Read complete books and articles on: School Reform

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16 of the Best Books and Articles on: School Reform

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

Knowledge and Power in the Global Economy: Politics and the Rhetoric of School Reform » Read Now
by David A. Gabbard. 430 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
2.

International Handbook of Educational Reform » Read Now
by Peter W. Cookson Jr., Alan R. Sadovnik, Susan F. Semel. 617 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

This comprehensive reference offers a systematic overview of changes in educational policy and practice around the world. Each chapter focuses on reform in one of the 30 countries profiled.
3.

Education Reform and Social Change: Multicultural Voices, Struggles, and Visions » Read Now
by Catherine E. Walsh. 270 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
4.

The New Servants of Power: A Critique of the 1980s School Reform Movement » Read Now
by Ernest Kahane, Christine M. Shea, Peter Sola. 203 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

"This is an important book because its focus is critical, and its aim is to demystify the prevailing ideology of school reform. . . . The introductory essay is excellent in its elucidation of the world political economy of the 1980s and current educational reforms. It sets a clear direction for the...
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"This is an important book because its focus is critical, and its aim is to demystify the prevailing ideology of school reform. . . . The introductory essay is excellent in its elucidation of the world political economy of the 1980s and current educational reforms. It sets a clear direction for the remainder of the book, which is noteworthy for its organizational, conceptual, and written clarity. Topics include education reform and work, teacher education, continuing education, and equity. In its attempt to present alternative ways of seeing and interpreting educational/social phenomenon, this book is one of the best to appear. The text is refreshingly free of a lot of jargon; thus the reader is better able to understand the complexities of educational and social critique. Highly recommended for upper-level undergraduate and graduate reading . . ." Choice
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5.

Renewing America's Progress: A Positive Solution to School Reform » Read Now
by Fredric H. Genck. 238 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

In spite of all the media attention and national concern about schools, this is the only book that documents real improvements in learning, confidence, and morale, proven through the author's 15 years of research and experience. Rather than business or government imposing a solution to the problems...
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In spite of all the media attention and national concern about schools, this is the only book that documents real improvements in learning, confidence, and morale, proven through the author's 15 years of research and experience. Rather than business or government imposing a solution to the problems in education, this is an inside solution developed by teachers, administrators, and school board members. Genck details a system of participative and results-oriented management to replace traditional authoritarian school administration and its attendant conflict with teamwork and accountability.
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6.

American School Reform: Progressive, Equity, and Excellence Movements, 1883-1993 » Read Now
by Maurice R. Berube. 158 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

Berube analyzes the three great educational reform movements in the United States. He shows how they have been shaped by outside societal forces: Progressive Education was an offshoot of the Progressive Movement; Equity Reform in the 1960s was influenced by the Civil Rights Movement; Excellence...
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Berube analyzes the three great educational reform movements in the United States. He shows how they have been shaped by outside societal forces: Progressive Education was an offshoot of the Progressive Movement; Equity Reform in the 1960s was influenced by the Civil Rights Movement; Excellence Reform in the last decade was a response to foreign economic competition. Within each matrix, common characteristics of each movement emerge. Progressive Education with its emphasis on critical thinking and child-centered schools set the stage for what was to follow. Equity Reform sought to complete the unfinished agenda of Progressive Education in educating the poor. Excellence Reform repudiated both in the name of higher standards and content-specific curriculums. The emergence of sophisticated educational research since the 1960s has influenced educational policy to be more research-based. Berube provides a necessary overview of the great movements in school reform over the last century.
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7.

Critical Voices in School Reform: Students Living through Change » Read Now
by Beth C. Rubin, Elena M. Silva. 218 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

School reform of one kind or another is a priority for education systems the world over. Yet the voices of students - those most affected by, and most pivotal to, the success or failure of any program of school reform - are rarely heard on this topic. This is the first book to look at school reform...
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School reform of one kind or another is a priority for education systems the world over. Yet the voices of students - those most affected by, and most pivotal to, the success or failure of any program of school reform - are rarely heard on this topic. This is the first book to look at school reform from the perspective of the students. Such a youth-centred approach to studying school reform provides valuable insight into how students experience changes in school structure and classroom instruction. The studies included in this collection focus on reform initiatives aimed at overcoming persistent patterns of racial, class and gender inequality. The authors combine the theoretical aspects of research with its practical applications, making this an invaluable resource for teacher educators, classroom practitioners, researchers and policymakers. Critical Voices in School Reform: Students Living Through Change is divided into two parts. Part one describes and analyses programs of reform that turned out contrary to the intentions of adult reformers, illustrating the - often unspoken - tension between adult and student perspectives on school change. Part two looks at reform initiatives that were able to harness student energies and thereby improve pupils' engagement with school life. These reforms, which are finely attuned to the needs and interests of students, offer clear, valuable guidance to those trying to create more equitable school experiences. A concluding chapter draws together the themes and insights gained from looking at school reform through a student-centred lens and offers suggestions for more relevant and lasting reform.
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8.

