The OERI-funded research summarized in this special "Kappan" section constitutes a "trickle-up" research agenda animated by real respect for local autonomy and unwavering commitment to public service. The most valuable research will emerge from a collaborative culture uniting university-based researchers, K-12 practitioners and administrators,…

In 1990, Congress charged OERI with evaluating the nation's school-reform efforts. Representative planners subsequently called for research proposals in systemic reform, school-based management, uses of time, student assessment, curriculum reform, educator professionalism, school-to-work transition, early childhood education, parent and community…

Outlines a framework for shaping reform policies on strategies for enhancing teacher capacity, using interview data from a study conducted in California, Michigan, and Vermont. Michigan has developed subject-matter objectives and assessments, Vermont uses a portfolio assessment system to help teachers learn about problem solving and develop new…

Explains why school-based management fails or succeeds, based on research in 44 schools. SBM fails when principals advance their own agendas, decision-making power is too concentrated, and business proceeds as usual. Success requires teacher-led decision-making teams, continuous improvement, information sharing, staff rewards, facilitative…

Drawing on 14 case studies, this article examines reforms and innovative strategies affecting quantity and quality of time usage, and the potential of nonschool educators to complement and expand youngsters' learning opportunities. Many successful programs offer students less classroom time. Some residential programs for dropouts and poor minority…

Summarizes the status of assessment reform, based on visits to 14 schools. Documents key characteristics of various performance assessments (portfolios, on-demand tasks, projects, exhibitions, and teachers' structured observations); determines which factors influence their development, implementation, and effectiveness; and analyzes interactions…

Examines nine case studies involving science, mathematics, and cross-disciplinary curriculum reform. Common dilemmas included content coverage/depth of understanding, parental resistance, and insufficient time. Successful curriculum reformers relied on national and state guidelines, teacher collaboration, and local teacher leaders. Reformers must…

Profiles three school/university partnerships in Toronto, southern Maine, and West Virginia committed to systemic reform of teacher education. Examines the development of processes and structures for building professionalism among educators, learning modes for practicing educators, and the types of working environments involved. Highlights both…

Summarizes findings of the National Institute for Work and Learning study of 14 school-to-work transition programs. Success depends on administrative leadership, provider commitment, cross-sector collaboration, student self-determination, school- and work-based learning, integrated career information and guidance, a sequential approach, access to…

The 1995 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll features in-depth exploration of various educational issues. Respondents rate their own communities' schools higher than the nation's schools. Lack of discipline and waning financial support are schools' major problems. People believe that disruptive and learning-disabled students should be educated in separate…

Overviews progress in the interconnected realms of early childhood policy, management of local agencies, front-line practice in classrooms and communities, and experiences of young children and their families. The nation lacks a coherent system to fund, manage, govern, and support quality in local early childhood education agencies. (MLH)

Examines school/family partnerships in the middle grades. Focuses on comprehensive district-wide programs, school restructuring, and adult/child learning programs studied at nine sites. Summarizes lessons concerned with high-stakes consequences, parental involvement opportunities, decision-making responsibility, leadership advocacy, support for…

Technology is no "silver bullet" for transforming education. Observations in nine technology-using schools suggest that for technology to serve reform purposes, it must be tied to a coherent, schoolwide instructional agenda. Reform-minded schools should articulate their mission and restructure activities around student needs and instructional…

Reviews 30 years of research, concentrating on ongoing reform initiatives and 18 programs designated as effective with at-risk students. Identifies broad, overarching conditions essential for transporting isolated successes to all schools serving at-risk students. Outlines key characteristics of two promising models: community in schools and…

Case studies of eight exemplary schools demonstrate that language-minority students can learn the same academic curriculum as native English speakers while pursuing English literacy. Common school characteristics include a schoolwide vision of excellence, creation of a community of learners engaged in active discovery, and well-designed, carefully…