International Perspectives on Educational Reform and Policy Implementation.

Falmer Press, Taylor & Francis, Inc., 1900 Frost Road, Suite 101, Bristol, PA 19007 (paper: ISBN-0-7507-0407-1; cased: ISBN-0-7507-0406-3).

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215

British National Curriculum; Decentralization; Educational Change; Educational History; Educational Policy; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; National Curriculum; Policy Analysis; Policy Formation; Politics of Education; School Restructuring; Social History

Australia; New Zealand; United Kingdom (Great Britain); United States

978-0-7507-0407-6

This book focuses on educational change processes in the context of larger scale educational reform. The first of 2 volumes, the book contains 11 chapters that examine the historical, social, and economic forces at work in the formulation and implementation of educational policy. The chapters present different cross-cultural experiences of educational change and policy implementation to increase understanding of a new educational reform era. Part 1 examines relationships between politics and educational reform, and shatters the myth that education is apolitical. Following the introduction by Marnie O'Neill, the chapters include: (1) "The Evolution of Education Reform in the United States: Policy Ideals or Realpolitik?" (James Cibulka); (2) "Curriculum Reform and the Neo-corporatist State in Australia" (David S. G. Carter); (3) "The National Curriculum in England Since 1988" (Denis Lawton); and (4) "Educational Reform and the Politics of the Curriculum in New Zealand" (Michael Peters). Chapters in part 2 focus on the development of politics into policy and policy implementation: (5) "An Analysis of the Policy Contexts of Recent Curriculum Reform Efforts in Australia, Great Britain and the United States" (Kerry J. Kennedy); (6) "From Policy to Classroom Practice: Beyond the Mandates" (Shirley M. Hord); and (7) "The Local Educational Change Process and Policy Implementation" (Gene E. Hall). Chapters in the third part address selected education-reform phenomena: (8) "Educational Reform and Curriculum Implementation in England: An Historical Perspective" (Richard Aldrich); (9) "National Curriculum Assessment in England and Wales" (Caroline Gipps); and (10) "Re-forming the Curriculum in New Zealand" (Ivan Snook). The epilogue by Gene E. Hall and David S. G. Carter summarizes themes, locates them in chronological context, and maps out an implementation-research agenda. A subject index is included. (Contains 276 references.) (LMI)

1995

ED384134