English Reforms May Offer Model, Report Says

By Ann Bradley

England's experience with school reforms similar to initiatives under way in this country suggests that the governance of American schools could be successfully overhauled, a report released last week concludes.

"School Reform: Lessons From England" was written for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching by Kathryn Stearns, an American journalist. As a senior fellow for the Princeton, N.J.-based foundation, Ms. Stearns traveled throughout England to assess the impact of reforms instituted over the past eight years by the British government.

Most of the changes grew from a 1988 act of Parliament backed by the Conservative government. The government instituted a national curriculum and national assessments, school-based management coupled with an enrollment-driven funding system, new roles for school districts, new technical colleges, and a provision that allows schools to opt out...