The manual is intended for inservice training of parents and professional teams in reviewing and rating, from a parent perspective, the existing quality of special education programs for handicapped students. Each team consists of three parents and one educator who receive training in the application of quality indicators previously developed by…

Five questionnaires based on Ronald Edmonds' work on "effective schools" were developed for elementary and secondary students, teachers, principals, and parents. They were designed to assess the perceptions of each group on the five areas identified by Edmonds as distinguishing effective and ineffective schools for students from low-income…

A study hypothesized that there was a general tendency among parents for less positive evaluation of their school or school district than is forthcoming from teachers. Using a revised version of Oaster's Parent and Teacher Attitude Scales, data were collected from 35 teachers and 35 parents in an inner-city elementary school. Opinions were sought…

This document states the position of the National Association of Elementary School Principals regarding the essential ingredients of a fine elementary or middle school. It combines the findings of current research on effective schooling with the practical, onsite experience of working principals. After a brief introduction, these standards are…

Recent studies suggest the existing applications of high technology to the improvement of schooling are relatively ineffective. Their potential may be better realized when newer, more powerful technology is introduced and educators learn to make it succeed by sorting out the factors and aspects of effective schooling, learning, and teaching that…

Mississippi's Education Reform Act of 1982 calls for developing a performance-based school accreditation system that applies research findings on school effectiveness. This paper describes the conceptual model, the proposed accreditation process, and the field testing plan developed by the Performance-Based School Assessment Task Force. The model…

Based on Larry Hutchins' analysis of the school effectiveness literature, the Profile of School Excellence (PRO-S/E) is a diagnostic tool keyed to 11 instructional and organizational variables which are positively related to effective/excellent schools and which are alterable. The variables are: needs basis; objectives; expectations; roles and…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which principals, teachers, parents, and students report that the recommendations of the 1981 Middle School Report were being implemented in each of the five middle schools in the North York (Ontario) school system. The 13 recommendations addressed such issues as the philosophy of the middle…

the 1983 Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) Forum brought together educational researchers and practitioners to learn from one another by sharing their innovations, successes, concerns, and progress in utilizing research and development to promote excellence in their state and local education agencies. Two thematic strands: (1) applications…

Questionnaires surveying the extent of programs and support for education of the gifted and talented were received from 60 teachers and administrators in rural elementary and secondary schools in Nebraska's 11 most western counties. (The return rate of the mailed questionnaires was 24%). Results indicated that teachers and administrators…

A collection of papers on particular issues commissioned by the chief state school officer in Wisconsin reassesses education--the state of the art and the future direction in general. Issues selected for discussions are those that highlighted the majority of the superintendent's discussions with lay people while campaigning for office and…

"Time for Results: the Governors' 1991 Report on Education" provides new perspectives for educators tackling school improvement agendas. The nation's governors divided into seven task forces to examine school readiness, facilities, teaching, leadership, educational technology, college quality, parent involvement and school choice and…

The National Governors' Association Task Force on Parent Involvement and Choice believes that public education's current structure cannot deal effectively with the nation's diversity and demand for compulsory education. Key recommendations include adopting legislation that allows families statewide choice of schools and junior and senior…

Three tensions inherent to how we govern, operate, and study schools are discussed: teacher autonomy versus educational equity; the measurement of school effectiveness, and the issue of who participates in the educational process. Suggestions for how policymakers, researchers, and practicioners might resolve their differences are made. (JL)

Review of 60 multivariate studies conducted in the Third World reporting on the aggregate influence of the school on academic achievement versus the influence of the family background. The relative influence of alternative school inputs and organizational practices is assessed, and a framework for evaluation is included. (SLD)