible for making fiscal decisions. (RT) Descriptors: *Budgeting; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; Federal Courts; *Resource Allocation; *School Based Management; State Action; State Courts Identifiers: *New Jersey; *Reform Efforts; Supreme Court Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Finance Association (26th, Cincinnati, OH, March 22-24, 2001). Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania ED456426 CS014479 Analysis of the Success for All and School Development Programs and Their Effects on Reading Comprehension. Author: Clarke, Pamela A. Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Publication Date: October 2001 Language: English Pages: 37 Document Type: Dissertations/Theses--Masters Dissertations (042) Journal Announcement: RIEFEB2002 Abstract: This study was conducted to determine whether the Success for All whole school reform model or Comer School Development Program had a significant effect on fourth graders' reading comprehension. Twelve students in experimental group A were homogeneously grouped to be taught using the Success for All whole school reform model. Twelve students in experimental group B were heterogeneously grouped and participated under the Comer whole school reform model. The study took place over a period of 10 weeks in an urban New Jersey school district. The California Achievement Test 5 (CAT5) was used as a pre- and post-test instrument to measure achievement in reading comprehension. Findings suggested that both models seemed to have a positive effect on reading comprehension; however neither program produced a statistically significant difference over the other. (Contains 43 references and 2 tables of data. Appendixes contain permission letter, and the Reading Comprehension component of the CAT5 standardized test used in the study.) (Author/RS) Descriptors: Comparative Analysis; Grade 4; *Instructional Effectiveness; Intermediate Grades; *Reading Achievement; *Reading Comprehension; Reading Research Identifiers: Comer School Development Program; *Success for All Program Descriptive Terms: Master of Arts Thesis, Kean University. Appendices contain copyrighted material and are not available through ERIC. Geographic Source: U.S.; New Jersey ED455581 EA031138 A Case Study of Resource Reallocation To Reduce Class Size, Enhance Teacher Planning Time, and Strengthen Literacy: Clayton Elementary School. Author: Odden, Allan; Archibald, Sarah Institutional Author: Consortium for Policy Research in Education.(BBB36718); Wisconsin Center for Education Research, Madison.(BBB20214) Availability: Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1025 West Johnson Street, Room 653, Madison, WI 53706-1796. Tel: 608-263-4260; Fax: 608-263-6448. Sponsoring Agency: National Inst. on Educational Governance, Finance, Policymaking, and Management (ED/OERI), Washington, DC. (EDD00114) Publication Date: March 2000 Language: English Pages: 33 Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEJAN2002 Abstract: During the 1997-98 school year, the Sentry Hill School District made the decision to "redesign" Clayton Elementary School after persistently low student achievement placed the district in the lowest category of the district's accountability system. This case study outlines the changes made at the school. Redesigning the school meant removing all extant staff and hiring an all new staff during the summer of 1999. Most of the decisions about the redesign and how resources would be reallocated to fund it were made by the redesign team. A plan was developed with input from the community that had: (1) a whole-school reform model; (2) an emphasis on literacy; (3) new math and reading curricula; (4) an additional hour of instructional time 4 days a week; (5) reduced class sizes of about 15 students per classroom; (6) inclusion of special-education students in regular classrooms; (7) organizing the school into both vertical and horizontal teams; and (8) providing daily, collaborative planning time for teams of teachers. Many decisions regarding resource reallocation were made by the district. The school has made tremendous strides toward improving literacy among its students, though it is too early to say whether these efforts will result in an increase in student achievement scores. (RT) Descriptors: Administrative Change; *Educational Facilities Improvement; Elementary Education; Planning; *Resource Allocation; School Accounting; School Effectiveness; *School Restructuring Contract Number: R3086A60003 Geographic Source: U.S.; Wisconsin ED455577 EA031112 Study of Whole School Reform Implementation in New Jersey Abbott Districts: Perceptions of Key Stakeholders. Final Report. Author: Muirhead, Marilyn Savarese; Tyler, Ryan L.; Hamilton, Madlene P. Institutional Author: Region III Comprehensive Center, Arlington, VA.(BBB35110) Availability: The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education, 1730 North Lynn Street, Suite 401, Arlington, VA 22209-2004 Sponsoring Agency: New Jersey State Dept. of Education, Trenton. (QAT59175)@; Department of Education, Washington, DC. (EDD00001) Publication Date: April 2001 Language: English Pages: 91 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Test/questionnaires (160) Journal Announcement: RIEJAN2002 Abstract: This report discusses an evaluation of the implementation of Whole School Reform (WSR) in New Jersey. It is based on a study intended to update the New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) on the implementation of WSR model programs and strategies in three school cohorts and also outline the technical assistance needs of district and school-level stakeholders. Participants in the study were drawn from three key educator groups: members of each School Management Team (SMT) from the 196 schools in the three WSR cohorts, central-office administrators, and staff members from the NJ DOE. Four questions guided the study: (1) What are the SMTs' perceptions of the progress of WSR implementation? (2) What are district staffs' perceptions of the progress of WSR implementation? (3) How do SMTs assess the quality of support supplied by the state? and (4) How do SMTs and district administrators assess the quality of support supplied by the state? Based on the findings, it was recommended that NJ DOE target two areas for assistance and support in implementing WSR: Provide ongoing technical assistance to administrators and to community organizations, such as training SMT members on how to hire appropriate personnel, and conduct additional research on the implementation of WSR. Four appendices feature copies of the surveys and descriptions of the survey protocol. (Contains 19 references.) (RJM) Descriptors: *Administrator Attitudes; *Change Strategies; Educational Assessment; *Educational Change; *Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Models; Program Evaluation; School Restructuring Identifiers: *New Jersey Descriptive Terms: Region III Comprehensive Center is a project of The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education in partnership with RMC Research Corporation, Research for Better Schools (RBS), and ESCORT at the State University of New York Research Foundation. Contract Number: 5283A50040 Geographic Source: U.S.; Virginia ED455079 RC023086 Reducing the Gap: Success for All and the Achievement of African-American and Latino Students. Author: Slavin, Robert E.; Madden, Nancy A. Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: April 2001 Language: English Pages: 26 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEDEC2001 Abstract: One educational innovation that is having a widespread and disproportionate impact on the gap in academic achievement between African-American and Latino children and their White peers is Success for All (SFA), a comprehensive reform model for elementary schools piloted in Baltimore in 1987. SFA, a whole-school reform model that focuses primarily on reading, provides schools with research-based curriculum materials, instructional strategies, and extensive professional development and follow-up. It provides one-to-one tutoring for young children struggling in reading, as well as active parent involvement programs. A large number of studies have found significant positive effects of SFA on the reading achievement of African-American and Latino students. A Texas statewide evaluation of 111 SFA schools found that while the racial gap in Texas Assessment of Academic Skills reading achievement was diminishing for all Texas schools, 1994-98, it diminished significantly more for African-American and Latino students in SFA schools. For schools that had implemented SFA for the longest time, the final gap was only 4 percentage points for African-American students and 7 for Latinos, compared to 14 and 10, respectively, for Texas African-American and Latino students not in SFA schools. The results of these studies suggest that African-American and Latino students may be particularly responsive to improved quality of instruction, and that with a variety of educational interventions it may be possible to substantially reduce or eliminate the persistent achievement gap. (Contains 18 references and 8 figures.) (TD) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; *Achievement Gains; *Black Students; Change Strategies; *Educational Change; Elementary Education; *Hispanic American Students; Improvement Programs; Models; Outcomes of Education; Program Evaluation; Racial Differences; Reading Achievement; *Reading Instruction Identifiers: African Americans; Latinos; *Success for All Program; Texas Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001). Contract Number: R-117-40005 Geographic Source: U.S.; Maryland 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 ED454242 TM032840 Whole School Reform: How Schools Use the Data-Based Inquiry and Decision Making Process. Author: Feldman, Jay; Tung, Rosann Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Publication Date: April 2001 Language: English Pages: 26 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIENOV2001 Abstract: This study examined the experiences of six schools that used the process of data-based inquiry and decision making (DBDM) and the effects of this process on their schoolwide practices. The six schools, all in Massachusetts, were studied by the Center for Collaborative Education, an organization that promotes whole school change through collaborative partnerships with schools. DBDM is a process in which school personnel engage in ongoing analysis of data from multilevel sources to provide a comprehensive picture of the school's strengths and challenges and develop a plan to prioritize and address those challenges. Teams from the six schools were followed as they implemented all aspects of DBDM. The case study of one of these schools, which was successful in implementing DBDM, shows the effectiveness of this approach and the inquiry group process used in schools participating in Turning Points, a middle school education reform network. Two examples illustrate the work of the inquiry groups. The evaluation has resulted in some generalizable findings about the DBDM process. In successful DBDM schools, teachers become more reflective about their practices, and the school becomes a more professional culture. Students in these schools are directly and indirectly influenced by the process. DBDM success is facilitated by multiple levels of leadership, the relationship of DBDM to the school's goals, and support from an external source. Implications for the development of an inquiry based school are also discussed. (SLD) Descriptors: Case Studies; Cooperation; *Decision Making; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Instructional Leadership; Partnerships in Education; *School Culture Identifiers: *Data Based Program Development; Massachusetts; *Reform Efforts Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001). Geographic Source: U.S.; Massachusetts ED453582 EA031022 What Happens before Schools Get the Grant: Planning for the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program. Institutional Author: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Aurora, CO.(BBB35978) Availability: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, 2550 S. Parker Rd., Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80015. Tel: 303-337-0990; Fax: 303-337-3005; e-mail: info@mcrel.org; Web site: http://www.mcrel.org. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: December 2000 Language: English Pages: 36 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIENOV2001 Abstract: This report is based on the collective research of seven regional education laboratories related to the federally funded Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program. The participating laboratories were the Appalachia Education Laboratory (AEL) in partnership with the Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis, Lab at Brown University Education Alliance, Northwest Regional Laboratory, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education, and WestEd. Each conducted its own research project designed for different purposes, used different methodologies, and reflected the different perspectives of the researchers and contexts of each laboratory region. The report presents commonly identified themes that relate to the processes used by schools to plan for comprehensive school reform and how those processes supported program implementation. A key area in several of the projects was the amount of teacher participation in selection of reform models and its effects on implementation. The findings were mixed. Two laboratory projects explicitly examined the effect of model selection on reform implementation and school climate using similar instruments, but used different definitions of the constructs. Researchers at AEL/CREP found statistically significant differences in school climate and implementation progress between schools using different model-selection processes. Contradictory findings may be due to differences in conceptualizations and methodologies, but also to differences in school or district leadership and/or regional cultures. An appendix contains project summaries. (Contains 12 references.) (DFR) Descriptors: Cooperation; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Federal Regulation; Public Schools; School Culture; *School Districts; *School Policy Identifiers: Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program Contract Number: RJ96006101 Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado EJ612921 EA537556 A Synthesis and Critique of Four Recent Reviews of Whole-School Reform in the United States. Author: Stringfield, Sam Availability: Journal Citation: School Effectiveness and School Improvement, v11 n2 p259-69 Jun 2000 Publication Date: 2000 ISSN: 0924-3453 Language: English Document Type: Information Analysis (070); Book/product reviews (072); Journal articles (080) Journal Announcement: CIJMAR2001 Abstract: Of the four guides to schoolwide reform models (by Herman and others, Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, Robert Slavin, and Margaret Wang and associates), Herman's volume provides the most detailed, scholarly review. Practical information abounds, but more well-controlled and designed longitudinal studies are essential. (Contains 32 references.) (MLH) Descriptors: *Educational