Continuous improvement in the quality of service offered to children, young people, parents and carers has been a key priority of the education system in Scotland over many years. Scottish pre-school centres and schools have well-established processes for self-evaluation based on the quality indicators in "How good is our school?" (1996,…

Describes evaluation experiences in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, School District. Suggests that use of evaluation results can be maximized through a systems approach that involves developing and monitoring different performance indicators, and tailoring educational practice by focusing corrective action on areas where performance is found to be…

The schools are discussed as character-building institutions, where academic and behavior standards should encourage self-discipline and learning. Less emphasis on ego-building psychology, removing nonessential subjects from the curriculum, and increasing quality at the elementary and secondary school levels are viewed as corrective measures. (PP)

Recommends that schools experiment with a comprehensive formative evaluation system suggested by "A Study of Schooling" by John Goodlad and his associates. The system includes periodic assessment of such things as student achievement, teaching practices, class climates, adult working environments, and parent attitudes. (Author/JM)

Applies LISREL 8 to data from the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (mathematics, eighth grade) and the Common Core of Data of U.S. school districts. Proposes a positive relationship between per-pupil expenditures and achievement due to reduced class size. (MJP)

Discusses adequacy and equity in school finance and efficiency in school operation, and recommends ways to improve all three. The ultimate responsibility lies at the state level. State policies and financing mechanisms must hold educators accountable while addressing challenges that are especially great for schools in high-poverty areas or for…

Assesses the present state of the art of educational economics in developing countries. Introduces papers in this special issue that address the roles of organization, incentives, and public (financial) priorities in shaping more efficient, equitable educational outcomes. For economists to influence outcomes, the behavioral relationships shaping…

Highlights selected recent ERIC documents that discuss aspects of program and school effectiveness in middle level education. Provides citations on eight books and five journal articles with abstracts and ordering information. (AA)

Discusses the need for reform at the middle school educational level. Suggests that middle schools should create an environment that reflects and responds to young adolescents' needs and developmental level. Effective middle school teachers must adopt new modes of teaching as they face the challenges and opportunities presented by changing…

Discusses four principles that can help middle school environments overcome common behavior problems and become places where young adolescents develop responsibility for their learning: (1) foster natural human development; (2) respond to individual needs; (3) avoid artificially imposed classroom order and promote self organization; and (4) value…

Analyzes economic and social costs of functional illiteracy in industrialized countries, highlighting Canada and the United States. Identifies the functionally illiterate and the illiteracy-poverty cycle. Estimates the cost of Canadian illiteracy is between $4.2 and $10.7 billion. Suggests measures for preventing adult illiteracy, including…

The New York State Community Schools Program is a State Education Department initiative to build school/community collaborations, promote school change, and organize schools as sites for the delivery of a wide range of services to children and their families. Describes schools' role as brokers of collaborative supports and services. (AF)

Reports on the Minority Education Initiative included in the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges' 1990 public policy agenda. Focuses on issues related to government policies and guidelines, effective teaching environments, and institutional effectiveness. Provides an assessment of each issue and strategies for change. (DMM)

Argues that the "social capital" provided to schools by parent and community involvement has been eroded in rural areas by school consolidation, centralization, and urban models, placing all rural students at risk. Traces this erosion in one rural West Virginia school district. Contains 19 references. (SV)

Documentation is provided regarding the relationship between students' socioeconomic condition and their school performance. Ten teacher- and nonteacher-related reasons for low achievement among lower class and underclass students are presented. Several teacher-related reforms are proposed. (IAH)