The focus of this paper is on detailing the decisions made when we created, implemented and studied a mathematics professional development (PD) program in low-performing, urban schools. Our program held many characteristics espoused by researchers as critical for effectiveness. We begin by reviewing the characteristics of quality PD programs that…

Purpose: Engagement with culture as a facet of the work of schools and colleges has been evident since at least the 1950s. The 21st-century interest in culture remains strong, in part because of the growing sense that education faces a scenario where the scale of technological, economic, and social change is unprecedented. Such change demands…

Eco-schools aim to improve the environment through direct and indirect effects. Direct effects are those that result from the implementation of an environmental management system. Indirect effects are educational gains. The current study examines the effectiveness of eco-schools concerning three student outcomes: (1) environmental knowledge, (2)…

This exploratory study sought to determine if a popular school-based drug prevention program might be effective in schools that are making adequate yearly progress (AYP). Thirty-four schools with grades 6 through 8 in 11 states were randomly assigned either to receive Project ALERT (n = 17) or to a control group (n = 17); of these, 10 intervention…

We use administrative data from the lottery-based open enrollment system in Beijing middle schools to obtain unbiased estimates of school fixed effects on student performance. To do this, we classify children in selection channels, with each channel representing a unique succession of lotteries through which a child was assigned to a school.…

Purpose: This paper seeks to explore how managing by objectives (MBO) has been adopted in Swedish schools and to reflect on some of the consequences in a longitudinal study. Results relate to whether introduction has increased student performance and whether it works as a tool for the principals to create more effective schools.…

Secondary school teaching is organized in departments and effective departments functioning as collaborative teams have been associated with effective schools. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship of mathematics departments perceived as professional communities and student achievement in Dutch secondary schools. Cluster analysis and…

In this article, the author talks about Walbridge School, a small school in Madison, Wisconsin that brings hope to students with disabilities. The author shares how her eldest son, Ben, who has experienced cognitive impairment, specifically language processing, has improved his reading and writing skills. The small school, with its teacher/pupil…

There is no shortage of challenges in school education. Some of the biggest challenges we face can appear frustratingly intractable. Despite reform efforts, regular government reviews and ongoing calls for change, progress in addressing our most significant challenges is often slow and solutions continue to elude us. In this paper Professor Geoff…

Even in marginalized towns it is possible to find school communities that have developed relationships that encourage the construction of institutional cultures and management structures prone to superior academic performance compared to others within the same context. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative research project conducted in…

Despite--or perhaps due to--the lack of consensus on its definition, there is abundant interest in and research on school climate. Researchers have determined that improving school climate is one way to increase academic achievement, school safety, school completion, teacher retention, healthy social interactions, and student well-being (Cohen,…

The purpose of this quantitative study, using the three-way repeated measures ANOVA, was to identify certain leadership styles used by effective and ineffective charter high school principals that impact the students' academic achievement. Principal ratings and school demographic characteristics were gathered from 19 charter schools. The study's…

This study inquires into support services in schools and their relationship to school effectiveness by using data from the National Center for Education Statistics 2007-2008 School and Staffing Survey (SASS). Students' ability to learn is impacted by their physical and mental health. It is more difficult to measure the influence of nonacademic…

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the question: "How do principals facilitate or inhibit the development of a culturally responsive learning environment?" A second question asked, "What is the principal's role in developing a culturally relevant learning community?" The criteria for purposely…

There is considerable research on effective schools, but there is very little research on the impact community crime has on schools and the academic achievement of students. Within the framework of neighborhood effect theory and 90-90-90 schools, this study aimed to determine what adults in effective schools in low-income high minority schools in…