This study analyzed the relationship between district characteristics and the likelihood that first-year teachers would be offered specific staff-development programs or would be consulted about their staff-development needs. The population comprised 434 first-year secondary and 1200 elementary teachers from Illinois. Eight hundred thirty-four…

The Portland (OR) School District has a long-standing tradition of local achievement test development. Portland prefers to use scores and reporting procedures which capitalize on the advantages of "equal interval" which can be analyzed statistically by all procedures available. Portland testing programs serve a number of purposes: (1)…

This study sought to determine whether there is a variety of Nigerian English acceptable as a teaching model to prospective Nigerian primary school teachers of different ethnic groups. Results indicate that: (1) contrary to common belief, there are Nigerians of different ethnic groups who speak a variety of English acceptable to other Nigerians of…

The California Achievement Test was given each Spring, 1981-1985, to all students in grades kindergarten through 11 in the Oklahoma City Public Schools. The results in reading and mathematics were interpreted in relation to: (1) national norms and point-in-time scores; (2) local students in the same grade in previous years; and (3) gain (or loss),…

The 1986 Comprehensive Assessment Report on the Pearl River (New York) Public School District describes the district's 1,807-student population (grades K through 12), the community, and its schools. Tables provide data on: (1) students' performance on standardized tests, including the California Achievement/Aptitude Tests; New York State Pupil…

Specific recommendations are made concerning the circumstances under which the benefits of out-of-level testing outweigh the problems associated with it. Topics explored are: various methods for deciding when a set of test scores is invalid and the utility of these methods for local evaluators, the accuracy of vertical scaling, and the usefulness…

The 1970-71 standardized test data for grades three, six, nine and eleven in West Virginia are summarized. The report is presented in four major sections, one each for the grades tested, with analytical information using State, county and school norm groups. Each group division has illustrated an analysis of the following data: (1) a statewide…

Practical considerations associated with local norms development are discussed. A local norming project administering the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised to 398 elementary Mexican--American children is presented in detail. The utility of local norms and their interpretation is discussed in the context of this local project. (Author/BW)

Local school district policies for the storage and administration of prescribed medicines are surveyed in an attempt to determine guidelines that state departments of education should suggest to local school districts. (JMF)

Explores the content of middle school reforms, focusing on how they diverge from conventional school practices, school norms, and school politics. Argues that norms of community and integration will need to replace many of the competitive, individualistic, and bureaucratic norms embedded in current practice. (Author/PAM)

With the growth of globalization, organizations are facing an increased challenge to manage talent, improve employee engagement, develop effective teams, create succession pipelines, and increase organizational effectiveness in multinational settings. Given the need to evaluate and compare individuals from more than one country using standardized…

The fear of violence among students and teachers is straining the learning environment in many schools. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated school district characteristics in relation to the level of principals' expressed needs for school-violence prevention programs. The district characteristics included finance, size,…

This report examines three federal programs (Head Start, WIC--special supplemental food program for Women, Infants, and Children, and immunization) designed to prepare children for a healthy start in life and school and shows, county-by-county, how well Minnesota children are served. It notes that during 1992-93, only 31 percent of eligible…

This literature review briefly lists the findings of studies on effective schools. The findings are organized under the following categories (which correspond to the Indicator of Quality Schools Assessment instrument categories): curricular congruence, assessment, leadership of the principal, high expectations, school wide norms, school climate,…

This report presents results for Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) high school students on four tests of the College Board in the 1983-84 school year. These tests, ordered by the number of MCPS students taking them, are the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), the Achievement Tests…