Change; *Educational Research; Elementary Secondary Education; *Program Effectiveness; *Research Problems; *Theory Practice Relationship Identifiers: *Systemic Change EJ612404 UD522450 Whole School Reform in a Low-Income African American Community: The Effects of the CoZi Model on Teachers, Parents, and Students. Author: Desimone, Laura; Finn-Stevenson, Matia; Henrich, Christopher Availability: Journal Citation: Urban Education, v35 n3 p269-323 Sep 2000 Publication Date: 2000 ISSN: 0042-0859 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: CIJFEB2001 Abstract: Evaluated the whole-school CoZi reform model, which combines School of the 21st century and School Development Program models. Surveys, interviews, achievement tests, and observations in CoZi and comparison schools indicated that the CoZi school had significantly higher parent involvement and school climate. No differences surfaced in achievement levels, parent-child interaction, parent social and psychological outcomes, and teacher efficacy. (SM) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Early Childhood Education; *Educational Change; Low Income Groups; Parent Participation; Parents; Participative Decision Making; Preschool Teachers; Program Evaluation; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Effectiveness Identifiers: *African Americans; *Reform Strategies EJ602796 UD522141 Roots & Wings: Effects of Whole School Reform on Student Achievement. Author: Slavin, Robert E.; Madden, Nancy A. Availability: Journal Citation: Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), v5 n1-2 p109-36 2000 Publication Date: 2000 ISSN: 1082-4669 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJAUG2000 Abstract: Describes Roots & Wings, a comprehensive reform model for elementary schools that incorporates the elements of Success for All (R. Slavin, 1996), an approach based on standards from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the WorldLab social studies and science program. Presents research results from Texas and Maryland that found strong positive effects of Roots & Wings. (SLD) Descriptors: *Educational Change; Elementary Education; High Risk Students; Minority Groups; Models; *Program Effectiveness; *Urban Schools Identifiers: Reform Efforts; *Roots and Wings Program Descriptive Terms: Special issue: "CRESPAR Findings (1994-1999): In Memory of John H. Hollifield, Jr." Research supported by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement through Grant R-117-D40005, the New American Schools Development Corporation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Charles A. Dana Foundation. ED460971 TM033647 Evaluating the Accelerated Schools Approach: A Look at Early Implementation and Impacts on Student Achievement in Eight Elementary Schools. Author: Bloom, Howard S.; Ham, Sandra; Melton, Laura; O'Brien, Julieanne Institutional Author: Manpower Demonstration Research Corp., New York, NY.(BBB17200) Availability: For full text: http://www.mdrc.org. Sponsoring Agency: Ford Foundation, New York, NY. (QPX27000) Publication Date: November 2001 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEJUN2002 Abstract: The Accelerated Schools Approach is a whole-school reform being implemented in more than 1,000 U.S. elementary and middle schools. The program is characterized by a school structure that sets high expectations for students and teachers, a governance structure with broad teacher participation, and a "powerful learning" approach to curriculum and instruction. This report looks at the implementation of the program in eight elementary schools and evaluates program effects at the third grade. An interrupted time series technique was used to study the effectiveness of the Accelerated Schools model. In the first 3 years of implementation, schools focused on reforming school governance and culture, turning to curriculum and instruction only in the third or fourth year. The findings indicate that the Accelerated Schools model improved standardized test scores in reading and mathematics once the schools in the study turned to changing curriculum and instruction. These findings should be interpreted with caution because of the small number of schools examined and the focus on a single grade. Impacts were not uniform across all students or all schools. The largest impacts were observed among students who would have scored in the middle of their school's test score distribution without the reform and among schools that had the lowest scores before the reform began. Two appendixes contain supplementary tables and the qualitative data protocols. (Contains 6 figures, 18 tables, and 42 references.) (SLD) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Educational Administration; *Educational Change; Elementary Education; *Elementary Schools; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation; School Restructuring; Standardized Tests; Test Results Identifiers: *Accelerated Schools; Reform Efforts Descriptive Terms: With Fred C. Doolittle and Susan Kagehiro. Geographic Source: U.S.; New York ED460221 UD034673 Sustaining Reform: Students' Appraisals of the Second Year in Talent Development High Schools in Philadelphia, 2000-2001. Author: Corbett, H. Dickson; Wilson, Bruce L. Institutional Author: Philadelphia Education Fund, PA.(BBB34518) Availability: Philadelphia Education Fund, 7 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1208. Tel: 215-665-1400, ext. 3485; Web site: http://www.philaedfund.org. For full text: http://www.philaedfund.org/pdfs/SustainingReform.pdf. Sponsoring Agency: Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, PA. (BBB28123) Publication Date: 2001 Language: English Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEMAY2002 Abstract: This report summarizes the responses of students in two Philadelphia high schools to the second year of implementation of the Talent Development comprehensive school reform model. Both schools served low-income, predominantly African American and Hispanic American students. The Talent Development model was intended to improve schools facing problems with attendance, discipline, achievement, and dropping out. Its cornerstone was the Ninth Grade Success Academy, which promoted high expectations and extensive academic and social support as central vehicles for encouraging success for all. Interviews with 9th and 10th grade students were compared to interviews with students from a school in the first year of program implementation. Overall, students in both groups had similar attitudes. They were satisfied with the quality of their education and appreciated the support. Students articulated the value of teams as a meaningful organizational unit that connected them to the school via activities and offered more diverse learning activities. Students thought their teachers were doing a good job, that they themselves were making progress toward graduation, that few improvements were needed, and that their academy choice for the next year would help them with future careers. (SM) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Black Students; *Educational Change; *Educational Improvement; High Risk Students; High School Students; High Schools; Hispanic American Students; Poverty; Program Effectiveness; Student Attitudes; *Talent Development; Teacher Expectations of Students; Urban Schools Identifiers: African Americans; *Philadelphia School District PA; Reform Efforts; *Talent Education Method Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania ED460196 UD034645 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Title I Schoolwide Programs: Evidence from the Field. Readings on Equal Education. Author: Taylor, Dianne L., Ed.; Kemper, Elizabeth A., Ed. Availability: AMS Press, Inc., Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building 292, Suite 417, 63 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205 ($79.50). Tel: 212-777-4700. Publication Date: 2000 ISSN: 0270-1448 ISBN: BN- 0-404-10117-8; Report Number: Vol-17 Language: English Document Type: Book (010); Collected works--General (020) Journal Announcement: RIEMAY2002 Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Access to Education; Case Studies; Disadvantaged Youth; *Educational Change; Educational Policy; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; Government Role; Poverty; Program Effectiveness; Rural Schools; Urban Schools Identifiers: *Elementary Secondary Education Act Title I; Pullout Programs; *Reform Efforts Descriptive Terms: Managing Editor, Pamela S. Angelle. Geographic Source: U.S.; New York 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 ED457250 UD034362 Eliminating the Black-White Achievement Gap: A Summary of Research. Author: Thompson, Charles L.; O'Quinn, Sam D., III Institutional Author: North Carolina Education Research Council, Chapel Hill.