In 1985 the Center for Educational Development (CED) and the Urban League began an initiative to improve the public schools in Rochester, New York. This was in response to growing concern and supporting evidence about young people dropping out of school and/or receiving an inadequate education. Task forces were convened to study the issues behind…

This document summarizes the literature on the causes of dropping out, reviews national dropout prevention initiatives, proposes a set of principles to guide dropout prevention programs, and recommends a framework of policies for the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Public Schools. The dropout literature indicates that dropping out is a developmental…

To overcome the education deficit, the United States must first have a national commitment to excellence in education and, second, must restructure elementary and secondary education. The provision of choice in education is the cornerstone to restructuring education in this country. Opportunities offered by choice have benefited students at the…

Using data from the High School Transcript Study of the Class of 1987--more commonly known as the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) Transcript Study--a project explored the characteristics distinguishing schools that enroll large proportions of their handicapped students in vocational education. The study found that schools…

This digest provides information on determining the effectiveness of school mathematics programs. The purposes for developing accountability programs and characteristics of good mathematics programs are listed. State goals and objectives and standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics have furthered the production of…

Mathematics teachers are trained to assess students' abilities and instruction needs. Many teachers use creative teaching strategies, games, and various media to meet those needs. Teachers, though, are constantly searching for instructional strategies, time savers, games, materials, and other ways to improve teaching in mathematics classrooms.…

A study involving 55 elementary schools and 18 secondary schools was undertaken to examine the relationships among teachers' perceptions of school organizational coupling structures, school environmental robustness, and three school effectiveness measures (school organizational effectiveness, school achievement, and average daily attendance). The…

Since 1982-83, Spencerport Central School District (New York) has conducted a project to improve the educational program and student learning in each building of the district. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the project, focusing on five elementary schools. The project's goal for each building is that at least 95 percent of all…

Research on teacher and school effectiveness indicates that higher expectations for student achievement are part of a pattern of differential attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors characterizing teachers and schools that are effective in maximizing their students' learning gains. This resource document reviews research that indicates how differential…

This study describes the state of postsecondary assessment in Maryland, identifies cognitive or noncognitive areas assessed, investigates perceptions about the role of the institutional researcher in assessment activities, and analyzes information to guide the formation of an assessment consortium. The paper serves as a case study of the types of…

The view that fundamental changes in the educational system are necessary for successful restructuring is reflected in this collection of papers. The first five papers set the context for restructuring design by presenting rationales, models, and definitions. The next three papers focus on educational design processes, and the following two papers…

Education in America is facing a postindustrial crisis of legitimacy brought on by the cultural contradictions of advanced American capitalism. The theorist and social critic, D. Bell, describes the most significant feature of postindustrial society as "the disjunction of realms." This concept describes the progressive division of labor…

An array of qualities exists that distinguish the schools of Canada. Three qualities that constitute achievement are discussed in this paper. First, schools have generally acquired a place of high regard in the eyes of the public. Second, this country has built a teaching corps the quality of which is unmatched in the English-speaking world.…

To be a marginal student is to experience a strained, difficult relationship with the school environment. It is crucial to understand marginality and to analyze its extent in today's schools. The more intractable problems of school learning are most effectively addressed at an early stage when the relationship between individual and school…

Although central office supervisors are emerging as critical linchpins of school improvement efforts, research is quite limited in this area. This study differs from previous efforts by focusing on the administrator's real world and identifying the subjective role conceptions and statements shared by four outstanding central office supervisors. It…