This document is a loose-leaf collection of materials intended to help citizens become active in working to make schools more effective. Its organization and contents are geared to three kinds of information needs. Part A provides research evidence on what works in instruction. It includes (1) a summary of the "Effective Schools" research, (2) a…

The Seattle Public Schools' effort to define and establish effective schools is described in this paper, a transcript of four coordinated presentations. Ellen Roe, the first presenter, recounts the design of the project. Planning, she states, was begun in late 1981 by a decision seminar (comprised of teachers, administrators, a community…

In September 1982, a science school began operation at the Ontario Science Centre to provide programs, personnel, facilities, and resources to help students achieve their potential in physical, intellectual, emotional, social, cultural, and moral development, especially as these relate to scientific knowledge and to the needs of society. This…

A discussion of ongoing efforts to identify and analyze city schools which were instructionally effective for poor and/or minority children is presented. The "Search For Effective Schools" project attempted to answer the question: Are there schools that are instructionally effective for poor children? Two thousand five hundred pupils in…

From a preliminary study of two secondary schools, the author of this report hypothesizes that four essential types of networks determine the character of the educational process. The most important of these is the individual teacher's personal field, the egocentric network of relationships growing out of the teacher's own personal interests. The…

This report focuses on the learning and development of primary and secondary school children, employing an "ecology of human development" model. This model is defined as involving the scientific study of the accommodation between growing human beings and the changing immediate settings in which they live and learn. The conceptual framework for the…

This study reviews and synthesizes research on factors that are correlated with school effectiveness. Effectiveness may be determined by high achievement on standardized tests; low rates of violence, vandalism, delinquency, and behavior problems; and high attendence. Indicators of effectiveness encompass two levels, classroom and school. Schools…

This paper is a summary report of the "Study of the Emergency School Aid Act Magnet School Program" which was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of magnet school programs as a strategy in school desegregation. The representative sample of eighteen schools used in the study and their community contexts are described, and the…

Several general approaches to organizational effectiveness are outlined, and three specifically relevant to higher education institutions are examined. Literature on the causal relationship of various areas of institutional achievement as a basis for a discussion of empirical findings and issues in assessment of institutional achievement. (MSE)

A case study approach focused on five local education agencies (LEAs) in England to study the implementation process of the 1981 Education Act. Interviews with professionals focused on such issues as the definition of special educational needs, recognition of child and parental rights, and effectiveness of special education provisions. (JW)

Describes the Inner-City Schools Improvement Project, a comprehensive approach to ensuring quality education in the majority Black Memphis Tennessee City School System. Combines elements of the Effective Schools Movement with a community-based intervention/prevention approach. (FMW)

Describes the context for current intense interest in educational effectiveness, presents basic steps in assessing institutional effectiveness (i.e., developing meaningful statements of institutional mission and goals, designing and implementing an institutional planning process, and identifying indicators of effectiveness), and discusses the…

Supports B. Plowden and David Elkind's rationale for developmental early childhood education that considers children's unique learning modes. Describes four program elements: opportunities for developmental tasks, teachers' knowledge of children's development, concrete learning experiences, and appropriate setting. Discusses curriculum…

The Seabird Island Community School is a successful band-controlled school that has involved Indian people in the educational process, developed a strong sense of Indian identity in students, and promoted both cultural and academic goals. Numerous and varied links between community and school are a key to the school's success. (JHZ)

Provides an analysis of the essentials for providing quality child care, taking into consideration interaction among the child caregiver and the children, activities, caregiver-parent interaction, caregiver development, leadership, staffing, school space, health and safety, and nutrition. (HOD)