Educational researchers and policy analysts concur increasingly that the organizational design and culture of schools can either enhance or hinder the effectiveness of school reform efforts. This book offers a series of essays that may help parents, educators, and policymakers understand and solve school organizational problems that get in the way of student achievement. The essays are written around the framework of the Keys to Excellence in Your Schools (KEYS) initiative. Chapters include: (1) "Educational Reform as Continuous Improvement" (Michael Fullan); (2) "The Learner-Centered Principles: Their Value for Teachers and Teaching" (P. Karen Murphy and Patricia A. Alexander); (3) "Achieving High-Level Outcomes for All Students: The Meaning of Staff-Shared Understanding and Commitment" (Fred M. Newmann); (4) "Professional Communication and Collaboration" (Judith Warren Little); (5) "Teacher Use of Formal Assessment in the Classroom" (Eva L. Baker); (6) "Assessment as Learning" (Lorna M. Earl); (7) "Transforming Professional Development: Understanding and Organizing Learning Communities" (Ann Lieberman and Lynne Miller); (8) "Designing and Implementing School-Based Professional Development" (Linda Valli and Willis D. Hawley); (9) "Organizational Conditions To Support Teaching and Learning" (Kenneth Leithwood); and (10) "Local School Districts and Instructional Improvement" (Richard F. Elmore). Most chapters usually conclude with a list of references. (RT)