Recounts a principal's experiences at a British Columbia elementary school with control over its own budget. Decentralized administration did not prevent mistakes. At first, administrators and teachers made more errors in judgment than an experienced school business officer would have made. This district's success may be attributed to the…

Defines institutional effectiveness concepts, including accountability, alignment, assessment, baseline, benchmark, change, compatibility, competency, cost control, cost efficiency, excellence, family measure, goal, indicator, institutional effectiveness, journal, key indicator, longitudinal data, measure, mission, norm, objective, outcome,…

As one of the nation's first school effectiveness programs, Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Schools' Project RISE received national attention during the 1980s for efforts to improve elementary students' achievement test scores. The program failed because of inadequate funding, lack of specificity, and failure to translate the RISE philosophy and the five…

Identified characteristics perceived by students, educators, school board members, and the community to be the most important indicators of school quality in small school districts in Kansas. Determined the degree to which characteristics are present in selected small and rural schools. Respondents perceived their schools positively on the…

Many states are answering the call for public reports on educational progress by developing indicator systems that are designed to show trends within and relationships among school data. A table shows 13 states and the number of indicator components used. Offers advice to school boards considering indicator systems. (MLF)

Reports on the PASCI (Parental Choice Interaction) Study that is investigating the interaction between school decision making and parental school choice in the United Kingdom. Discusses how schools in a pilot case study area are responding to parental choice and competition among schools. The market and participative education models may be…

Suggests that serious ethical questions regarding the preparation of prospective school administrators have arisen out of the American reform movement. Discusses university-sponsored educational administration programs in the context of the social contract between the university and its various shareholders. Argues that such programs have a major…

Presents Aurora (Colorado) Public Schools' generic plan for effecting school improvement, which consists of four tools: (1) outcomes-oriented strategic planning; (2) performance-based education to help students achieve learner and content outcomes; (3) performance-based graduation requirements; and (4) shared decision making among the district's…

Provides a personal narrative of Sanford J. Cohn's educational and professional experiences, entry into the Arizona North Central Association's (NCA's) State Committee, and view of the future of NCA's schools. Suggests that Outcomes Accreditation moves assessment to the teachers, inviting their participation in establishing meaningful student…

Deems continuing education practitioners at the leading edge of community college education, highlighting their flexibility, responsiveness, inclusiveness, and appreciation of diversity. Considers the role of continuing education practitioners in college planning, institutional effectiveness documentation, improving access, collaboration with…

For schools implementing school effectiveness models, a generic school improvement program stressing clearcut goals and actions may prove valuable. One program stresses student achievement and competency but also measures student socialization and school improvement in problem generation. Leaders include the principal and internal coordinator;…

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a helpful tool to assist boards and administrators in improving schools. However, to leap into the quality movement without broad-based support and a critical mass of believers is risky. Presents 20 questions to answer before deciding to initiate TQM. (MLF)

Educational research should closely reflect the relatively turbulent world of schools and the micropolitical processes therein. Common research themes in England include response to change, establishment of new working relationships and new roles for local education agencies, marketing influences, curriculum management reforms, and quality control…

Reviews management-competence and school-effectiveness research, explores similarities, and discusses each area's contribution to education management. A major problem for both approaches is finding a balance between general descriptions of good practice and the particular needs of specific schools at particular development stages. General…

Baker and Riordan express disappointment with Father Greeley's sharp comments concerning their September 1998 "Kappan" article. Their major point was that 1990s Catholic schools are no longer educating the disadvantaged, due to changing demographics. Father Greeley's second rebuttal deplores Baker and Riordan's gratuitous scholarship and…