Both built and natural environments embellish student learning; however, it is believed that there are far too many functional and structural design problems in schools. This document provides basic design factors from three perspectives: environmental; educational; and architectural. Selected developmentally appropriate characteristics of…

Chile has introduced a system of merit awards to schools called the National System to Evaluate School Performance (SNED). This paper provides information on the characteristics of the SNED approach to providing incentives to improve the quality of education. Key features of the SNED system are as follows: Awards go to school establishments, not…

This paper explores the policy background, the arguments for collaboration between agencies, the barriers which may get in the way of schools and social services working together to safeguard children, and suggestions for how these can be removed. As well as drawing on policy documents and literature around child protection, education and…

This catalog describes 44 school-reform models. It was prepared for the U.S. Department of Education in direct response to the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program. The catalog's purpose is to aid schools, school districts, and states as they investigate external models that can be incorporated into comprehensive school-reform…

This report analyzes the 1999 Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) survey results of Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) (Utah) conducted by the Noel-Levitz company. In 1999, a stratified random sample was utilized that produced a more representative profile of the student demographics compared to previous years (e.g., the percentage of full-time…

This document addresses the concept of a year-round educational system (YRES) as an alternative schedule for education, the associated costs of an extended school year, the operational costs for single and multi-track YRES calendars, and the potential for the avoidance of capital costs in multi-track calendars. Topics include the reduction of…

The implementation of corrective action to improve low-performing schools and school districts has varied across the nation from verbal reprimands to state and private takeover. Currently, 34 states have formal plans for corrective action. Although little evaluation of the effectiveness of these actions on improving student and school performance…

School readiness encompasses two different terms in Estonia: school maturity and school readiness. School maturity involves stages in growth a child experiences up to a certain level of development. School readiness involves that point in development at which a child is ready to enter school. Because children develop at different rates, ways…

This report provides a summary on the attainment or progress of the goals and objectives established by Williamsburg Technical College (South Carolina) for the 1998-1999 academic year. Williamsburg Technical College established 10 major goals in support of its mission during this year. To varying degrees of success, all of these major goals have…

This report describes an evaluation of charter schools in Arizona. Eighty-two charter schools representing the 137 charter-school holders in the state participated in the study. The schools were selected to be representative of all state charter schools with regard to location, population density, grade level, and sponsoring agency. A total of 303…

This report seeks to further the debate about the overall reform impact of Colorado's charter schools. It focuses on the characteristics and performance of the first 32 charter schools in the state, ones that have been operating for at least 2 years as of the end of the 1997-98 school year. The document identifies promising trends: the performance…

This handbook is designed to help parents learn more about what is taking place in the schools their children attend and to help parents evaluate the effectiveness of the school's academic program. It offers tips for locating important information and identifies where assistance can be obtained. A checklist is provided to help parents identify the…

Overcoming decades of labor, financial and performance troubles, the Chicago school system has enjoyed improving test scores 3 consecutive years, rising attendance, and labor peace under a new contract balancing the budget. Despite some criticism, the Chicago system enjoys reform successes in six areas: (1) improved governance; (2) greater…

This study examined how firmly formalized institutional effectiveness processes were in place on college campuses and whether those processes were deemed successful and useful by campus communities, noting the effectiveness of Web-based surveying to collect information. Respondents were college administrators involved in their institution's…

This report presents a brief overview of the most common approaches to the calculation of transfer rates and discusses the use of a transfer rate as a measure of institutional effectiveness. It provides an overview of existing practices and helps to inform a discussion of whether or not transfer rate data should be collected from British Columbia…