This article deals with school districts' K-8 configurations. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Milwaukee, New York, and Philadelphia are among the districts making the change, driven by a small body of research and a rising pile of anecdotes suggesting that K-8 configurations help academic performance, decrease discipline problems, enhance parent…

"Beyond Tracking" responds to the a sobering assessment of American high schools by delineating and promoting an innovative and well-defined notion of multiple pathways. The book's authors clearly distinguish their use of the term "multiple pathways" from any updated version of the tracking system that marked so many American high schools during…

In response to an evaluation conducted by the Netherlands Inspectorate of Education of the nation's elementary schools, the Institute for Educational Development and Advice (Christelijk Pedagogisch Studiecentrum, CPS) undertook a 3-year intervention to revitalize 5 schools experiencing problems with student achievement, curriculum,…

Although current policy debate on school restructuring is centered on choice, empowerment, and professionalization issues, the effects of communally organized schools has received little attention. This paper postulates that student achievement, particularly in mathematics, is related to selected elements of communal schools (shared norms and…

In 1992, California became the second state to enact legislation enabling the creation of charter schools. This report provides information about 44 California charter schools that, as of the 1994-95 school year, had been in operation for at least 1 year. These 44 schools responded to a survey that was sent to each of the 62 California charter…

This study examined the relationship between transition from elementary to middle school and achievement gaps in math and science in eighth graders with (N=296) and without (N=1608) learning disabilities (LD). An abundance of research suggests that motivation and achievement decline during the early adolescent years, and that this decline is often…

This document presents the Educational Excellence Network's third annual report card on the progress of education reform in the United States. Despite much activity, the report assigns reform efforts for 1995-96 the overall grade of C, which is the same grade given for the previous year. Part 1 presents data on academic achievement in American…

At the University College at Cariboo, in British Columbia (Canada), the Extension Services function has been shifted to the college's instructional divisions. This has resulted in new funds for the divisions, as well as greater interaction between Extension staff and regular faculty and, thus, new ideas for Extension courses and programs. One…

This report contains findings of a study conducted by the Little Hoover Commission, which investigated ways to support and expand opportunities for charter schools in California. Over 100 charter schools were in operation in California as of March 1996. Data were based on visits to 26 charter schools in the state. The report concludes that: (1)…

History indicates that when a community college "single college district" opens a new campus center, that center tends to follow one of two different patterns of development. The new campus typically either remains in the subordinate role of a center forming a "single college multi-campus district" or it develops into a comprehensive college…

School-effectiveness and school-improvement researchers are increasingly looking to establish some kind of synergy between their respective fields; however, current attempts lack a clear understanding of organizations. School-effectiveness research tends to emphasize structural dimensions, while the focus in school-improvement work is on…

The American public education system seems to be resistant to curative measures. This book is a journalistic account of Cleveland Heights High School's unsuccessful struggle to achieve excellence and equity. The high school, located in a middle-class suburb of Cleveland, implemented the Model School Project in 1988 to address the persistent…

This paper compares two Australian educational administration texts published in 1963 to reflect critically on the radical changes that have occurred in educational administration in Australia since then. The books are "Headmasters for Better Schools," by Bassett, Crane, and Walker; and "Training the Administrator," by…

Confronted by overcrowded schools and tight budgets, school districts in about 30 states are keeping schools open year round. This is not extending the school year; year-round students attend the same number of days as those on the traditional calendar, but the year-round students have several short breaks. More students can fit into existing…

The reforms currently proposed by educators and policymakers are based on two categories of assumptions: (1) changes in school organization will increase effective use of scarce resources; and (2) choices made by parents and children will effectively "match" students to appropriate learning environments. This paper presents a dynamic model of…