The Charles A. Dana Center, The University of Texas at Austin produced this publication with funds from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) and the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract #RJ96006801.

Celeste D. Alexander, Ph.D.
Project Director for Research, Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin

Heather Boyer
Research Associate, Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin

Amanda Bright Brownson
Research Associate, Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin

Catherine Clark, Ph.D.
Program Director for Research, Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin

Judy Jennings
Graduate Research Assistant
The University of Texas at Austin

Ertha S. Patrick
Research Associate, Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin

December 4, 2000

For more information, or to obtain a copy of this report, please visit the SEDL website at http://www.sedl.org, or the Charles A. Dana Center website at http://www.utdanacenter.org or contact:Celeste Alexander, Ph.D., Project Director for Research

Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin
DEV. 2.200
2901 North IH-35
Austin, Texas 78722-2348
(512) 471-6190

This study was greatly enhanced by the willingness of the leadership and personnel from the twenty-one districts to share their time and knowledge throughout the interview process. Additionally, the expertise shared by Lynn Moak, Partner Moak, Casey, and Associates, LLP, during the development of the interview protocols was also invaluable.

The researchers acknowledge with appreciation all the members of the Dana Center Communications Team who provided assistance in the production of this report:

Amy Dolejs, Editor and Designer
Phil Swann, Senior Designer
Dale W. Tope, Senior Administrative Associate

Disclaimer

The content herein does not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Education, any other agency of the U.S. Government, or any other source. The Charles A. Dana Center and Southwest Educational Development Laboratory are Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers and are committed to affording equal employment opportunities to all individuals in all employment matters. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions.

Permission is given to any person, group, or organization to copy and distribute this publication for education purposes only, so long as the appropriate credit is given and no charge is made. This permission is granted by the Charles A. Dana Center, a unit of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.