The following paper culminates a year of research conducted by researchers at E[superscript 3] Alliance and Texas State University and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The following reports on promising practices observed and reported at Manor New Tech High School (MNTH), a Texas Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (T-STEM)…

This article describes a new supervision model conceived to help a school system redesign its anatomy (structures), physiology (flow of information and webs of relationships), and psychology (beliefs and values). The new paradigm (Knowledge Work Supervision) was constructed by reviewing the practices of several interrelated areas: sociotechnical…

The state of Virginia, like the rest of the nation, has placed school construction near the top of the political agenda due to rapidly rising enrollments and population shifts. This report presents results from a survey designed to better understand the connection between facilities, learning, and teaching in Virginia. The survey questions reflect…

The question of how staff development can be structured to serve as a lever for school improvement is addressed by analyzing and synthesizing empirical studies that have reported an impact of staff development on significant characteristics of effective schools. The choice and conception of the term "staff development" is discussed, followed by…

In response to the growing need for highly competent school administrators, Kentucky has mandated an administrator preparation program to reflect recommendations specified by the University Council for Educational Administration and reforms advocated by other national organizations. Designed to provide prospective principals with an appropriate…

Perhaps the most crucial education question of the late 1980s involves the assessment and evaluation of teaching quality. To help identify quality of teaching issues, this paper poses three questions: (1) Why have teachers found research-based teaching quality indicators so hollow and unacceptable? (2) What role, if any, can the accumulated…

Recent developments in cognitive anthropology, in particular the development of ethnographic semantics, make ethnographic methods more systematic. The goal is to replace intuition with an operationally explicit methodology for discerning how people construe their world of experience from the way they talk about it. The first part of this paper…

This bibliography provides a recommended list of research and theoretical literature in the field of secondary education. It organizes the literature into three main topics: (1) references of general interest; (2) reform strategies designed to promote academic achievement; and (3) literature relevant to the specific research projects conducted at…

Two surveys form the major components of the High School Improvement Project at Northwestern High School, Detroit. One is a survey of pupil behaviors, attitudes, and opinions; the other is a survey of staff behaviors, attitudes, and opinions. The present report brings together the findings for the 1984 staff survey and presents a comparison of…

Presents a list of 20 principles to follow when developing curriculum improvement programs. Includes a list of references. (MD)

Factors providing rewards for principals and their importance in the development of instructional leadership are discussed. The understanding of individual learning styles is also stressed as an important component in effective instructional leadership. Includes references and a diagram. (MD)

Describes a day in the life of an exceptional principal, Dennis Litky of Thayer Junior-Senior High School in Winchester, New Hampshire. (MD)

Describes findings from an analysis of principal leadership in 32 U.S. urban high schools. Examines the extent of principal leadership in these schools, some specific leadership areas, and school and district conditions related to principal leadership. Principals differ greatly in six leadership areas; some critical areas are neglected. Includes 2…

Considering the public's high regard for discipline and the clear relationship between a safe and orderly environment and school effectiveness, no school can afford to operate without a properly developed discipline code handbook. Faculty, staff, and students need to be involved to make the handbook an effective blueprint governing behavior…

Challenges Wilbur Brookover's response to the author's article "It's Time We Changed the Effective Schools Formula" appearing in the November 1987 issue of "Kappan." The author's Pennsylvania studies show that certain variables such as classroom climate, emphasis on basic skills, and time-on-task were inconsequential in predicting a school's…