Publication Date

1994

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Miranda, Wilma

Degree Name

M.S. Ed. (Master of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership and Educational Policy Studies

LCSH

School management and organization--Illinois; Educational change--Illinois

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to trace the efforts of one Chicago suburban elementary school to implement change from 1992 to 1993. The changes were instituted in response to parent pressure for modification of the curriculum and instruction. Community tensions arose over the needs of a racially and economically diverse student population. Descriptive summaries of meetings and events held in the Chatsworth Avenue School community (involving the principal, parents, teachers, and selected central staff people) are presented. The final outcome of these efforts was a plan for change called "The Chatsworth Avenue Model," a one-of-its-kind, individualized design of programs and practices intended to implement change at the school level. Several methods were used in this policy study to elicit perspectives from the main "players" involved in the process of a model implementation at Chatsworth Avenue School. Personal interviews were conducted with selected district administrators, parents, and teachers in the school community. Sources also included proceedings of both planned and impromptu faculty meetings, public relations related materials, newspaper reports, community flyers, and communication reports to parents. The conclusion derived from this study indicates that the Chatsworth Avenue Model, which was represented as a "bottom-up" movement in educational policy, depended heavily on "top-down" planning. Implications are drawn for improving the teacher/administration relations in policy planning and implementation.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [114]-117)

Extent

181 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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