(BBB36766) Availability: North Carolina Education Research Council, P.O. Box 2688, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688. Tel: 919-962-8373; Fax: 919-843-8128; e-mail: cthomps@ga.unc.edu. Sponsoring Agency: Spencer Foundation, Chicago, IL. (BBB06744) Publication Date: June 2001 Language: English Pages: 42 Document Type: Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: RIEFEB2002 Abstract: The gap between the academic achievement of minority group and white majority group students is at the forefront of educators' and policymakers' agenda in North Carolina and nationwide. The North Carolina Education Cabinet has set the target of eliminating the gap by the year 2010. This report reviews the evidence for each of several steps intended to help reduce the gap. These include: extending high quality, academically focused early childhood education to all children at risk of school failure; ensuring that African-American children are taught by able, well-prepared, experienced teachers; reducing class size in the early grades; adopting sound and equitable grouping practices in elementary schools; ensuring that African American students are equitably represented across curriculum tracks in high schools; bridging home and school cultures by adapting teaching and discipline practices to suit students' backgrounds; demanding success by holding both schools and students accountable; supporting students with individual tutoring, more comprehensive reforms, summer programs, and follow-up assistance; and desegregating schools and programs within schools. Appended are the 16 comprehensive school reform models with the soundest basis of research and strongest evidence of effectiveness. (Contains 100 bibliographic references.) (SM) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Accountability; *Black Students; Class Size; Culturally Relevant Education; Early Childhood Education; Educational Quality; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; Grouping (Instructional Purposes); Minority Group Children; School Desegregation; Summer Programs; Teacher Expectations of Students; Teaching Methods; Track System (Education); Tutoring Identifiers: *African Americans; North Carolina Descriptive Terms: Supported by the Cemala Foundation, Greensboro, NC. Geographic Source: U.S.; North Carolina ED456534 EA031224 Comprehensive School Reform and School-Based Budgeting in New Jersey. Author: Goertz, Margaret E. Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Publication Date: March 24, 2001 Language: English Pages: 25 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEFEB2002 Abstract: In 1998, the New Jersey Supreme Court directed schools in 30 poor urban districts to adopt a comprehensive school reform program by the 2000-2001 academic year. Part of this program involved delegating resource-allocation decisions to the school level, thereby increasing schools' effectiveness and productivity by bringing the perspectives of parents and school personnel into the decision-making process. A study was done to examine the implementation and consequences of school-based budgeting in the first 2 years of whole-school reform (1998-99 and 1999-2000). Schools were sampled in two reform cohorts: 32 schools in Cohort One, 26 schools in Cohort Two. School, district, and state department of education personnel were interviewed (approximately 280 individuals); questionnaires were sent to all teachers in the 57 study schools; and school-based budgets were collected to provide information. The study showed that reform implementation was conducted poorly because of unrealistic budget submission deadlines, inconsistent communication between school and state levels, insufficient information and training from the state, and micromanagement by the state. State micromanagement limited the schools' flexibility to allocate resources to meet student needs. The growing state role in school reform raises long-term questions about who is, and who should be, responsible for making fiscal decisions. (RT) Descriptors: *Budgeting; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; Federal Courts; *Resource Allocation; *School Based Management; State Action; State Courts Identifiers: *New Jersey; *Reform Efforts; Supreme Court Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Finance Association (26th, Cincinnati, OH, March 22-24, 2001). Geographic Source: U.S.; Pennsylvania ED456426 CS014479 Analysis of the Success for All and School Development Programs and Their Effects on Reading Comprehension. Author: Clarke, Pamela A. Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Publication Date: October 2001 Language: English Pages: 37 Document Type: Dissertations/Theses--Masters Dissertations (042) Journal Announcement: RIEFEB2002 Abstract: This study was conducted to determine whether the Success for All whole school reform model or Comer School Development Program had a significant effect on fourth graders' reading comprehension. Twelve students in experimental group A were homogeneously grouped to be taught using the Success for All whole school reform model. Twelve students in experimental group B were heterogeneously grouped and participated under the Comer whole school reform model. The study took place over a period of 10 weeks in an urban New Jersey school district. The California Achievement Test 5 (CAT5) was used as a pre- and post-test instrument to measure achievement in reading comprehension. Findings suggested that both models seemed to have a positive effect on reading comprehension; however neither program produced a statistically significant difference over the other. (Contains 43 references and 2 tables of data. Appendixes contain permission letter, and the Reading Comprehension component of the CAT5 standardized test used in the study.) (Author/RS) Descriptors: Comparative Analysis; Grade 4; *Instructional Effectiveness; Intermediate Grades; *Reading Achievement; *Reading Comprehension; Reading Research Identifiers: Comer School Development Program; *Success for All Program Descriptive Terms: Master of Arts Thesis, Kean University. Appendices contain copyrighted material and are not available through ERIC. Geographic Source: U.S.; New Jersey ED455577 EA031112 Study of Whole School Reform Implementation in New Jersey Abbott Districts: Perceptions of Key Stakeholders. Final Report. Author: Muirhead, Marilyn Savarese; Tyler, Ryan L.; Hamilton, Madlene P. Institutional Author: Region III Comprehensive Center, Arlington, VA.