Keeping Company in Controversy: Education Reform, Spheres of Argument, and Ethical Criticism, in Argumentation and Advocacy » Read Now
by Shawn Batt. 20 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
9.

Politics, Language, and Culture: A Critical Look at Urban School Reform » Read Now
by Joseph W. Check. 229 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

Politics, language, and culture are three powerful forces affecting urban school reform. This book looks at their effects through the eyes of teachers and administrators living reform at the school level. It also draws on history and on recent research on literacy and leadership to offer alternative strategies for school reform.
10.

The Color of School Reform: Race, Politics, and the Challenge of Urban Education » Read Now
by Jeffrey R. Henig, Richard C. Hula, Marion Orr, Desiree S. Pedescleaux. 301 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

Why is it so difficult to design and implement fundamental educational reform in large city schools in spite of broad popular support for change? How does the politics of race complicate the challenge of building and sustaining coalitions for improving urban schools? These questions have provoked a...
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Why is it so difficult to design and implement fundamental educational reform in large city schools in spite of broad popular support for change? How does the politics of race complicate the challenge of building and sustaining coalitions for improving urban schools? These questions have provoked a great deal of theorizing, but this is the first book to explore the issues on the basis of extensive, solid evidence. Here a group of political scientists examines education reform in Atlanta, Baltimore, Detroit, and Washington, D.C., where local governmental authority has passed from white to black leaders. The authors show that black administrative control of big-city school systems has not translated into broad improvements in the quality of public education within black-led cities. Race can be crucial, however, in fostering the broad civic involvement perhaps most needed for school reform. In each city examined, reform efforts often arise but collapse, partly because leaders are unable to craft effective political coalitions that would commit community resources to a concrete policy agenda. What undermines the leadership, according to the authors, is the complex role of race in each city. First, public authority does not guarantee access to private resources, usually still controlled by white economic elites. Second, local authorities must interact with external actors, at the state and national levels, who remain predominantly white. Finally, issues of race divide the African American community itself and often place limits on what leaders can and cannot do. Filled with insightful explanations together with recommendations for policy change, this book is an important component of the debate now being waged among researchers, education activists, and the community as a whole.
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11.

Charter Schools: Lessons in School Reform » Read Now
by Liane Brouillette. 270 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

This book takes the reader inside the charter school movement, answering such questions as: *What is a charter school? *How are charter schools different from other public schools? *What does it take to create a charter school? *What motivates the people who initiate such schools? *What lessons...
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This book takes the reader inside the charter school movement, answering such questions as: *What is a charter school? *How are charter schools different from other public schools? *What does it take to create a charter school? *What motivates the people who initiate such schools? *What lessons can be learned from the experiences of those who have founded charter schools? *What does the growth of the charter school movement mean for society at large? Using detailed case studies of seven schools in three states, this book explores the challenges faced by the founders of these schools and develops guidelines for creating a successful school. Seymour Sarason's work on the creation of settings is used as a basis for examining the complex human interactions that contributed to formation of a unique culture at each school, as well as to establish guidelines for setting up a successful school. Introductory and concluding chapters place the charter school movement within a broader social and historical context. Tensions between the American tradition of local control of schools and the centralized tradition of schooling imported from Europe in the late 19th century are discussed. The gradual bureaucratization of U.S. public schools during the 20th century is described, along with problems that have been associated with the increasingly hierarchical and impersonal nature of educational institutions.
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12.

Leadership for Change and School Reform: International Perspectives » Read Now
by Karen Seashore Louis, Kathryn A. Riley. 224 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

This text offers a comparative perspective on leadership. It examines the global influences, the differing national and state contexts which shape leadership, the impact of local pressures and priorities, as well as leadership.
13.

Facing the Challenges of Whole-School Reform: New American Schools after a Decade » Read Now
by Nataraj Kirby, J. Bodilly Sheila, Mark Berends Susan. 222 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library

After a decade of studies, this report draws together RAND's research on New American Schools, highlighting the organization's significant contribution to comprehensive school reform and noting the challenges that came with implementing whole-school designs.
14.

Comprehensive School Reform: A Model Based on Student Learning, in Journal of Disability Policy Studies » Read Now
by Mary E. Little, Debby Houston. 9 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
15.

A Disciplined Approach to School Reform, in PJE. Peabody Journal of Education » Read Now
by Howard Gardner. 8 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library
16.

A Systems Approach to School Reform, in Phi Delta Kappan » Read Now
by Richard P. McAdams. 5 pgs.

Collections: Education, Entire Library