Today's schools are responding to the pressing need for positive student-teacher relationships that promote successful learning and prevent dropouts and violence. To meet this challenge, many secondary schools are reorganizing around smaller schools or "houses" and structuring longer blocks of learning time. Authors Elliot Y. Merenbloom and Barbara A. Kalina provide a step-by-step process for leaders and school teams focused on restructuring to promote more meaningful interaction between teachers and students. Through troubleshooting know-how, short real-life case stories, and detailed decision-making and planning charts, this roll-up-your-sleeves working handbook: (1) Offers a thorough presentation of restructuring options with advantages and disadvantages of multiple models; (2) Walks leaders and teams through the decision-making and solution-building processes; (3) Presents instructional formats and strategies that maximize the benefits of restructured schedules; and (4) Discusses how to prepare and communicate with students and parents about changes. This book helps teachers, school leaders, curriculum developers, and administrators fashion a vision that nurtures positive learning experiences and strengthens student achievement. After a List of Tables and Figures, a Foreword by Gordon Cawelti, a Preface, Acknowledgments and About the Authors, this book contains nine chapters: (1) Why Are Schools Reorganizing? (2) Structural Options; (3) Steps in Building a Middle School Schedule; (4) Steps in Building a High School Schedule; (5) Small Learning Communities: Role and Function; (6) Elements of Teaming: A Goal-Setting Process for Curriculum and Instruction; (7) Elements of Teaming: A Goal-Setting Process for Organizational Considerations; (8) Teaching in Variable-Length Time Periods; and (9) Implementing Change. This book concludes with References and an Index.