(BBB35110) Availability: The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education, 1730 North Lynn Street, Suite 401, Arlington, VA 22209-2004 Sponsoring Agency: New Jersey State Dept. of Education, Trenton. (QAT59175)@; Department of Education, Washington, DC. (EDD00001) Publication Date: April 2001 Language: English Pages: 91 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Test/questionnaires (160) Journal Announcement: RIEJAN2002 Abstract: This report discusses an evaluation of the implementation of Whole School Reform (WSR) in New Jersey. It is based on a study intended to update the New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) on the implementation of WSR model programs and strategies in three school cohorts and also outline the technical assistance needs of district and school-level stakeholders. Participants in the study were drawn from three key educator groups: members of each School Management Team (SMT) from the 196 schools in the three WSR cohorts, central-office administrators, and staff members from the NJ DOE. Four questions guided the study: (1) What are the SMTs' perceptions of the progress of WSR implementation? (2) What are district staffs' perceptions of the progress of WSR implementation? (3) How do SMTs assess the quality of support supplied by the state? and (4) How do SMTs and district administrators assess the quality of support supplied by the state? Based on the findings, it was recommended that NJ DOE target two areas for assistance and support in implementing WSR: Provide ongoing technical assistance to administrators and to community organizations, such as training SMT members on how to hire appropriate personnel, and conduct additional research on the implementation of WSR. Four appendices feature copies of the surveys and descriptions of the survey protocol. (Contains 19 references.) (RJM) Descriptors: *Administrator Attitudes; *Change Strategies; Educational Assessment; *Educational Change; *Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Models; Program Evaluation; School Restructuring Identifiers: *New Jersey Descriptive Terms: Region III Comprehensive Center is a project of The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education in partnership with RMC Research Corporation, Research for Better Schools (RBS), and ESCORT at the State University of New York Research Foundation. Contract Number: 5283A50040 Geographic Source: U.S.; Virginia 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 ED454242 TM032840 Whole School Reform: How Schools Use the Data-Based Inquiry and Decision Making Process. Author: Feldman, Jay; Tung, Rosann Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Publication Date: April 2001 Language: English Pages: 26 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIENOV2001 Abstract: This study examined the experiences of six schools that used the process of data-based inquiry and decision making (DBDM) and the effects of this process on their schoolwide practices. The six schools, all in Massachusetts, were studied by the Center for Collaborative Education, an organization that promotes whole school change through collaborative partnerships with schools. DBDM is a process in which school personnel engage in ongoing analysis of data from multilevel sources to provide a comprehensive picture of the school's strengths and challenges and develop a plan to prioritize and address those challenges. Teams from the six schools were followed as they implemented all aspects of DBDM. The case study of one of these schools, which was successful in implementing DBDM, shows the effectiveness of this approach and the inquiry group process used in schools participating in Turning Points, a middle school education reform network. Two examples illustrate the work of the inquiry groups. The evaluation has resulted in some generalizable findings about the DBDM process. In successful DBDM schools, teachers become more reflective about their practices, and the school becomes a more professional culture. Students in these schools are directly and indirectly influenced by the process. DBDM success is facilitated by multiple levels of leadership, the relationship of DBDM to the school's goals, and support from an external source. Implications for the development of an inquiry based school are also discussed. (SLD) Descriptors: Case Studies; Cooperation; *Decision Making; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Instructional Leadership; Partnerships in Education; *School Culture Identifiers: *Data Based Program Development; Massachusetts; *Reform Efforts Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001). Geographic Source: U.S.; Massachusetts ED453582 EA031022 What Happens before Schools Get the Grant: Planning for the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program. Institutional Author: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Aurora, CO.(BBB35978) Availability: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, 2550 S. Parker Rd., Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80015. Tel: 303-337-0990; Fax: 303-337-3005; e-mail: info@mcrel.org; Web site: http://www.mcrel.org. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: December 2000 Language: English Pages: 36 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIENOV2001 Abstract: This report is based on the collective research of seven regional education laboratories related to the federally funded Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program. The participating laboratories were the Appalachia Education Laboratory (AEL) in partnership with the Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis, Lab at Brown University Education Alliance, Northwest Regional Laboratory, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education, and WestEd. Each conducted its own research project designed for different purposes, used different methodologies, and reflected the different perspectives of the researchers and contexts of each laboratory region. The report presents commonly identified themes that relate to the processes used by schools to plan for comprehensive school reform and how those processes supported program implementation. A key area in several of the projects was the amount of teacher participation in selection of reform models and its effects on implementation. The findings were mixed. Two laboratory projects explicitly examined the effect of model selection on reform implementation and school climate using similar instruments, but used different definitions of the constructs. Researchers at AEL/CREP found statistically significant differences in school climate and implementation progress between schools using different model-selection processes. Contradictory findings may be due to differences in conceptualizations and methodologies, but also to differences in school or district leadership and/or regional cultures. An appendix contains project summaries. (Contains 12 references.) (DFR) Descriptors: Cooperation; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Federal Regulation; Public Schools; School Culture; *School Districts; *School Policy Identifiers: Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program Contract Number: RJ96006101 Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado ED450139 TM032329 Report on the Early Implementation Survey Results for the Southwest Region. Author: Castaneda-English, Patricia; Saenz, Victor; Buttram, Joan L. Institutional Author: Southwest Educational Development Lab., Austin, TX.(BBB00950) Availability: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 211 E. Seventh Street, Austin, TX 78702-3281. Tel: 512-476-6861; Web site: http://sedl.org. