This publication contains two papers on the implications of school decentralization for teacher education, student achievement, and democracy. The first paper, "Devolution in Education Systems: Implications for Teacher Professional Development and Pupil Performance" (Geoff Whitty), explores the way education reform movements for…

This report is one of a series that documents progress in understanding the effects of new assessment based on case studies in three elementary schools. It presents the preliminary analyses of interviews with teachers about their knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to assessment and instruction in reading and mathematics. Changes in beliefs…

Intended primarily for preservice elementary classroom teachers, this book focuses on preparing teachers for literacy education as it is practiced today, giving them the background knowledge, will, and wisdom to find other and better ways. The book is based on three assumptions: teachers must participate in examining and defining their philosophy…

Statistical data on in-state, first-time freshmen at Virginia's four-year institutions and Richard Bland College, entering in 1992-93, are presented. The first table summarizes the academic performance of students for identified private high schools, by area. The second table summarizes the academic performance of students for identified public…

Focusing on data from 1991 to 1993, this articulation report provides information on students enrolled in Florida's State University System (SUS). Prior to enrolling in their respective universities, these students attended one of Florida's 28 public community colleges. Following an overview of articulation in Florida, 15 tables are provided,…

This report presents the latest available racial and ethnic data concerning high school completion rates, college participation rates, college enrollments, and degree completions. It also presents projections on the numbers of high school graduates, from a study conducted by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education and the College…

An underlying tenet of outcomes assessment is that student learning is the responsibility of faculty and the institution. Universities should measure the effects of their undergraduate education and methods of instruction. Surveys can determine what outcomes of data exist. In order to understand and serve adult learners, programs need to be…

The issue of whether high school and postsecondary students with native language communication deficits can succeed in second language study is discussed. It is noted that before World War II, language education was considered primarily a good form of mental discipline. More recent trends toward "relevant" language learning have emphasized…

The Division of Human Resource Development of the National Science Foundation (NSF) has the responsibility for broadening the participation of minority groups underrepresented in science, engineering and mathematics. This publication highlights a selection of model projects funded by the NSF to accomplish that mandate. The projects are presented…

The experience of the Detroit (Michigan) public schools is used to offer a new interpretation of the decline of urban education in the 20th century, and ways are suggested to improve America's schools. Political, social, and financial influences have affected the formulation and development of educational policy in Detroit. The history of the…

Although analogous and vague definitions of school climate may help in determining whether low-achieving students are experiencing a more positive or negative school climate, more clarity is needed to render the climate construct more observable, measurable, and malleable. Tagiuri conceptualizes climate as the total environmental quality within an…

In 1987-88, as a follow-up to a 1986-87 Learning Assessment Retention Consortium (LARC) study of the educational outcomes of 7,500 remedial writing students enrolled in California community colleges, data from the academic records of 2,701 of the original students were collected, and surveys were completed by a subset of 865 of the students. Only…

Research pertaining to implementation of the U.S. first national education goal calling for parents to prepare their children for school success is reviewed and synthesized. The report is organized to inform the design of a public awareness initiative aimed primarily at parents. It reviews research in an effort to guide decisions about the content…

Separate but related developments in the new generation of school effectiveness research are discussed. The first part of the report presents a short historical overview that traces the change from a largely individualistic research approach to one that is more holistic. Whether schools make a difference is explored, and, if so, what makes them…

This administrator's summary describes the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP). The TAP battery is designed to provide information about the strengths and weaknesses of the instructional program and about skills performance of individual students in grades 9 through 12. The TAP may be administered at the year's beginning, middle, or end;…