This study examined the robustness of the estimation of fixed-effects in multilevel analysis, as might occur in the conduct of school-effects studies with outlying schools. Outlying values for both intercepts and slopes for individual schools were modeled separately to determine the effects of extreme values of second-level variables on the…

In the 1990s, accountability initiatives emphasize local problem solving and decision making. This report describes recent efforts in Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states to increase local accountability for student learning, with emphasis on the "reward-and-sanction" programs that some states are including in their education…

This document provides descriptions of 23 exemplary schools chosen for recognition by the Secondary School Recognition Program (SSRP) in 1985. The schools, from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States (District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), were featured at the 1985 conference, "Conversations on Excellence in…

Issues in restructuring education for meeting the needs of at-risk students are discussed in this paper. The six goals of restructuring are: (1) reduce the number of drop outs; (2) raise the level of achievement for all; (3) have business and education work together; (4) create schools which incorporate both social and educational services; (5)…

Outcome Based Education (OBE) is a holistic process for districtwide educational improvement. The Outcomes Driven Development Model (ODDM) is a means of implementing OBE that is used in 16 states and more than half of Utah school districts. A study of the impact of OBE in Utah reviewed grant applications and awards as well as state and district…

Schools have traditionally been accountable for management of educational programs, while students were held responsible for academic achievement and personal success. Recent reform and restructuring efforts have increased the responsibility of schools for student outcomes. Wisconsin has shifted responsibility for student outcomes to the…

Like many countries, Norway in the 1980s decentralized many government functions including public education. However, there was concern over maintaining common national education goals and evaluating schools' performance. Decentralization in schools also included school-based evaluation, evaluation done by and in the school. Three studies of…

In 1987, a school-university collaborative project, Positive Attitudes in Tennessee Schools (PATS), was established to improve school-learning environments. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the effect of school participation in PATS on school climate. A secondary focus was to determine which school-climate variables could…

This guide is designed to enhance state policymakers' understanding of education reform networks by providing information about the kinds of networks available, how they work, and the benefits and services they offer to participants. The text is not intended as an exhaustive compendium of every network operating throughout the United States, but…

This paper summarizes activities associated with school-improvement projects in 12 Louisiana School Effectiveness and Assistance Pilot Study (SEAP) Cohort One schools during school year 1997-98 and plans for future improvement activities in 1998-99. Faculty and administrators at each school were asked to revise their current school-improvement…

A study examined ways that charter schools serve children with disabilities. This report provides the results of field-based data collection with parents, teachers, administrators, and students on how well charter schools are working with students with disabilities. It presents evidence on the reasons parents are enrolling students with…

The Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) provides information on re-designing curriculum and instruction in schools, re-defining roles and responsibilities of school staffs, and promoting changes to address the needs of the Southeast's growing and diverse student population. SERVE offers a series of publications entitled "Hot…

The first year of school reform in Chicago was devoted to preparation for governance and the election of local school councils to serve in each school. The second year of school reform was devoted to continued preparation for governance and attempts to restructure classroom instruction. The importance of restructuring education to match how…

Following a "dear colleagues" letter from John R. McKernan, Jr., Governor of Maine and 1991-92 chairman of the Education Commission of the States, a strategy is outlined that will help educational reformers to approach restructuring from varying perspectives and improve its chances for success. Several fundamental principles underlie…

Strategies for utilizing educational corporate culture to create a quality school are presented in this paper, which argues that the understanding of the shared belief system of organizational members is crucial to the process. Creating a quality school entails moving from a "teach the process" oriented model to one that internalizes the…