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: November 2000 Language: English Pages: 191 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142); Test/questionnaires (160) Journal Announcement: RIEJUL2001 Abstract: The Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program is a federal initiative to introduce and reinforce comprehensive reform programs in schools. The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory developed a survey to gather information from CSRD-awarded schools in the southwestern United States on their initial progress in implementing the CSRD program. This report examined the results of the implementation status at two different times for all CSRD schools in the region. Surveys were collected from 244 schools at the first administration and 237 schools at the second administration, with respondents ranging from 310 to 2,282 in the 5 states (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas). In general, the perceptions of respondents toward the implementation of the CSRD program were positive, although findings suggest some areas that may benefit from further attention. Teachers and principals were seen as the stakeholders who were involved both in planning for implementation and implementation. Finding also indicated that school-level, but not district-level, policies and communication were facilitating the program's implementation. Findings in the area of leadership suggest that school leaders are doing a skillful job in setting a positive tone for change, promoting vision for the program, facilitating structural changes, providing resources and training, and promoting student learning and achievement. Findings also suggest that professional development issues require further study and an increased focus. Nine appendixes contain the survey and survey results for the five states. (Contains 18 figures and 54 tables.) (SLD) Descriptors: Administrators; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Instructional Leadership; Program Evaluation; *Program Implementation; *School Restructuring; Surveys Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; *Reform Efforts; United States (Southwest) Contract Number: RJ96006801 Geographic Source: U.S.; Texas ED448957 RC022704 Rural School Principals' Views on the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program Application Process. Rural Education Research Report. Author: Leopold, Gregory D.; Childers, Robert D.; Howley-Rowe, Caitlin Institutional Author: AEL, Inc., Charleston, WV.(BBB35660) Availability: Full text at Web site: http://www.ael.org/rel/rural/abstract/leopold.htm. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: August 2000 Language: English Pages: 39 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Test/questionnaires (160) Journal Announcement: RIEJUN2001 Abstract: To generate information that would help rural schools take advantage of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, 47 principals of rural schools in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia were interviewed via telephone. The schools fell into two categories: schools that applied but were not funded through the CSRD program and schools that were eligible for CSRD funding but did not apply. Principals from both groups indicated that rural schools needed more information about the CSRD program and technical assistance in preparing proposals; obstacles to school reform included resistance to change among staff and community members and insufficient resources, time, community support, and understanding of school reform efforts; the districts supported reform efforts but community support for reform was mixed; and assistance was needed in technology utilization, proposal development, effective curricular strategies, and parental involvement. Principals from schools that applied but were not funded noted limited resources and preparation time. Principals from schools that did not apply said they were unaware of the program. Principals from schools that applied but were not funded indicated that various reform efforts were being implemented at their schools, with most being funded by other sources. Principals from schools that did not apply most frequently noted state-mandated reforms being implemented in their schools. Implications for CSRD implementation include increasing support for disadvantaged schools, designing enough flexibility into CSRD programs to meet the needs of rural schools, and ensuring that rural schools are fully aware of the program in time to prepare for it. Appendix contains interview questions. (TD) Descriptors: *Administrator Attitudes; *Disadvantaged Schools; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; Parent Participation; *Principals; *Program Attitudes; Program Implementation; Resistance to Change; *Rural Schools; School Community Relationship; School Surveys; Technical Assistance Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Kentucky; Tennessee; Virginia; West Virginia Contract Number: RJ96006001 Geographic Source: U.S.; West Virginia ED448154 SP039683 Teachers' Professional Development in the Context of High School Reform: Findings from a Three-Year Study of Restructuring Schools. Author: Little, Judith Warren Institutional Author: National Partnership for Excellence and Accountability in Teaching, Washington, DC.(BBB35641) Availability: For full text: http://www.ericsp.org/digests/TeachersProfDevHS.htm. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: April 1999 Language: English Pages: 45 Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEMAY2001 Abstract: This paper examines the demands on teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and practice associated with reforms commonly attempted in high schools and the corresponding opportunities for teacher development. Data come from a study of comprehensive school reform to illuminate the degree of fit between high school reform agendas and teachers' professional demands and opportunities. The paper examines two issues: the contribution of professional development to a school's capacity for reforms targeted at teaching and learning and how working in a reform-active environment affects teachers' practice and commitment. Section 1 examines high school traditions and reforms (the California School Restructuring Demonstration Program and the School Restructuring Study). Section 2 discusses student experience in the restructuring schools and why teacher development matters. Section 3 highlights restructured learning conditions. Section 4 presents three cases of restructuring schools, focusing on reform and professional development. Section 5 examines contributions of professional development in the context of whole school reform, highlighting: reform focus and the value attached to professional development, reform goals and the magnitude of change for individual teachers, the significance of professional community, and the role of administrator and teacher leadership. (Contains 42 references.) (SM) Descriptors: Administrator Role; *Educational Change; Educational Environment; *Faculty Development; High Schools; Inservice Teacher Education; *Leadership; Principals; *School Restructuring; Secondary School Teachers; *Teacher Improvement; Teacher Role; Teachers Identifiers: California; *Reform Efforts; Teacher Leadership Contract Number: RD97124001 Geographic Source: U.S.; District of Columbia ED447799 IR020428 Report on Csrdweb.net as an On-Line Learning Community. Author: Ogden, David Institutional Author: WestEd, San Francisco, CA.(BBB33305) Availability: WestEd, 730 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94107-1242 ($9.95). Tel: 877-493-7833 (Toll Free); Web site: http://www.WestEd.org. