The Department of Education, in its report, "The Search for Successful Secondary Schools," presents six "common sense" attributes found among 571 winning schools in competition: (1) good principals, (2) discipline, (3) good teachers, (4) high expectations and high standards, (5) parent and community involvement, and (6) ethos.…

The outstanding characteristics of Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, New York, are discussed in the context of the recent history and current public expectations of public schools. The school, opened in 1974 as an experimental program, is academically rigorous and has high standards for teacher participation and creativity. (MSE)

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Labor Market Behavior do not show significant differences between public and Catholic schools in academic achievement. However, instructional quality, discipline, safety, and peer relations are rated higher in private schools; learning freedom and job counseling are rated higher in public…

This review of recent literature on education and educational reform in America offers critiques of six influential studies ("A Nation at Risk,""Action for Excellence,""Educating Americans for the 21st Century,""The Paideia Proposal," The Carnegie Foundation's "High School," and "A Place Called School") and suggests correctives for each. (JBM)

The United States currently spends a good deal more on education per student than most industrialized nations, yet testing shows that achievement has not kept pace with spending. Nevertheless, school administrators continue to press for greater federal spending and claim that reforms cannot be implemented otherwise.

This book is directed toward students in organizational-theory and problem-analysis classes and their professors, as well as school administrators seeking to examine their problems and policies from new perspectives. It explains and illustrates methodology for describing, documenting, and analyzing organizational problems. Part I, "Methodology,"…

In this report on student achievement in Edison Schools, the American Federation of Teachers compares student performance on state assessments in 2000-01 in each Edison-run school with other comparable schools in the state, generally those schools with the same grade level and similar populations of low-income students. These comparisons include…

It has become more and more common to read and hear that the essential factor underlying effective schools is an ethos or culture of excellence and that effective school leaders are culture builders. The main purpose of this study was to ascertain administrators' views of their schools' climate. The second purpose was to examine imperative skills…

An ongoing study seeks to identify effective curriculum policies and classroom practices in high-performing rural elementary schools that contribute to positive outcomes for students with disabilities and low-income students. Schools in Maryland and Delaware were first ranked by the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-priced meals…

Schools within schools are large public schools that have been divided into smaller autonomous subunits to create a sense of community and cohesiveness among students and staff. This digest discusses the benefits, drawbacks, varieties, and sources of funding for schools within schools. Designers of these schools seek the advantages of both large…

This document discusses Santa Fe Community College's (SFCC) (Florida) five accountability measures. The type of data available provided on these measures is as follows: (1) District High School Enrollment Report and Retention and Success Rate Report; (2) Associate of Arts Degree Transfer Performance in the State University System; (3) Licensure…

This booklet showcases findings from a new analysis of data from "Family Involvement in Education: A National Portrait," and provides a checklist for parents to assess their own school on issues of family involvement. The study was conducted in May and June of 1997 by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Key…

California's Southwestern College (SWC) conducted student surveys and synthesized research data to create a report that identifies 12 common student experience themes, providing a framework for improvement. The study includes information from various surveys, a review of responses to the 1990 Community College Student Experience Questionnaire, and…

In this report, California's Little Hoover Commission examines the historical context of and current problems with the state's education finance system. In developing the five findings and eight recommendations, the Commission looked for ways to streamline funding without losing sight of three goals: (1) providing childen who have diverse needs…

Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC), in Virginia, conducts annual surveys of graduating students to evaluate their satisfaction with the quality of services and instruction they received. In 1992-93, surveys were mailed to 296 students who were eligible to graduate in the spring and fall semesters of 1993, receiving responses from 37.5%…