Abstract
Purpose. Considering schools in California which had received Demonstration of Restructuring in Public Education Grants under Senate Bill 1274 and which had applied for and received waivers to the Education Code, the purpose of this study was to identify the waiver application process, and to study the impact that waivers had on the restructuring process. Methodology. Using descriptive research to answer four research questions, the researcher conducted a semistructured telephone interview with the principal, SB 1274 project coordinator and union representative from fourteen schools that requested waivers of statutes and regulations in the California Codes. Analysis of the data was presented from two different perspectives. One included an examination of each variable across all schools and the other an intensive look at the entire waiver process for each of the fourteen schools. Findings. Fourteen elementary, middle, and secondary schools requested a total of twenty-one waivers, and twenty were approved. Six different types of waivers were requested for reducing class size, deferring credential requirements, converting staff development time, reducing instructional minutes in the school day, and modifying course requirements for seniors. These schools did not tend to follow specific steps to identification the need for waivers. Schools encountered both obstacles and support at the site and state level during the application process, but encountered no obstacles at the district level. There were six elements listed on the original SB 1274 grant guidelines that each school was to address in the restructuring efforts. More than half the schools reported that waivers had an impact on at least four of the six elements. Conclusions and recommendations. Waivers assist in the implementation of the elements of school restructuring. District office personnel support waiver requests and the State Board of Education support well-documented waiver requests. Working in collaboration with parents and teachers, enlisting the support of the union, establishing and maintaining contact with state department personnel in the waiver office will facilitate a smooth application process.