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: August 15, 2000 Language: English Pages: 34 Document Type: Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: RIEMAY2001 Abstract: The csrdweb.net Web site is a cross-lab initiative to pilot the use of Web-based profiles and e-mail discussion groups as tools to support networking among Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) schools. A Laboratory Network Program (LNP) project, the initiative used resources from all 10 regional educational laboratories (RELs) to develop and support the Web site in order to learn how, to what extent, and under what circumstances Web-based networking can contribute to the resources that assist CSRD schools. After one year, the cross-lab Web site development team learned several lessons about CSRD schools' use of the Web as a networking tool and about successful LNP collaboration. After highlighting some of the major findings, this report outlines the purpose of the site; the four main networking and resource sharing components; major activities undertaken by the REL planning team for the csrdweb.net pilot project; and next steps. Also included are a table of comparative site statistics over time, a chart of unique visits to the site from November 7, 1999, through June 30, 2000, the CSRD Interactive Web Site User Feedback Questionnaire, and responses to CSRD Web site user. Appendices contain copies of two school profiles and discussion group messages from the csrdweb.net Web site. (AEF) Descriptors: *Computer Mediated Communication; *Computer Networks; Educational Development; *Educational Resources; Electronic Mail; Elementary Secondary Education; *Information Networks; Online Systems; Pilot Projects; Shared Resources and Services; World Wide Web Identifiers: California; *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Web Sites Contract Number: RJ96006901 Geographic Source: U.S.; California ED446359 EA030645 How Leadership Is Shared and Visions Emerge in the Creation of Learning Communities. Author: Hipp, Kristine A.; Huffman, Jane B. Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Publication Date: April 2000 Language: English Pages: 36 Document Type: Information Analysis (070); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEAPR2001 Abstract: This paper provides a snapshot of 19 diverse school settings that have committed themselves to whole-school reform to make a meaningful difference in the lives of their students. The schools in this study reflect schools across the country and represent various levels of readiness. Earlier findings in these schools indicated that "although schools are attending to many things, many of them are not attending to matters that make a difference in the way schools operate and in the outcomes for students." Using Hord's five-dimensional model as a comprehensive design, the study's findings indicate that the key factor in whole-school reform is the leadership of the principal. Leadership practices in high-readiness schools were more effective than those in low-readiness schools in all areas under study: shared leadership, inspired responsibility for a shared vision, empowered decision-making, and inclusivity of staff. Principals in high-readiness schools were not coercive or controlling; they shared leadership, imaging it in the likeness of new conceptions of leadership. These principals were selective in their focus on a shared vision. Some elicited the dreams of others, while some shared their own visions and sought to mobilize efforts accordingly. (Contains 40 references.) (DFR) Descriptors: Decision Making; Educational Change; *Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; *Leadership Qualities; *Leadership Training; Learning Experience; *Principals; Public Schools; *Teaching Models Identifiers: American Educational Research Association Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, Louisiana, April 24-28, 2000). Geographic Source: U.S.; Wisconsin ED446132 TM031894 Site Researcher Training in the Formative Evaluation Process for School Improvement (FEPSI) (Macon, Georgia, October 1999). A Report on the Formative Evaluation Process for School Improvement: A Joint Initiative between AEL, Inc. and the Center for Research in Education al Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis. CSRD Evaluation. Author: Parrish, Paige; Howley-Rowe, Caitlin Institutional Author: AEL, Inc., Charleston, WV.(BBB35660); Memphis Univ., TN. Center for Research in Educational Policy.(BBB32858) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: February 2000 Language: English Pages: 40 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEMAR2001 Abstract: As part of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, schools participated in the Formative Evaluation Process for School Improvement (FEPSI), a package of services mainly provided during two visits each school year. This document reports on the evaluation of training for Georgia educators involved in FEPSI as site researchers. Twenty-two of the original 30 participants returned a completed evaluation form after the training. Participants rated all items on the survey as highly related (mean of 4.1 or above on a 5-point scale) to specific and general training objectives, and believed the training was conducted by competent presenters in a professional manner. Participants appeared to learn most about the role of formative evaluation in the CSRD program. In general, participants seemed pleased with the training materials and found the benchmarking materials for the FEPSI process to be helpful. They would have preferred more training in benchmarking and would have liked more time to practice the benchmarking process. Some recommendations are made for program improvement. Appendixes contain the school observation measure site researchers would use, a sample benchmark document, the evaluation form, and a checklist for applying the standards from the "Program Evaluation Standards," 1994. (SLD) Descriptors: *Data Collection; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Methods; *Program Evaluation; *Researchers; Surveys; *Training; Workshops Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Georgia; *Site Visits Descriptive Terms: For an evaluation of site researcher training in Kentucky, see TM 031 893. Contract Number: RJ96006001 Geographic Source: U.S.; West Virginia ED446131 TM031893 Site Researcher Training and Orientation (Louisville, Kentucky, September 13-15, 1999). A Report on the Formative Evaluation Process for School Improvement: A Joint Initiative between AEL, Inc. and the Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis. CSRD Evaluation. Author: Leopold, Gregory D. Institutional Author: AEL, Inc., Charleston, WV.(BBB35660); Memphis Univ., TN. Center for Research in Educational Policy.