ABSTRACT
Systemic renewal necessitates creating a flexible, responsive organization that enables teachers, school administrators, students, parents, and community members to collaborate in providing within each school the experiences students need to achieve academic success. The organizational structure in which the programs operated affected their ability to function and adapt effectively. Students in at-risk situations must cope with personal, health, family, and/or community situations that contribute to their low academic performance. In spite of more stringent standards and tests of achievement, schools are still failing to provide students with the support, skills, and knowledge they need to succeed academically and graduate. The purpose of changing the system is to create an academic environment that builds the capacity of teachers to help students learn. From preschool to high school, students must find effective school leaders, knowledgeable teachers, caring and commitment, and instruction that is exciting, involving, and challenging.
