The gross differences in scholastic achievement among public, private government-dependent, and private independent schools in 22 countries are analyzed with Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 data. In a multilevel approach, the authors estimate these sector effects, controlling for sociological characteristics of students and…

In this article a study is presented in which teachers describe the working situation at their school. The aim of the study was to find out in what respects the school needed to be developed. The study was a case study and the method for collecting data was focus group dialogues. All teacher teams at a Swedish secondary school participated. The…

Much of Michael Pressley's work during the past decade focused on the nature of highly effective, engaging literacy instruction. Michael Pressley believed that studying effective teachers and schools had the potential to influence more engaging and effective teaching, especially in underresourced schools. First, we describe the grounded…

This report, which is the second annual report on charter schools in California by the University of Southern California's (USC's) Center on Educational Governance, offers a unique view of charter school performance. Using both financial and academic data submitted by school districts to the state of California, this report looks well beyond test…

This article describes a new supervision model conceived to help a school system redesign its anatomy (structures), physiology (flow of information and webs of relationships), and psychology (beliefs and values). The new paradigm (Knowledge Work Supervision) was constructed by reviewing the practices of several interrelated areas: sociotechnical…

The state of Virginia, like the rest of the nation, has placed school construction near the top of the political agenda due to rapidly rising enrollments and population shifts. This report presents results from a survey designed to better understand the connection between facilities, learning, and teaching in Virginia. The survey questions reflect…

The question of how staff development can be structured to serve as a lever for school improvement is addressed by analyzing and synthesizing empirical studies that have reported an impact of staff development on significant characteristics of effective schools. The choice and conception of the term "staff development" is discussed, followed by…

In response to the growing need for highly competent school administrators, Kentucky has mandated an administrator preparation program to reflect recommendations specified by the University Council for Educational Administration and reforms advocated by other national organizations. Designed to provide prospective principals with an appropriate…

Perhaps the most crucial education question of the late 1980s involves the assessment and evaluation of teaching quality. To help identify quality of teaching issues, this paper poses three questions: (1) Why have teachers found research-based teaching quality indicators so hollow and unacceptable? (2) What role, if any, can the accumulated…

Recent developments in cognitive anthropology, in particular the development of ethnographic semantics, make ethnographic methods more systematic. The goal is to replace intuition with an operationally explicit methodology for discerning how people construe their world of experience from the way they talk about it. The first part of this paper…

This bibliography provides a recommended list of research and theoretical literature in the field of secondary education. It organizes the literature into three main topics: (1) references of general interest; (2) reform strategies designed to promote academic achievement; and (3) literature relevant to the specific research projects conducted at…

Two surveys form the major components of the High School Improvement Project at Northwestern High School, Detroit. One is a survey of pupil behaviors, attitudes, and opinions; the other is a survey of staff behaviors, attitudes, and opinions. The present report brings together the findings for the 1984 staff survey and presents a comparison of…

Presents a list of 20 principles to follow when developing curriculum improvement programs. Includes a list of references. (MD)

Factors providing rewards for principals and their importance in the development of instructional leadership are discussed. The understanding of individual learning styles is also stressed as an important component in effective instructional leadership. Includes references and a diagram. (MD)

Describes a day in the life of an exceptional principal, Dennis Litky of Thayer Junior-Senior High School in Winchester, New Hampshire. (MD)