The basic premise of this handbook is that effective bilingual programs can occur only within a school context that is itself effective. A foreword argues that: (1) bilingual education programs must be better integrated into the mainstream of local school district programs, and (2) limited-English proficient (LEP) students should be assigned to…

Tracking--the system of grouping students for instruction on the basis of ability--reflects the class and racial inequalities of American society and helps to perpetuate them. In the junior and senior high schools studied, there were clear differences between upper and lower tracks in: (1) content and quality of instruction, (2) teacher-student…

This paper reports on a research study designed, in part, to explore the expression of bureaucracy (or structural management) and culture (or symbolic management) in the work of eighteen elementary school principals in Louisiana. In addition, the study compares principals in nine of the schools categorized as "more effective" and nine…

This paper proposes "data driven educational leadership" as a key to meeting the challenges that face public education. Section I discusses the role of the educational leader, particularly the superintendent, in assessing the state of the school district, developing district goals, and fostering an instructional focus among school…

This booklet summarizes research observations of the last 15 years about techniques and characteristics of effective teachers. The booklet presents information to assist teachers in the classroom, to stimulate discussion, and to promote effective approaches. Effective teaching cannot always be measured, yet effective teachers have a major effect…

This collection of nine papers was presented at a workshop on evaluation for excellence in education. "Why Evaluate?" by Madeline I. Hardy, contends that although reform is needed, evaluation must continue in order to measure educational change, bring improvement, and provide public accountability. In "Evaluation for Excellence in…

All research on curriculum development incorporates implicit assumptions about the nature of persons and the nature of learning. These assumptions fall into two major categories: (1) psychological assumptions, based on empirical descriptions; and (2) logical (conceptual) assumptions, which give explanatory accounts of meaning. Most curriculum…

This paper focuses on how educational statistics might better serve the quest for educational improvement in elementary and secondary schools. A model for conceptualizing the sources and processes of school productivity is presented. The Learning Productivity Model suggests that school outcomes are the consequence of the interaction of five…

Information should be gathered on specific features of school learning environments that are effective in maximizing all students' chances for schooling success, particularly the chances of success for special students who require greater-than-usual educational support. Research and educational practice support the contention that information on…

In this 2-year study, the assumptions and methods of role theory were employed to guide the description and analysis of instructional leadership among secondary school principals. This paper reports selected findings from the first year's work--a focused ethnographic study of instructional leadership patterns in five secondary schools--based on…

Determining how many students drop out of school and why they leave is not easy. The definition of a "dropout" varies from school district to school district, and the mobility of students makes counting them accurately nearly impossible. In an effort to define dropouts in a way that can be applied uniformly across the country, a…

Language minority students can be served effectively by schools that are organized to develop educational structures and processes that take into consideration both the broader attributes of effective schooling practices and the specific attributes relevant to language minority students. Effective classrooms exemplify instructional strategies that…

This joint hearing before the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources and the House Committee on Education and Labor focused on educationally and economically disadvantaged children. Of special concern were children living in poverty, those from single parent families, and those whose parents are teenagers. Educational programs are needed to…

The National School Recognition Program was established in 1982 to identify and call attention to a group of public secondary schools that are unusually effective in educating their students with available resources. This document presents 146 effective practices adopted by schools in various areas, including: (1) clear educational goals; (2)…

The development and structure of the Profile of School Excellence (PRO-S/E) are described, and the needs for which the PRO-S/E was developed are explained. A product of the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) in West Virginia, the PRO-S/E has been involved in evaluation and improvement planning and intervention for 25 urban and regional school…