This paper discusses the implications of research on effective schools and classrooms for teacher training programs. References to research focus on studies of schools and classrooms in which nearly all students demonstrated at least minimum mastery on standardized achievement tests of mathematics and reading. At issue are the questions of whether…

This review of the status of junior high schools, prepared as a testimony for the Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education, argues that, despite the fact that early adolescence is a critical time in human development, schooling for young adolescents is the weakest link in the chain of public education. Middle and junior high…

In an application of contingency theory, data from 45 Arizona schools were analyzed to determine the relationships between three sets of independent variables (organizational structure, leadership style, and environmental characteristics) and the dependent variable (organizational effectiveness as perceived by principals and teachers). Contingency…

In view of the national attention that has recently been brought to public school improvement, a list of suggestions is presented in the form of leading questions to guide communities in assessing the quality of their local schools and in promoting beneficial change. The evaluative questions touch on a wide range of issues: school financing…

The place and function of the humanities in the secondary school curriculum education are discussed, and reforms to raise the quality of humanities instruction are suggested in this collection of essays. Literature, history, and languages must be taught in secondary schools in order to provide students with a quality education. The essays are…

A revitalization of Canadian Indian culture occurred as a result of the 1967 Hawthorn Report, which advocated the integration of Canada natives into white society. On the Eskasoni Indian Reserve, home of 1700 Micma Indians in Nova Scotia, the revitalization was shown in the results of two questionnaires about local education. On the first…

This booklet describes the characteristics of 16 Chicago-area schools designated as winners in a 1982-83 contest to develop student character and academic learning. Out of the 80 schools competing, the 25 finalists were reviewed for evidence of school effectiveness and outcomes. Schools were asked to assess students' prosocial activities and the…

This research gauged the impact of school size on student achievement by modelling the educational process and then examining the influence of size on that process. Using data for students and teachers from over 300 districts nationwide, the analysis identified factors that differ significantly between smaller and larger schools. There are fewer…

This document reports on an inquiry into elementary school students' perceptions of important classroom rules and of the teacher's authority. Chapter 1 provides an overview to this verification inquiry, part of a larger study, Ecological Perspectives for Successful Schooling Practice. The next chapter reports on the findings on children's…

Effective schools are those that successfully impart basic computation and communication skills plus some knowledge of the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. School effectiveness should be measured by looking at the total learning environment and outcomes for all students. This environment consists of three identifiable aspects--ideology,…

Magnet schools are district-wide, open-enrollment institutions that are thematically organized around such subject areas as science and mathematics, the performing arts, or career areas such as engineering. They are largely non-selective; that is, students who apply are evaluated primarily on the basis of their interests and motivation rather than…

This book examines educators' norms, beliefs, and values in case studies of three "improving" high schools. The distinction between "sacred" and "profane" norms in the teaching profession is applied to the relationships among school culture, improvement efforts, and the effectiveness of change strategies. Schools'…

Chapter 8 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter defines school climate and suggests ways to improve the learning environment at the school building level. School climate is defined as the feeling an individual gets from experiences within a school system. More specifically, climate is the composite of norms, expectations, and…

This study uses an organizational perspective to investigate three questions regarding the principal's role in instructional management: (1) Do instructional management behaviors predict student achievement? (2) What specific instructional management behaviors are identified with principals in effective schools? and (3) Are the linkages that…

The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) conducted a national survey to determine the status of local campus initiatives in student outcomes assessment. Its goal was to determine whether assessment programs have been or are being developed, the objectives and source of initiation, and assessment techniques. Of…