Successful School Restructuring: A Report to the Public and Educators

Since the late 1980s, education reformers in the United States have emphasized "restructuring" of schools. This book synthesizes 5 years of research conducted by the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools (CORS). From 1990 to 1995, the center analyzed data from the following sources: (1) the School Restructuring Study (SRS), an examination of 24 significantly restructured schools; (2) the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS: 88), a nationally representative sample of over 10,000 students from grades 8 through 12; (3) the Study of Chicago School Reform, an analysis of survey data from 8,000 teachers and principals in 400 elementary and 40 high schools from 1990-94; and (4) the Longitudinal Study of School Restructuring, 4-year case studies of 8 schools. A conclusion is that the recent education reform movement gives too much attention to changes in school organization that do not directly address the quality of student learning. Student learning can meet high standards if educators and the public give students three kinds of support--teachers who practice authentic pedagogy, schools that strengthen professional community, and supportive external agencies and parents. The following structural conditions can enhance the professional community needed to promote learning of high intellectual quality--shared governance, independent work structures, staff development, deregulation, small school size, and parent involvement. Seven figures and 5 boxes are included. The appendix contains the Center's mission and lists members of its staff and national advisory panel. (Contains 30 references.) (LMI)