Issues and assumptions underlying the current movement toward educational reform are explored. The historical antecedents of the current interest in accountability date back to before the turn of the century, but the beginning of mandated accountability in federal programs occured in the late 1960's. Publication of "A Nation at Risk" in…

A process to initiate recommended reform initiatives based on effective schools correlates and teacher effectiveness research is described in this report. Using the Achievement Formula, school districts conducted indepth self-studies of their instructional programs to compare student achievement levels with student ability and to determine the…

In 1982, the Education Commission of the States conducted an initial survey of school improvement programs to document state efforts to improve the quality of education in the public schools. Based on a new survey conducted in June and July of 1983, this paper updates the earlier survey and describes state-level school improvement activities begun…

The analysis of conceptual issues related to the perception and use of knowledge by classroom teachers and school administrators in improvement programs, specifically in urban elementary reading programs, was the primary goal of this study. To begin, a distinction was made between knowledge sources that constitute the initial bases for program…

In this two-part paper, an attempt is made to examine the relationship between social contexts and effective schools and specifically to contribute to the development of a conceptual model for understanding how social contexts influence the operation of effective schools and student learning. In the first part, school effects research is drawn…

Based on an 18-month strategic planning process undertaken by Centralia College administrators and support staff, this report reviews the achievements of each of the college's units and divisions in 1988-89 and states their goals for 1989-90. Section I provides highlights of the 1988-89 college year in the areas of college advancement (including…

Parental choice represents a promising approach to school improvement; it eliminates the excessive regulation, inefficient operation, and ineffective service that characterize the public monopolies that American schools and school systems have become. However, school reformers should bear in mind the following key points: (1) school performance…

This review of selected research on the practices of teaching and teacher preparation juxtaposes the models for conducting inquiry on teaching and teacher education with a synthesis of research on what is currently known. Chapter 1 presents several models for research on teaching and teacher education and presents some research findings according…

The role of technology and the measurement of educational progress are discussed, with an emphasis on the development of school report cards. Comments are made from the perspectives of (1) a member of a university community and (2) a researcher in evaluation and measurement. Efforts to formulate school report cards in Florida, California, and…

The Collaborative School Improvement Process (C-SIP) is a six-step process based on participative decision making and staff development. The identification of participants' perceptions of the program and reasons for variation is the purpose of this study. Data collection is based on a survey of teachers and administrators in 29 participating…

A pilot program based on a school-based decision making model (SBDM) implemented in eight inner city schools is evaluated in this report. The relationships between program effectiveness and school climate, between teacher characteristics and teacher perceptions of school climate, and between student characteristics and student perceptions of…

A new body of educational research is now showing that there are many things teachers, principals, and schools can do to improve student performance. Effective teachers do five things: (1) focus teaching and curriculum selection on the basic skills; (2) provide most instruction to the class as a whole; (3) maintain a high student success rate; (4)…

This document contains 49 pages of tables presenting data ranking schools' reading achievement in New York City. Scores are from the Degrees of Reading Power test administered in grades 3 to 10 in 1986. This report complies with the New York City Decentralization Law's requirement that each school be ranked by the percentage of pupils reading at…

Teacher and administrator responses to the Connecticut School Interview, conducted as part of the Spencerport (New York) More Effective Schools/Teaching Project, indicated (1) that there are a number of correlates which can be considered areas of strength and (2) that steady improvement has occurred in installing correlates in each building and in…

The Cajon Valley/San Diego State University Model Education Center (MEC) focuses on the training of elementary school teachers, teacher inservice, and collaborative leadership. It provides an exemplary training site for preparing elementary school teachers, and uses staff development to create a school environment/climate which will produce…