This paper is one of a series to guide research linking educational policy and management with student achievement. It specifies the determinants of key paradigm variables and teacher and principal work. The paradigm developed for this type of research is presented in an earlier paper in the series. The constructs of the paradigm are defined,…

The articles in this collection approach the theme of "Reading in the Age of the Computer" in a variety of ways. Topics covered in the 26 articles include the following: (1) children, school, and computers; (2) new kinds of electronic learning environments; (3) the personal computer for creative learning and thinking; (4) going beyond…

Papers are presented which were generated by this workshop on school improvement. Both session and panel presentations are included on school effectiveness research, curriculum alignment for school improvement, a school climate improvement project, the McRel school improvement program, Pennsylvania's long-range planning for school improvement, an…

One focus of a year-long study of West German apprenticeship was the conditions that are most supportive of learning on the job. The study design incorporated two distinctions that the Germans consider critical: manual versus white-collar occupations and size of training firm. Two occupations were studied--auto mechanic and…

The mechanics of McCarthyism are explained via a detailed case study of Alex Novikoff who was fired from the University of Vermont in 1953 after taking the Fifth Amendment in connection with FBI and Congressional investigations of his earlier membership in Communist groups at Brooklyn College. Despite McCarthy's stated commitment to academic…

This study describes and analyzes the student teaching experience and its role in the development of a select group of elementary-level student teachers. The research proposed to determine, qualitatively, the concerns of student teachers; to determine change in student teachers' concerns; and to describe and analyze the role of the student…

At the middle school level, school climate, curriculum, instructional strategies, and the availability of positive adult role models all affect student performance. This study sought to determine student perceptions of discipline effectiveness, teaching strategies, and school climate. Early adolescents (N=220) between the ages of 11 and 16 in 20…

While the Amish are an established cultural group in the United States, Amish children are relatively ignored as a cultural and language minority group in public schools. Little information is available to the educator wishing to understand these children. Teacher education programs do not prepare teachers to deal with the language and experience…

School climate is a term used to describe how people feel about their school. The following 10 factors are described: (1) a supportive, stimulating environment; (2) student-centered; (3) positive expectations; (4) feedback; (5) rewards; (6) a sense of family; (7) closeness to parents and community; (8) communication; (9) achievement; and (10)…

A study examined the perceptions elementary school students hold toward writing and writing instruction, and questioned whether these perceptions vary by the kind and nature of instruction provided. A total of 96 students in grades three and four in a large midwestern middle class school took part in the study. The students were divided into two…

A study examined the educational and vocational barriers and opportunities reported by 788 disabled adult clients of the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation who matriculated in postsecondary education in Pennsylvania between 1980 and 1986. Thirty-six percent (244) of the surveys were returned. Half of the disabled adults matriculating…

Data were obtained from six high schools in the Northwest during 1984 and 1985 to determine the variation in students' reports of the frequency with which they skip school and cut classes. The study was guided by the advice of school administrators and a theoretical model of the influences or levels of participation in work organizations. Evidence…

Policy Analysis and Simulation System (PASS) is an interactive microcomputer model that can be used by educational administrators, policy-makers, and planners to simulate and forecast, under conditions of environmental uncertainty, the impact of strategic policies on the projected trends and goals of educational performance. PASS generates…

Data from the High School and Beyond study--restricted to over 800 regular public school students from a population of 18,684 who completed test batteries in both their sophomore and senior years--are analyzed in this report. Included in the cluster of 12 school variables are school policies, school resources, and school practices. The…

In the attempt to improve achievement test scores, schools may overlook affective activities and events as well as processes and procedures that influence students in positive ways. The self-fulfilling prophecies held by teachers, administrators, and others for their students and the self-concepts the students hold for themselves are two major…