As part of a comprehensive study of all mandates placed by the state of Illinois on elementary and secondary education, an analysis was undertaken of the school day/school year mandate in its historical perspective, inquiring into its original purpose, how well that purpose has been served, whether the mandate is still needed, and whether a…

This volume, part of the Junior High School Transition Study, reports on findings regarding one of five areas of interest in the study. Questions being addressed are: (1) How do students participate in, and respond to, junior high school instruction? (2) Do students respond differently in different circumstances? and (3) Are these differences, if…

Following a brief welcoming statement by Gwen Ericcsen, Executive Director of the Foundation for Oregon Research and Education (FORE), conference papers address a wide range of issues on the current challenges of educational reform. Among these issues are the hard choices brought about by the changing economics of education, and the value of…

Examined in this book are issues related to the education of at-risk children and youth. Part 1 of the volume consists of 12 original papers presented and discussed at the Council of Chief State School Officers' (CCSSO) 1987 Summer Institute. Papers concern: (1) values, standards, and climate in schools serving students at risk; (2) schools and…

During the past five years, student enrollments in Connecticut have declined by approximately 17%. Recent State Department of Education projections indicate that the decline can be expected to continue and become more evident in the high schools through 1989. Continuing declines in both enrollment and available resources raise questions about the…

In 1986-87, Schools for Quality Education, an organization of some 80 small schools in Kansas, and the Center for Rural Education and Small Schools (College of Education, Kansas State University) jointly investigated the effectiveness of representative smaller schools serving rural areas in Kansas. The study, which was conducted in two phases,…

This paper compares responses of 660 teachers and 3,420 students from 36 schools (23 elementary, 4 middle, 9 secondary), located in 14 rural Tennessee counties, by school level on the Good Schools Survey instruments. Data represent teacher and student perceptions of classroom practices, support services/facilities, commitment, and goal attainment.…

The authors reviewed research on effective schools, literature on the implementation of educational innovation, and current theories of school organization. A synthesis of findings from this research indicates that differences among schools do have an effect on student achievement. Specifically, it is the school's culture that is responsible for…

Before England's Education Reform Act of 1988, higher education (HE) provision in England's further education (FE) colleges was the responsibility of the local education authorities that owned, controlled, and funded the colleges and polytechnics for advanced and nonadvanced FE. In 1987-1997, HE in FE colleges was commonly considered a residual or…

The Laboratory School in Bielefeld, Germany, is an experimental school that is part of the University of Bielefeld. The Laboratory School is an integrated comprehensive school for children aged 5-16 years. Pupils are not separated by streaming and do not receive letter grades until their 10th year of school. The Laboratory School makes extensive…

Coconino Community College (CCC) annually assesses its institutional effectiveness to demonstrate its commitment to improving programs and services to students. The 1996-97 Assessment Program Technical Progress Report records the assessment and institutional activities enacted during the academic year, detailing the assessment model, timelines,…

This annual report for the New Hampshire Technical Colleges and Institute System (NHTC&IS) includes information on enrollment, graduates, job placement, salaries, transfer institutions, workforce training, the Police Academy, finances, and governance. The following accomplishments are highlighted for NHTC&IS in 1996: (1) it graduated 1,533…

Schools use a variety of ways to group students for instruction; most prevalent in middle level schools seems to be ability grouping. Arguments once considered persuasive for ability grouping are losing influence given evidence that the practice results in few achievement benefits and several negative effects. This Digest discusses attitudes…

Highlighting three exemplary schools, Steve Lacayo defines a good school as a visionary community of parents, teachers, and students. Afterschool programs, accessible technology, small classes, and improved teacher training are essential ingredients. Other articles discuss related issues: vouchers, standards, the phonics/whole-language debate,…

As part of its mission, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) is committed to the development of the community of researchers who work in the area of assessment both nationally and internationally. The association also has a commitment to provide policymakers with the types of data and analyses that will…