Few concepts are more noted in the leadership effects research than vision. It is a cardinal element in the school improvement equation as well. Yet, it remains one of the least well-specified components of that algorithm. Based on a comprehensive review of the research on effective leadership and school improvement from 1995 to 2012, we bring…

Poor learner performance in South African schools raises concerns related to lack of commitment and accountability from school leaders and teachers with no common vision to promote a culture of high learner performance. This paper provides a literature overview of research available on the impact of professional learning communities (PLC) on…

Implementation of school reform is a much-studied and often-discussed topic among researchers and educators alike. To hear what researchers have to say about this issue, questions were put to the Network of Researchers about what trends and patterns they see in schools implementing comprehensive school reform. Researchers agree that it is…

The objectives of the Pennsylvania School Improvement Program (PSIP), funded by the National Institute of Education from 1976 to 1980, were to help schools analyze basic skills needs and improve student performance through the use of research-based programs and techniques. The data uncovered the need to improve instructional management, improve…

New approaches to education are being advocated and implemented throughout the Pacific region. This is the first of a series of papers on the broad phase of educational change: initiation, implementation, and institutionalization and renewal. It seeks to provide Pacific educators with updated information about the change process, with a focus on…

Schools can be marked by intense isolation among teachers, between teachers and administrators, and between parents and teachers. This research brief presents information about successful organizations and schools, where everyone understands and agrees on common goals. A clear vision, expressed through specific goals and high expectations, guides…

Information on basic skills improvement programs is provided through a review of research findings concerned with the factors determining quality education. These factors fall into four key areas: (1) the classroom--use of time, classroom climate/control, teacher behaviors, student behavior, organization of instruction; (2)…

According to a 1980 estimate, 5,678,000 black South African adults are illiterate. A large number of organizations has been created to address the problem--among them such private sector operations as the South African Committee for Higher Education, Operation TEACH (Teach Every African Child), the Bureau of Literacy and Literature, the Urban…

In discussing the improvement of schools by using research and development findings, two different outcomes of a change program are considered. One is the effective implementation of new programs through use of available knowledge. The second is the broader issue of achieving school improvement through making the organization more healthy, the…

The eight papers in this book summarize discussions and recommendations by participants in a 1977 conference that focused on three topics: definitions of linking functions and roles; coordination of dissemination and linking activities; and support needs of linking agents, including options for providing support. Each of the chapters provides…

Charges that counselor educators are calling for more counselor training without recognizing that academic programs do not have ever-expanding resources and time. A response by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs agrees that the profession must examine counselor education, and make specific recommendations.…

There are three primary driving forces in West Virginia for responding to problems and for directing efforts concerning technology in education: (1) the "Master Plan for Public Education," calling for universal computer literacy, provides a framework for addressing within the educational system the issues, goals, and needs of an emerging…

Businesses are increasingly frustrated by the lack of workers with the basic skills needed to fill their entry-level jobs. Workers in existing jobs make many errors because of lack of skills, errors that cost businesses--and consumers--many dollars. Many solutions have been advanced to improve education. Twenty-two educational practices that work…

The consensus reached at a seminar of deans of schools of education was that inquiry and scholarship associated with the process of education undergird all other missions of schools of education. The terms inquiry and scholarship are interpreted to include research, development, evaluation, and dissemination as well as the responsiveness of…

Prompted by requirements of the 1990 Perkins Act and a growing dissatisfaction among employers with college graduates' skill levels, many schools have undertaken curricular reform through tech prep and school-to-work, with most of the efforts working toward the integration of academic content into vocational programs. In general, however, tech…