Schools within schools are large public schools that have been divided into smaller autonomous subunits to create a sense of community and cohesiveness among students and staff. This digest discusses the benefits, drawbacks, varieties, and sources of funding for schools within schools. Designers of these schools seek the advantages of both large…

One of the great school funding myths of our time is the notion that money spent on improving public schools for poor and minority students is akin to throwing money into a bottomless pit. According to the politicians and policymakers who have pushed this view into the public debate on education reform, our schools have ample resources, and…

New York University studied the impact of increases in instructional group size in resource rooms and speech service in the New York City Public Schools by examining increases in 45 public elementary, middle, and senior high schools. Questionnaires were distributed to parents, and teachers and administrators were interviewed. Observations of…

A class size reduction (CSR) program was implemented in a large low-performing urban elementary school district. The CSR program helps schools improve student learning by hiring additional teachers so that children in the early elementary grades can attend smaller classes. This study used a participant-oriented evaluation model to examine the…

This report was prepared by the Texas Education Agency in response to Section 39.183 of the Texas Education Code. It consists of five sections. Section 1, "Class Size Limitations," is a summary of school-district compliance with the class-size limitations prescribed by Section 25.112, including the number of districts granted an…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), offers the most comprehensive picture available of the education system in the United States. The aim of this study is to show the potential value of a linkage between SASS and data on student academic achievement. To achieve this aim, the…

Congressional testimony is presented concerning school buildings and their connection to student health, behavior, and learning, including a review of selected empirical studies conducted over the past 30 years showing an explicit relationship between physical characteristics of school buildings and educational outcomes. The factors responsible…

In 1996, North Carolina began a 5-year evaluation of alternative learning programs (ALPs). This report contains in-depth case studies of four ALPs during the 1996-97 school year. The ALPs were selected to represent different types of programs in the state, and include one middle school, two high school, and one elementary school programs. The case…

Information on test-takers collected at the time of examinations provides a rich description of AP students, but what are the characteristics of their teachers? The current study provides a glimpse into these characteristics by summarizing the results of the largest survey of AP teachers to date (32,109 responses). The AP Teacher Survey contained…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, places a major emphasis on teacher quality as a significant factor in improving student achievement. Under NCLB, Title II, Part A provides funds to states and districts to conduct a variety of teacher-related reform activities.…

Student assessments and their possible effects on faculty performance and vitality are discussed. Two kinds of assessments considered are: (1) students' rating of individual courses and instruction, and (2) students' evaluation of the curriculum and teaching in their major field department. (MLW)

Discusses the format of a semester course and provides details about grading, formative assessment, research papers, lecture activities, cooperative examinations, use of spreadsheets, and open-ended laboratory projects. Contains 15 references. (DDR)

Changes in college faculty employment patterns since the 1970s are examined, focusing on the current lack of available positions, increased use of part-time faculty, dual appointments, racial/ethnic and gender distribution among college teachers, and growth in class size. (MSE)

The School for the Physical City (SPC) is 1 of 50 new public schools established in New York City since 1993. Like many, SPC offers small classes, greater teacher-student interaction, and a rigorous curriculum, but depends on some private financial support. However, it remains questionable whether the City cares enough about reform to finance…

Recommends that future research on economics education be directed toward the measurement of multiple outputs, the economics major, and replication. Suggests reexamination of how high school economics instruction affects later interest. Explores effects of class size, optimum order for taking classes, student and instructor differences, nonnative…