Absent from school: Educational policy and comprehensive reform

State and federal policy constitutes a significant component of the educational environment. School leaders stand at the intersection of policy and practice in attempting to implement systemic school reform. This report begins with a brief overview of (1) recent federal policy alignment initiatives, (2) the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) grants program, and (3) the general policy environment in North Carolina. We then draw on evaluation data from North Carolina schools receiving CSRD grants to suggest that initial school efforts are marked by two significant absences, chiefly, the absence of comprehensive design perspectives to guide improvement efforts and the absence of critical analysis during application of improvement models. We close by offering suggestions for school leaders engaged in systemic reform efforts. © 2002 Human Sciences Press, Inc.