Every spring, education-related newspaper and magazine stories raise the alarm that schools are "teaching to the test." Scores of articles and editorials paint a disheartening picture of frustrated teachers forced to abandon good instructional practices for a relentless stream of worksheets based on boring, repetitive test-preparation…

Students benefit from a year or more gain in student achievement when urban district and high school leaders commit to the implementation of the "High Schools That Work" ("HSTW") design. It is not enough to be a "HSTW" site--it is about taking effective actions to implement the design. Schools that do take action witness significant progress in…

Improving Schools--Investing in Our Future provides a foundation for improving student learning and performance, and improving aspects of schooling. Chapter (1) provides information about Alberta's well--established K-12 education system. Alberta's school-aged population is becoming more diverse with growing numbers of Aboriginal and immigrant…

This study investigated how seven high-poverty middle schools demonstrated strong academic improvement so they were performing at levels consistent with, and often better than, higher-income schools in their states. Schools ranged in enrollment from 291-1,010 and represented several community types and ethnic groups. Among the characterisitics…

These case studies described how seven high-poverty middle schools were able to demonstrate strong academic improvement in a short amount of time so they were performing at levels consistent with, and often better than, higher-income schools in their states. These case studies focus on procedural knowledge that may prove useful to other schools…

This is one of several reports used to monitor the public-school system in North Carolina. This report has three purposes: (1) to assist policymakers in gauging the status and progress of student achievement in the state; (2) to compare student achievement in North Carolina with student achievement nationwide; and (3) to inform the public of the…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between teachers' participative decision-making and school effectiveness in special schools. After the review of literature, a questionnaire was developed in this study to survey 350 special school teachers. The statistical methods used were T-Test, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation,…

To aid members of the news media in looking at the issues of quality in postsecondary education, the authors of the recently published "Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter" distill some useful factors for the media and the general public to use in assessing the quality of education at four-year colleges and universities.…

This annual report highlights information on school performance and improvement in Hawaii's public schools. The report profiles noteworthy academic events, trends, and outcomes at two organizational levels: state and complex. Featured are tables, figures, and narrative sections related to demographic, financial, and educational performance. Also,…

This study examined the use of faculty development activities to improve the effectiveness of colleges and universities in the United States. A total of 116 institutions in 45 states responded to a mailed survey questionnaire on faculty development activities. It was found that all responding institutions included a faculty development component…

Public schools in the United States face enormous challenges as they try to provide cost-effective, good quality education. Schools can continually change to provide this service. The principles and processes of Total Quality Management can lead to Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). Change can be initiated at any level and can be customized to…

Ways that educators can improve America's schools using Deming's total-quality-improvement methods are detailed in this book. The book draws upon the following beliefs: (1) people should be recognized for excellent work; (2) evaluation is essential to improvement; and (3) intrinsic motivation must be enhanced and pride in workmanship nurtured. The…

The progress that Utah schools have made under the Utah Strategic Plan Act for Educational Excellence (1992) is detailed in this annual report. It begins with an overview of strategic planning and school reform, describing various programs, such as year-round schools and experimental development programs. Student achievement and assessment are…

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys the changing landscape in education finance by commissioning papers from members of the school finance research community. Papers that address the questions of the current and future financial condition for school districts are presented here. The papers, which are intended to promote the…

This qualitative study explored the evaluative criteria used by administrators at a southern, metropolitan university to define institutional effectiveness and to determine the congruency between those criteria and the institution's metropolitan mission. Four focus groups were conducted with 22 administrators (vice chancellors, associate and…