Innovative Educational Restructuring for America 2000: Time To Bury Political Bureaucracies and Begin Systematic Assessment, Profiling & Technological Improvement of School Organizations.

Despite current interest with the concept of the "New American School" model discussed in "America 2000," school systems continue to approach educational reform and restructuring by tinkering with key organizational components in isolation. The total school organization requires assessment and profiling to determine which key components are drags on efficient and effective increases in the goal of student achievement. Arguments, fighting, interest-group power-plays, and politics do not accomplish discovery and application of already-known ways to improve organizational effectiveness. The path to positive restructuring and reform is through use of the latest available technology and qualitative/quantitative evaluation research procedures. To accomplish organizational assessment from the ground up requires the innovative, validated, and holistic model described in this paper. The process, procedures, and outcomes involved with readiness assessment, profiling, and improvement planning correspond to exhibits A through F and include: (1) adopting an assessment model; (2) identifying key organizational factors; (3) organizational profiling; (4) reporting results of organizational research; (5) improvement planning; and (6) prioritizing factors. Every component and function of educational organizations must be held accountable for the goals of student learning and development. Exhibits A through F are included. (17 references) (MLH)