Reports on a national survey that gives a portrait of the American school superintendent -- the kind of education he brings to the job today, the experience he has had, the salary he is earning, and the obstacles he sees to the performance of his duties. (Author)

The assessment of the current level of student drug use in North America varies widely depending on which drugs and which districts are being discussed. (JM)

A national survey of school board members helps explode myths about the divided school board. Dissent is a basic component of the decision-making process in a democracy. (Author/IRT)

Results of a national survey of board of education members include demographic information and outline the members' most pressing concerns. Members' concerns are compared with those the general public expressed in the 1979 Gallup Poll. (Author/IRT)

Reports on a national survey of why board of education members quit. The most cited reason is demand on the member's time. (IRT)

School board members can accurately be labeled as suburban, white, middle or upper-middle class, and middle-aged. School board membership is, however, no longer almost exclusively male; females made up 26 percent of the respondents in the study. (Author/IRT)

School board members seem to have different priorities of concern for the management of local school districts than does the general public. (Author/IRT)

Discusses the report "Children Out of School in America" published by the Children's Defense Fund and examines the implications of its finding that schools deliberately exclude children who are different by virtue of race, income, age, or any kind of handicap. (JG)

Teachers endorse merit pay, but many are opposed to bonus pay to individuals teaching in subject areas where teacher shortages exist. Bonus plans are also opposed by teacher unions. A national survey found that the differences between teachers' attitudes relate to the number of years teaching, union membership, and tenure status. (MD)

Teachers see complexities in merit pay programs. In a national survey there were nine areas in which teachers made extensive comments of their own upon responding to a questionnaire. (MD)

Reports on a national survey of board members and administrators focusing on teacher collective bargaining. (IRT)

Superintendents in 153 cities with populations of from 50,000 to 100,000 were sent questionnaires asking information about school board members. Responses from 89 superintendents provided information about 597 board members. Findings indicate that whether or not board members receive pay has little effect on the makeup of school boards. (MLF)