For several decades, school reform has emphasized minor technical adjustments or innovations often characterized as "tinkering" with school systems. Today, parents, educators, and the general public demand something more radical. There is widespread belief that nothing less than fundamental systemic change will save the schools. Often such change involves restructuring the school system.
In this book, scholars and practitioners combine efforts to examine restructuring processes, especially those involving site-based management. Restructuring is considered from several perspectives. First, it is examined as a process that provides a new context for fresh dialogue about schools. Thus, restructuring is viewed as a generative metaphor. Second, scholars review relevant research attempting to identify the benefits and shortcomings of current restructuring efforts. Finally, researchers and practitioners relate their experiences with the implementation of restructuring and site-based management in a variety of settings. A comparison of local school reform in Great Britain and the United States reveals interesting similarities and differences.