Six major topics in the recent literature on class size concern the relation of class size to: (1) children's achievement; (2) other child variables, such as pupils' attitudes and behavior; (3) teacher variables, such as satisfaction and stress; (4) organization and instruction; (5) cost-effectiveness; and (6) the unique characteristics of small…

Recent educational reform initiatives have caused the state to examine its role in regulation of schools, and the current regulatory processes have been found to be in need of revision. The current system, in which the state grants "recognition" to schools that meet its standards based on whether they meet a rigidly defined set of…

Although central office supervisors are emerging as critical linchpins of school improvement efforts, research is quite limited in this area. This study differs from previous efforts by focusing on the administrator's real world and identifying the subjective role conceptions and statements shared by four outstanding central office supervisors. It…

Curriculum alignment (CA) refers to the congruence of all the elements of a school's curriculum: curriculum goals; instructional program--what is taught and the materials used; and tests used to judge outcomes. CA can be a very powerful can be a very powerful factor in improving schools. Although further research is needed on CA, there is…

This paper reviews the suitability at the kindergarten level of Philadelphia's new K-12 Standardized Curriculum in terms of concerns expressed by a group of Philadelphia kindergarten teachers. The teachers' objections spring from two different conceptions of early childhood education. According to one argument (rejected by the district but…

Since Iraq gained independence in the 1930s and particularly since it became a republic in the 1950s and began earning oil revenue, efforts to improve Iraqi education have received increasing attention. By 1984 the educational system had achieved the ability to enroll every child reaching the age of six, and a national campaign to reduce…

This bilingual handbook, presented in both Hmong and English, is designed to assist parents of language minority students who live in California. The book is part of the technical assistance effort of the State Department of Education to clarify the operations of the California schools to language minority parents so they can better support the…

The social climates of two markedly different high schools are examined in this study. Although both schools reside in the same district and have the same community standards, they are different in curriculum concepts, problem-solving strategies, and size. The two schools, one a typical high school and one a smaller public alternative high school,…

This paper presents organizational strategies and implementation methods for conversion to middle school organization (scheduled to take place in 1988) in the Johnson City, Tennessee, school system. Carried out by the district in partnership with local institutions of higher education, the study focuses on what is educationally best for the child…

Graduate education in the United States and issues related to the survival of scholarship are addressed. Ways to balance undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies are considered, including issues related to research training and the undergraduate major. It is suggested that graduate schools coordinate their emphasis on general education…

This paper examines trends in the use of research and evaluation resources in the Dallas (Texas) Independent School District (DISD) and in other school districts throughout the country. First, the organization and functions of the Department of Research, Evaluation, and Audit of the DISD are presented and compared to those of 7 years ago. Second,…

Recently, the traditional school structure has been harshly scrutinized for several key defects, including bureaucratic rules and regulations, professional isolation of teaching staff, evaluation systems irrelevant to instructional improvement, low teacher participation in decision making, and noncooperation between teachers and administrators.…

The Institute for Research on Educational Finance and Governance (IFG) has designed and implemented a major survey of public and private schools in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area which focuses on organizational dimensions in elementary and secondary schools. Private schools include Catholic parochial and private schools, independent…

Communicating values is at the heart of education. Intertwined with the processes and procedures of schooling, a host of values are taught every day. Education, therefore, carries with it a social and moral imperative. If we are to help students avoid moral bankruptcy, we cannot have a value-neutral education. A basic feature of the social and…

In developing a blueprint for a successful laboratory school, the following elements are discussed: (1) governance of the school and its relationship to the university or college of education; (2) organization of the school (responsibilities, priorities, philosophy) and the scope of its program; (3) faculty characteristics and its relationship…