This study assesses funding differences, and the sources of those differences, between charter schools and traditional districts in Texas. The need for this research stems from conflicting reports on charter school revenues and growing concern over the quality of charter school financial data reported through Texas' Public Education Information…

Three factors were found to distinguish effective from less effective schools in Washington, DC: (1) principals' leadership style and support of teachers; (2) teachers' role in instruction; and (3) staff development programs. (Author/GC)

Assumes that America's economic difficulties and resulting social tensions will continue over the next two decades. Predicts consequent negative and positive trends in curricular content and organization and in decision-making processes affecting curricular change. Suggests that social change is crucial if curricular change is to be effective.…

Critics of public education either ignore signs of scholastic progress and achievement or misinterpret statistics that show academic improvement. The real "crisis" in public education stems from economic and demographic factors that erode popular support for public schools. (FG)

Presents the background and description of "School of the 21st Century" and "School Development Program" models. Describes the first implementation of the integrated model called CoZi, findings regarding the implementation, the expansion of the model to three pilot schools in different types of communities, and plans for…

Explores macropolitical aspects of state-mandated inclusion and the micropolitical barriers a newly appointed female superintendent faced when promulgating educational equity in a hostile environment. Parents of special-education and gifted children joined forces to campaign against inclusion, questioning schools' effectiveness at providing an…

Every school must have the power and responsibility to select and design its own particulars. Unfortunately, the existing system is not designed to support "oddball" entities. Small, self-governing schools of choice could flourish in an exemplary, accountable manner, if we built the system for them and changed our mindsets about the…

The Effective Schools Project (ESP) is a collaborative staff development program serving public schools surrounding Tarleton State University in rural Texas since 1988. Describes how schools become involved in ESP, school improvement activities, program administration, the role of the university in program implementation, and professional…

Describes an Australian Catholic school district's efforts to pursue school effectiveness by implementing system-level practices embodying Fullan's notions of support and pressure. Key elements included school development processes and appraisal and professional development for principals and teachers. The system has mobilized resources for…

Describes a study of 478 graduates from a community college to determine their self-assessment of improvement in general education competencies, their perceptions of the college's success at incorporating general education into its technical curricula, and the benefits and side effects of self-assessment as a strategy to determine general…

Discusses three types of alternative high schools and factors associated with success in meeting the needs of at-risk or marginalized youth in these schools. Describes Contact Alternative High School (Toronto)--part of Canada's Exemplary Schools Project--and the ways in which it has incorporated such success factors in its educational philosophy,…

Argues that the role of educational standards that has emerged from the National Education Summit is fundamentally misunderstood, does not address the issue adequately, and that using increased standards as a negative incentive is detrimental to students by punishing them for noncomplience. Explains the importance of student-centered standards,…

Reviews research related to school effectiveness and how this research has been applied to various school improvement projects in the United Kingdom. Issues to be addressed include the possibility of creating a national database of student examination results and examining differences in effectiveness within schools, as well as between students…

A study of school-level change in 13 Newfoundland schools found a positive relationship among team leadership, organizational learning, and classroom practices. Subsequent research found that within team leadership, at least one leader must be recognized as a champion for change; external interventions may be necessary in schools without team…

Examines school performance across three grades on both individually administered reading tests and state-mandated standardized tests between students of a Success for All (SFA) program and controls. Results show more positive effects for SFA students, some decline in effects over time, and greater effects for minority than for nonminority…