Jorgensen, Cheryl M., editor. (1998). Restructuring High Schools for all Students: Taking Inclusion to the Next Level. Baltimore, MD : Paul H. Brookes.

This edited volume holds together more tightly than most. Jorgensen's active hand in the writing of most chapters may be the reason. The introductory chapter by Susan Shapiro-Barnard is hard hitting consciousness raising at its best and should be required reading for everyone with an interest in inclusion. The chapters which follow present the foundations of inclusion and discuss scheduling, lesson plans, social support, and self-determination for learning disabled students. The authors have much to offer and draw extensively on their own experience to make their points. There is depth of analysis and an open admission that what is advocated here is neither easy nor likely to be uniformly successful. The unique problems of the secondary setting are dealt with expressly, especially problems of conveying large amounts of information to students within a limited time frame. This will be an important book for special education and school administration professionals.

Pages: 273 Price: $27.95 ISBN: 1-55766-313-0

Reviewed by Kate Corby, Michigan State University

Mitchell, Philip, editor. (1998). Beyond the Universities: The New Higher Education. Aldershot, England: Ashgate Publishing.

This British focused book (there is only one chapter on the U.S.) explores the recent evolution of British postsecondary education. The British have historically focused on career and vocational education; now research intensive universities are increasingly partnering with the career focused further-education institutions to provide a more broadly based education to larger numbers of British students.
Recurring issues for these new partners revolve around administration, quality control, and finding and keeping students. While there is repetition of these themes across chapters, each also has a unique message. Among the models presented are institutional merger, franchising, and supervision by either or both of the partners. The book is well written and relatively free of Anglicisms that can slow down even a determined American reader. Exposure to the ideas and solutions of another culture is always helpful in breaking through our own cultural barriers, and this book presents a level of cooperation that would be unusual in an American setting.

Pages: 235 Price: $59.95 ISBN: 1-85742-394-1

Reviewed by Kate Corby, Michigan State University

Murphy, Madonna M. (1998). Character Education in America's Blue Ribbon Schools: Best Practices for Meeting the Challenge. Lancaster, PA : Technomic.

Blue Ribbon Schools are the 1,224 elementary schools that have been selected under the U.S. Department of Education Elementary School Recognition Program from 1985-1994. Murphy surveyed a random sample of 350 of these schools and followed up with personal visits. In this text she reports the findings of her study. The book begins with the obligatory definitions and historical overview, but engaging readers in a discussion of the roots or merits of character education is not the author's purpose.
Thematically arranged chapters on such topics as motivation, drug abuse prevention, discipline, citizenship, and evaluation provide survey results and brief descriptions of programs at specific schools. One feature that might be unexpected--commercially available curricula are mentioned by name, and described. Many of the survey result boxes give numbers of schools implementing these specific programs.
Whether or not one agrees with Murphy's views of the importance of character education, her survey results make interesting reading. On nearly every issue--instructional methods, motivational methods, drug education programs, discipline programs--variety is the rule. Rarely do even 30% of the surveyed schools state that they use any one technique (is it really possible that only 24% of schools use rewards as a motivational technique?). This "no right way" lack of consensus is potentially empowering, but there is little comparative or evaluative information here to help with the decision-making process.

Pages: 253 Price: $44.95 ISBN: 1-56676-593-5

Reviewed by Kate Corby, Michigan State University

O'Donoghue, Thomas A. and Dimmock Clive A. J. (1998). School Restructuring: International Perspectives. London: Kogan Page.

This authored book has many of the organizational hallmarks of an edited work. There are five parts, each with its own introduction, and thirteen chapters each with their own introduction and most also with conclusions. The newsman's credo to tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you've told them, gets followed here to excess (as this paragraph no doubt demonstrates). Between all the introducing and concluding there is some good information. The brief historical overviews of restructuring activities in England and Wales, the United State, Hong Kong, and Australia are informative, accurate and fairly up to date, but present more a synthesis rather than new insights.
Case study/survey research conducted in Western Australia forms the real meat of this book. The authors have reported much of their work in the journal literature, the chapters here bring together this research and draw general lessons from the results. The focus is on the relationships among policy makers, administrators, teachers and parents. Discussion centers on how various restructuring efforts change or fail to change the balance of power between these groups. The authors hope that by illuminating these issues they can bring about a more enlightened approach to restructuring.

Pages: 200 Price: $59.95 ISBN: 0-7494-2493-1

Reviewed by Kate Corby, Michigan State University