This paper describes the Denver public schools' Standards of Excellence Program, a research-based means of developing and implementing school improvements while reinforcing existing practices characteristic of effective schools. Researchers have identified four indicators of school effectiveness that can be observed, measured, controlled, and…

A large scale study was undertaken to shed light on the question of school district efficiency, that is, the extent to which school districts are able to increase achievement beyond what would be expected from their families socioeconomic origins. Average scores on state-developed and nationally-standardized tests of third, sixth, and ninth…

This document outlines the major points of the first annual status report of the Spencerport (New York) More Effective Schools/Teaching Project. Section 1 contains a list of 15 basic principles and assumptions upon which the project is based. Section 2 presents three conclusions drawn at the end of the first year and a half of the project. First,…

This document is the second annual status report of the Spencerport (New York) More Effective Schools/Teaching Project. Section 1 describes six documents developed during the project; identifies persons participating in the project; reports that the effective schools research is applicable at all levels of a suburban school system; reports that…

This document is based upon the premise that with the help of professional scientists on university campuses, in industrial settings, and in private practice, school systems can meet head-on the unprecedented criticism currently being directed at public education and can develop exemplary science programs. This paper is a case study of a program…

Illiteracy is a serious problem in the United States, and Hispanics have substantially higher rates of illiteracy than any other major population group: by the traditional measure of literacy, the completion of five years of schooling, 11.9 percent of Hispanics 25 years and older could be considered illiterate, compared to 1.8 percent of the…

The roles and conduct of teachers and principals have emerged as good indicators of effective schools. Research is presently being conducted on parent involvement and its effect on student learning. Good teacher-student interaction is crucial to effective learning. Teachers must have high expectations for students. Their techniques for…

The monograph summarizes findings of effective schools research, information on the characteristics of effective classrooms, and descriptions of the methodological and conceptual issues related to school improvement projects. The impact of the school effectiveness literature on classroom instruction is discussed, and implications for the…

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) recently provided school improvement assistance to the Chicago Public Schools. As part of its work, the NWREL reviewed 39 national reform reports in order to summarize the research findings on effective principals and teachers, curriculum, equity, partnerships and responsibilities, parent…

America is changing from an industrial age to an information age wherein a premium is placed on the rapid acquisition, assimilation, and use of knowledge. Instructional technology offers the field of education an unprecedented opportunity to emphasize learning, increase teacher productivity and make more effective schools. Educators must face the…

This paper reviews research on school effects and teacher effects on student achievement. In general, academic learning is influenced by the amount of time that students spend engaged in appropriate academic activities. Students learn more efficiently when their teachers instruct them actively by structuring new information and helping them relate…

The purpose of this paper is to assess the present instructional program of public education and to present recommendations for changing schools that will enhance the effectiveness of instruction. The midsixties to the late seventies are described as periods of equity and reform in the areas of rights and entitlements. Beginning in the late…

This paper reviews the literature on effective schools from the rural teacher's viewpoint. While research on rural education has frequently focused on economic and structural issues, the teacher is the key to the quality of rural education. However, rural teachers encounter more stressful teaching conditions than urban or suburban teachers,…

This report assesses the effectiveness of the Napa County (California) Instructional Skills Staff Development Program, focusing on its impact on student achievement and student engaged rate in classrooms. The program, providing training for teachers and principals in administrative and instructional skills, is examined for outcomes in two schools,…

The central problem in educational improvement at the state and local level is the tension between school-level autonomy and systemwide uniformity; educational change is limited by three special conditions: (1) inertial autonomy, (2) essential uniformity of public schools, and (3) the fact that effective schools have characteristics that cannot be…