This book is the fifth in a series on research and theory dedicated to advancing our understanding of schools through empirical study and theoretical analysis. Scholars, both young and established, are invited to publish original analyses, but we especially encourage young scholars to contribute to this series. The current volume is similar to its predecessors in that it provides a mix of beginning and established scholars and a broad range of theoretical perspectives; in all 14 authors contributed to 9 separate but related analyses, which were selected for publication this year. These chapters underscore the significance of educational policy in contemporary public education and in particular the impact of accountability policy on school outcomes. Public schools are increasingly being held accountable for students achieving at higher levels in both basic skills and higher-level learning outcomes. Of course, all policy is enacted by teachers in classroom and sometimes changed or distorted in the process. The challenge is to improve student outcomes without permitting accountability testing to extinguish innovation and creativity in schools. This book series on Theory and Research in Educational Administration is about understanding schools. We welcome articles and analyses that explain school organizations and administration. We are interested in the "why" questions about schools. To that end, case analyses, surveys, large data base analyses, experimental studies, and theoretical analyses are all welcome. We provide the space for authors to do comprehensive analyses where that is appropriate and useful. We believe that the Theory and Research in Educational Administration Series has the potential to make an important contribution to our field, but we will be successful only if our colleagues continue to join us in this mission.

About the Authors. Editors' Comments, Wayne K. Hoy and Cecil G. Miskel. Reform Refractions: Organizational Perspectives On Standards- Based Reform, Jane Coggshall. Local Anchors Versus State Levers In State-Led School Reform: Identifying The Community Around Public Schools, John Sipple.

This text covers such topics as: organizational learning in high-stakes accountability environments; bridging and buffering parent involvement in schools; alternative views of the task of teaching; and collective efficacy and school organization.

This book is the fifth in a series on research and theory dedicated to advancing our understanding of schools through empirical study and theoretical analysis. Scholars, both young and established, are invited to publish original analyses, but we especially encourage young scholars to contribute to this series. The current volume is similar to its predecessors in that it provides a mix of beginning and established scholars and a broad range of theoretical perspectives; in all 14 authors contributed to 9 separate but related analyses, which were selected for publication this year. These chapters underscore the significance of educational policy in contemporary public education and in particular the impact of accountability policy on school outcomes. Public schools are increasingly being held accountable for students achieving at higher levels in both basic skills and higher-level learning outcomes. Of course, all policy is enacted by teachers in classroom and sometimes changed or distorted in the process. The challenge is to improve student outcomes without permitting accountability testing to extinguish innovation and creativity in schools. This book series on Theory and Research in Educational Administration is about understanding schools. We welcome articles and analyses that explain school organizations and administration. We are interested in the ""why"" questions about schools. To that end, case analyses, surveys, large data base analyses, experimental studies, and theoretical analyses are all welcome. We provide the space for authors to do comprehensive analyses where that is appropriate and useful. We believe that the Theory and Research in Educational Administration Series has the potential to make an important contribution to our field, but we will be successful only if our colleagues continue to join us in this mission.

Like its two predecessors, this volume offers a range of theoretical perspectives and empirical analyses by novice and established scholars to advance understanding of schools. Hoy (Ohio State U.) and Miskel (U. of Michigan) introduce a dozen contributions on school reform, improvement, and measurem

This text covers such topics as: organizational learning in high-stakes accountability environments; bridging and buffering parent involvement in schools; alternative views of the task of teaching; and collective efficacy and school organization.

Hoy (educational administration, Ohio State University) and Miskel (University of Michigan) present work by new and established scholars representing a variety of theoretical perspectives on leadership and reform in K-12 schools. They draw on a mix of methodologies, including surveys, case studies, and structural equation modeling, to examine issue