The 'Vision Thing' and School Restructuring.

This article explores the role of vision and vision-building in public schools as a tool for bringing about a redirection of educational institutions. A reanalysis of 32 interviews with teachers and principals in schools involved in Oregon's "2020 School Improvement and Professional Development" program revealed that most school goals demonstrated a desire to develop new teaching skills and strategies through various inservice activities. Numerous quotations from the interviews illustrate how these educators utilized the concept of a vision and a process of vision-building to bring about significant change. The next section considers the process of vision-building, including possible prerequisites and some suggestions for a systematic approach to vision-building at the school level. Finally, seven tentative conclusions are offered regarding the role of vision in the process of school restructuring. (7 references) (MLF)