The National School Recognition Program was established in 1982 to identify and call attention to a group of public secondary schools that are unusually effective in educating their students with available resources. This document presents 146 effective practices adopted by schools in various areas, including: (1) clear educational goals; (2)…

Epistemological development is one of the expected outcomes of higher education. A longitudinal study of the epistemological development of 77 students upon entrance into college and again at the beginning of their sophomore year revealed that both males and females increased their intellectual complexity. Interviews were conducted during the…

Improved teaching performance, changes in teaching methods, and changes in staff/faculty development are discussed. For each "sample of experience" emphasis is placed on student learning, assessment of student performance, and the learning experience of the individual student. Improved teaching performance requires institutional policies and their…

Guidelines for examiners administering the School Climate Survey (SCS), the Teacher Satisfaction Survey (TSS), the Student Satisfaction Survey (SSS), and the Parent Satisfaction Survey (PSS) of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) are provided. These four surveys are the initial result of research/development efforts by…

This report combines public school data from the 1983-84 "Administrator and Teacher Survey" of the High School and Beyond study with private school data from the 1985-86 Private School Survey in an analysis of differences in school climate and teachers' opinions in public and private secondary schools. It provides an opportunity to examine the…

This training guide and reference manual helps educational leaders learn to be facilitators in the program called "Improving the Human Environment of Schools" (IHES), a participative problem-solving method designed to improve a school's "quality of life." An introductory chapter reviews the history of IHES and outlines IHES…

When a school district has made the decision to close a school, criteria must be developed for selecting the school to be closed. These criteria help in making a sound decision and in explaining that decision to the public. One way of approaching the development of decision criteria is to decide on the main reason the district is closing a school,…

The introduction of microtechnology into the educational system will generate changing demands in the environment that will affect concepts of learning and transmission and the definition of nonformal education. Challenges for educational managers in the coming decade will include (1) recognizing that the benefits of the instructional applications…

Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are reviewed to outline the achievement levels of students in the United States. This examination of NAEP data showing changes in levels of achievement during the 1970s leads to a number of conclusions. The overall picture for 9-year-olds is promising. The outlook for 13-year-olds,…

This paper presents a study conducted to document adolescents' visual perceptions of school. Specifically, an attempt was made to determine whether black and white adolescents, when given cameras, an entire school day, and complete freedom from class assignments, would select different physical and social aspects of their school environment to…

As part of the evaluation of the High School Improvement Project (HSIP), a survey was conducted to measure staff perceptions of school and instructional effectiveness behaviors and activities at Northwestern High School in Detroit, Michigan. The questionnaire used was an abbreviated version of the School Effectiveness Questionnaire developed by…

A sample of l34 adults enrolled in adult education programs for credit ranked types of test items. From most to least preferred, the five types of test item were multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and essay. Respondents also explained which type of test item contributed to anxiety for them. Vaguely written essay questions…

This paper examines the perceptions of practicing school superintendents, principals, and teachers as to the degree to which the Edmonds Correlates and other indicators of school effectiveness were present in Illinois public elementary and high schools. Two companion studies examined the perceptions of Illinois public elementary and high school…

A common aim of teacher education is to have prospective teachers inquire about their teaching. In that regard, there has been concern about the effects of contexts within which such inquiry takes place. Recent deliberation and research about context has tended to focus on the structure and content of teacher education courses, the environmental…

This study explored the elements in the school environment which predict beginning teachers' burnout at the end of the first year of teaching. Two surveys were administered to 45 first-year teachers, one in the fall semester and the other several weeks before the end of the school year. The surveys queried the teachers about their current working…