ABSTRACT
Concern about school reform and restructuring efforts have been raised by many researchers (Goodlad, 1984; McCaslin & Good, 1992; McCollum & Walker, 1992; Sarason, 1990). McCaslin and Good (1992) did an extensive review of current school reform efforts with a focus on the interrelated areas of school and classroom management and instruction. They concluded that in order to reform schools significantly, we must consider the various constructions of students in the popular culture and the larger educational community. Without understanding schools and communities, efforts at school reform are destined to fail. They also found that too many reforms are undertaken for political rather than educational reasons; hence, many reforms are irrelevant or self-defeating because they are symbolic and expedient.
