Teachers participating in a 12-month study investigating teacher response to computer innovation in the classroom reported several factors as influential in determining how computers are incorporated into classroom routines: the support they received; private and public expectations for the teacher and the school; ministry and board guidelines;…

Japanese children's performance in school is a product of a social consensus favoring attention to children's learning, a set of cultural values focusing on the commitment of effort, and a psychological milieu in the family which encourages achievement in a safe and nurturant atmosphere. This paper treats especially this latter environment, that…

Documented effects of relaxed school disciplinary standards show the need for implementation of strict, consistent disciplinary measures. Poor school discipline endangers students and staff, contributes to teacher burnout, hinders student education, costs taxpayers, and encourages criminality both in and out of school. Students rights advocates…

Discipline is essential to quality education. A blueprint for classroom discipline is presented that is designed to restore discipline in the classroom. The plan calls for the participation and cooperation of parents, teachers, administrators, the school board, and the students. The plan is based on principles such as: (1) school administrators…

A 20-item questionnaire determined and compared attitudes of 996 public school teachers and administrators in 83 rural Tennessee counties concerning curriculum development, course content, school environment, individualized instruction, philosophical parameters, student evaluation, and extracurricular activities. Both teachers and administrators…

Theoretical traditions concerning school environments and student achievement are described, and their insights are linked with analyses of school and classroom interactions to develop a simple conceptual model of environmental influences on student achievement. The literature regarding environmental influences is then reviewed, and the last…

The purpose of this paper was to examine an approach to assessing educational needs for school board members, superintendents, and principals and to do that in a way that counteracts the remarkable amount of trivia that has been written on this particular topic. The EASI instrument--Educational Administration Skills Inventory--was used to produce…

This book examines the conditions for learning from the perspective of those students for whom schools are not productive and satisfying settings. Both current and desired characteristics of school environments are examined from the standpoint of their effect on marginal students. Questions probed include how difficulties begin and why individuals…

The paper summarizes a study of the educational environments of profoundly handicapped pupils enrolled in special education classes relative to the types of learning experiences, social opportunities, and services provided by three teachers in the San Diego, California, school district. The teachers were all in their first year working with the…

This study adds to the effective schools debate a criticism of existing criteria--based on standardized achievement test profiles--for targeting schools for intervention programs. Qualitative and quantitative methods of gathering data result in conflicting assessments of the magnet elementary school studied as needing or not needing intervention.…

This preliminary report summarizes findings from a study of over 400 black graduate and professional students on eight, majority white, state-supported university campuses nationally. Students reported high professional achievement goals and self-concepts, generally came from families displaying high levels of academic and occupational…

Research extending back into the 1890's reveals that the quality of classroom instruction depends not upon differing curricula, for example, but rather upon the attitudes and actions of teachers. Instructional effectiveness is especially important for independent schools, yet availability as well as quality of candidates has dropped markedly.…

The study described in this book examined at close range the experiences of 12 elementary school students (enrolled in two schools) who were considered at-risk within the context of their specific classroom and school. The meaning of at-risk status to the teachers and other school personnel is determined, and the interaction between the context…

This survey is based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,208 teachers, including an oversample of minority teachers in the nation's public schools. Over 2,700 school children in grades 4 through 12 were also interviewed, allowing for a comparison of teachers' and students' perceptions. The focus of the survey is on how…

The development and validation of the Home Learning Environment Profile (HLEP) are outlined. The HLEP instrument was designed to assess successful preschool home educational programs for Hawaiian families. The instrument covers sociodemographic, cultural, and environmental factors of Hawaiian families. After an extensive review of published…