In attempting to document similarities between effective school practices and the provisions of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142), this report reviews the literature on school effectiveness and relates specific recommendations for classroom and schoolwide practices to those services now mandated for special education…

The School Improvement Project of the Institute for the Development of Educational Activities, first instituted in 1980, offers high schools a method for selecting and implementing recommended changes from among the many proposed in recent reports on high school improvement. (JBM)

Meier is no bleeding-heart liberal who oversimplifies difficulties involved in creating classrooms and schools reflective of productive learning contexts. Larger system of school governance is inimical to creating such contexts. In his book "How Schools Might Be Governed and Why" (Teacher's College Press, 1997), author argues that the…

Although data for the effective schools movement was largely derived from research on elementary schools, practitioners have increasingly attempted to implement similar programs in high schools. Because of differences between elementary schools and high schools in program implementation, effectiveness criteria, and other considerations, such…

Findings from descriptions of successful practice and studies of school effectiveness are presented in this collection of readings, which provide a background of the rationale and recommendations for implementing school improvement. The readings also serve as a detailed reference for school improvement teams who have participated in training…

This Bulletin investigates the role of the principal in fostering a school climate conducive to collegial supervision--teachers observing teachers and working together for instructional improvement. Chapter 1 attempts to put into perspective the traditional responsibilities of the principal as instructional leader and teacher evaluator. Collegial…

Project SHAL was undertaken in four northern St. Louis (Missouri) schools (Stowe, Hempstead, Arlington, and Laclede) in an effort to introduce key features of effective schools into the educational system. One of the project's major goals was to develop a model for implementing effective schooling procedures that would permit replication of the…

This document contains resolution text adopted by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in July 1998 regarding Redesigning Low-Performing Schools. A Question & Answer section follows the resolution, addressing the following issues: (1) Union support for redesign or closure of low-performing schools; (2) Indicators of low-performing schools…

This book shows how Deming's Total Quality Management (TQM) theory for organizational management can be integrated with the effective-schools literature. Part 1 compares the 14 principles of TQM with the tenets of effective-schools research. The second part develops a blueprint for creating the total quality effective school. The conceptual…

Most major urban boards across Canada have expressed interest in schools for the arts. The principal concern expressed by educators, and especially music educators, is the potentialy negative effect brought about by the loss of students and their leadership on the programs in the general school. (BRR)

This paper describes a plan to improve school effectiveness in the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Public Schools by incorporating instruction in thinking skills. The program selected by the school district was the Strategic Reasoning Program, based on Albert Upton's Design for Thinking and J. P. Guilford's Structure of the Intellect. The Strategic Reasoning…

Climate and culture are inherent in the life of every organization, including schools. They are difficult to define and even more difficult to change, yet any reform effort must address them first if it is to succeed. This report helps school leaders understand these crucial factors and measure their influences on the school. It offers various…

Suggests that college compliance with external accrediting agency policies regarding outcomes assessment will not necessarily affect the internal academic environment. Recommends that outcomes assessment be presented to faculty as a student success approach, which does not threaten academic freedom or job security. Discusses the politics of…

Development planning has recently become a commonly adopted strategy for school improvement in the United Kingdom. Development planning is a description and more formal explication of the process and actions required to plan and manage change with the intention of improving the school. The chapters in this book report on the "state of the…

The institutional effectiveness movement has emerged on the higher education agenda because of increased global competition, decreased funding levels, and a loss of public confidence in higher education. While the movement's emphasis on outcomes-based accountability has been integrated into state mandates, accreditation processes, and educational…