Challenges Wilbur Brookover's response to the author's article "It's Time We Changed the Effective Schools Formula" appearing in the November 1987 issue of "Kappan." The author's Pennsylvania studies show that certain variables such as classroom climate, emphasis on basic skills, and time-on-task were inconsequential in predicting a school's…

Four vanguard districts are committed to raising academic scores of students by increasing academic learning time; to turning average schools for disadvantaged students into exemplary schools; and, by carefully charting the process, to providing a scenario that can be useful to other schools. (Author/JM)

An attitude that students could, and would, master their lessons resulted in raised student test scores and improved school discipline at a Florida elementary school. Increasing time on task and dividing lessons into manageable blocks contributed to the school atmosphere. (MLF)

A three-hour block of uninterrupted time each morning for the teaching of core subjects has allowed this elementary school to reduce class size, increase the time teachers spend with individual students, increase time on task, increase parent and teacher expectations of students, and improve student/teacher relationships. (DCS)

Twelve characteristics of effective schools are described, including: (1) academic and social goals; (2) curriculum; (3) rules of conduct; (4) administrator, teacher, and student responsibilities; (5) time on task; and (6) parental and community support. (CJ)

A turnaround school in Mission, Texas proves poverty and underachievement are not synonymous. The 1998 passing rate on state assessments was 90.7 percent, compared to 41.2 percent in 1993. Factors include committed faculty, a strong principal, extended reading practice and instructional time, incentives and recognition, and pre-assessment…

Supports B. Plowden and David Elkind's rationale for developmental early childhood education that considers children's unique learning modes. Describes four program elements: opportunities for developmental tasks, teachers' knowledge of children's development, concrete learning experiences, and appropriate setting. Discusses curriculum…

Teachers in this high school "shadowed" selected students to see the school through students' eyes. The teachers noted both strengths and weaknesses. The latter included class interruptions, low expectations of low achievers, and inadequate learning time. (JM)

Papers are presented which were generated by this workshop on school improvement. Both session and panel presentations are included on school effectiveness research, curriculum alignment for school improvement, a school climate improvement project, the McRel school improvement program, Pennsylvania's long-range planning for school improvement, an…

Materials related to Hudson's Bay High School's (Vancouver, Washington) program to improve school effectiveness are presented. On the first page are enumerated six steps that were taken to implement the program, including the administration of an Effective Schools Evaluation Instrument asking faculty to identify needed improvements. Eight teams…

In 1980, the Maryland State Education Agency initiated a statewide effort, School Improvement Through Instructional Process (SITIP), to put into practice the results of research on classroom management and school effectiveness. SITIP was intended to provide training and technical support to all local education agencies (LEA's) during the adoption…

This paper presents one researcher's premise that the most important variable in determining classroom effectiveness is the congruence of the delivered curriculum with the desired outcomes or, that students be given the opportunity to learn what is expected of them. This theory presupposes that curriculum expectations be made clear to students,…