(BBB32858) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: March 2000 Language: English Pages: 30 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEMAR2001 Abstract: As part of the evaluation of schools participating in the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program, a site researcher is to visit each participating site twice a year to collect data for CSRD formative evaluation. To prepare site researchers for their evaluation activities, a training and orientation session was held for 18 prospective site researchers. This document reports on the evaluation of the site researcher training. A feedback form was used to assess the degree to which certain goals and objectives were met, and a modified participant observation technique was used to give presenters immediate feedback. Program materials were also reviewed. Participants found the training sessions to have been conducted in a professional manner by competent professionals, and they considered the sessions relevant to their needs. Participants seemed to have learned most about the role of formative evaluation in the CSRD program, comprehensive school reform, and specific data collection techniques. They felt the need for further information about comprehensive school reform models, identification of and collaboration with a local coordinator, and collaboration with assigned external facilitators. Recommendations are made to improve program presentation. Appendixes contain the training feedback form and a checklist for applying the standards from the "Program Evaluation Standards" (1994). (SLD) Descriptors: *Data Collection; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Methods; *Program Evaluation; *Researchers; Surveys; *Training; Workshops Identifiers: *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; *Site Visits Descriptive Terms: For an evaluation of the training program for Georgia site researchers, see TM 031 894. Contract Number: RJ96006001 Geographic Source: U.S.; West Virginia ED446108 TM031851 Beyond the List: Schools Selecting Alternative CSR Models. Author: Clark, Gail; Apthorp, Helen; Van Buhler, Rebecca; Dean, Ceri; Barley, Zoe Institutional Author: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Aurora, CO.(BBB35978) Availability: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80015. Tel: 303-337-0990; Fax: 303-337-3005; e-mail: info@mcrel.org; Web site: http://www.mcrel.org. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: August 18, 2000 Language: English Pages: 37 Document Type: Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: RIEMAR2001 Abstract: A study was conducted to describe the population of alternative models for comprehensive school reform in the region served by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL). The study addressed the questions of whether schools that did not propose to adopt widely known or implemented reform models were able to design a reform process that met current thinking about effective reform as evidenced by the nine criteria specified for acceptable Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) applications. Of particular concern was the presumed lack of availability of technical assistance in the rural areas of the central United States served by McREL for alternative models compared to that typically provided by developers of nationally known models. Contrary to expectations, however, an examination of CSRD applications submitted (56 funded and 109 nonfunded) suggest that sites selecting alternative models were not judged as lacking in planned technical assistance. Further study as CSRD programs are implemented in these schools will indicate the degree to which the applications match practice. One appendix contains a rubric for rating alternative model applications, and the other contains descriptions of the alternative models studied. (Author/SLD) Descriptors: Demonstration Programs; *Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Models; School Restructuring; Selection; *Technical Assistance Identifiers: *Mid Continent Regional Educational Laboratory; *Reform Efforts Contract Number: RJ96006101 Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado ED442610 RC022497 Evaluation of AEL CSRD Electronic Forums. Author: Howley-Rowe, Caitlin Institutional Author: AEL, Inc., Charleston, WV.(BBB35660) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: May 2000 Language: English Pages: 25 Document Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data (110); Reports--Evaluative (142); Test/questionnaires (160) Journal Announcement: RIEDEC2000 Abstract: Since early 1998, AEL, Inc., has been assisting state departments of education in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia in the implementation of the federally funded Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) program. As part of this assistance, AEL established two types of electronic networks to link school staff at CSRD sites, external facilitators, and site researchers assisting with school formative evaluation. CSRDnet is a Web-based electronic communication forum providing moderated discussion and conferencing capabilities for external facilitators and CSRD sites. Participants are assigned to discussion groups based on their state and the CSR model they are implementing. The second electronic medium consists of listservs in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. As with CSRDnet, a moderator facilitates discussion and information sharing, and participants include external facilitators and staff at CSRD sites. Evaluations of these networks included analyses of CSRDnet activity and listserv activity during January-March 2000 and surveys of client satisfaction completed during 1999. Of 96 individuals responding to questions about the forums, 55 were located in Kentucky. Results suggest that CSRDnet and the listservs are underutilized. Survey respondents were satisfied with the format, timeliness, and efficiency of CSRDnet and the knowledge and preparedness of AEL staff, but were less satisfied with the usefulness of CSRDnet to their work and its relevance to their particular situations. Appendixes include the client satisfaction survey. (SV) Descriptors: Discussion Groups; Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Information Services; *Listservs; *Technical Assistance; User Satisfaction (Information) Identifiers: Appalachia Educational Laboratory WV; *Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program; Kentucky; Service Delivery Assessment; *Service Utilization; Tennessee; Virginia; West Virginia Contract Number: RJ96006001 Geographic Source: U.S.; West Virginia ED432804 EA029946 Roots & Wings: Effects of Whole-School Reform on Student Achievement. Report No. 36. Author: Slavin, Robert E.; Madden, Nancy A. Institutional Author: Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk, Baltimore, MD.(BBB33036) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: May 1999 Language: English Pages: 69 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEJAN2000 Abstract: This report describes the Roots & Wings (R&W) program. It presents the research on R&W carried out to date and discusses R&W's impact on research, development, and evaluation for school reform in general. The program is an extension of the Success for All whole-school reform model. R&W took the existing reading, writing, language arts, preschool, tutoring, family support, and assessment components of Success for All, upgraded them, and developed a training infrastructure. The booklet outlines the R&W program and offers details on its various components: early learning programs, reading programs, reading tutors, writing and language arts, mathematics, social studies and science, family support and integrated services, after-school programming, site-based management, facilitators, and special education. Program evaluations of R&W are offered for the pilot program in St. Mary's County, Maryland, and for the first school to implement the program outside of Maryland, in San Antonio, Texas. The report concludes that R&W offers schools a comprehensive means of implementing research-based reforms in all academic subjects and all grade levels and shows what can be achieved in high-poverty schools willing to undergo and sustain whole-school reforms. (Contains 20 figures that chart program successes.) (RJM) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Curriculum Development; *Educational Change; Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Program Evaluation Identifiers: *Roots and Wings Program Contract Number: R117D4005 Geographic Source: U.S.; Maryland |