Although viable leadership models for schools with differing social contexts are in great demand, empirical studies of high school principals have not produced consistent results. This paper summarizes part of a larger project designed to identify leadership behaviors of principals in "gang-impacted" and other secondary schools. The…

Instructional supervision terminology continues to grow at an accelerating rate. This glossary is designed to help beleaguered instructional leaders identify research-based terms that facilitate a common language between teacher and supervisor and thereby enhance communication. The 100 terms are but a beginning collection of the most current…

Beginning with an analogy of today's schools as factories, this paper describes the conditions which make it both possible and imperative to transform schools. Examples are given of resources that may be used to support school-based changes, such as foundations, regional laboratories, professional associations, and universities. A model is offered…

Three articles on assessment in higher education include the following: "More Savvy, Good Signs, Next Steps: A Report on the Third National Conference on Assessment in Higher Education," by Pat Hutchings, on tapping expert judgment, getting students invested, and deepening understanding; "Perspectives on General Education and Its…

Although social science has contributed much to the student of schools, the perspectives of earlier thinkers about school effectiveness can fill some of our present need, too, by emphasizing the social values most important and then applying them as educational standards. Former generations viewed good schools normatively rather than empirically…

To maintain a good school system, a school board should expect from its administrators certain attitudes and behaviors: first, administrators should consider the students' interests above all else, support board decisions once made, consider ethical issues, be optimistic, and take pride in their jobs and their school district; second, they should…

Rolling Terrace is a low-income, high-minority primary education school (grades headstart through 4) with higher than average test scores, a good atmosphere, and high teacher enthusiasm and dedication. Open-ended questions, observations, and a survey were used to gather information from all but 4 of the 51 faculty and staff members to determine…

A recent study (Cook, 1989) involving 58 randomly selected South Carolina elementary schools indicated that none of these schools could be characterized as having an "open climate." This paper suggests that this situation may have its origins in the educational reform movement of the 1980s, first ignited by the publication of "A…

To meet growing demands for collecting and using quality information for decision-making, many U.S. school districts are developing database systems that increase their responsiveness to schools and communities. This paper describes how Long Beach Unified School District (California) designed and implemented a Database Management Information…

Chapter 10 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter considers the recruitment, evaluation, supervision, dismissal, and professional development of teachers. The chapter also summarizes practical wisdom on these topics and offers suggestions for administrators. Recruiting and selecting teachers may be the most critical tasks faced by…

Teachers who are trained in Consistency Management and who use its principles in the classroom can facilitate improvement in student academic achievement. The Consistency Management Program, consisting of school and classroom management strategies integrated with instructional methods, seems to provide the conditions for learning to occur. Five…

Although the literature points to principals' central role in enhancing school effectiveness, the demonstration of a causal relationship between their instructional leadership and student achievement is difficult. Researchers have suggested that instructional leadership can influence teaching and classroom practices through the establishment of…

This paper provides a conceptual framework for addressing the issue of effectiveness and efficiency in education. It considers alternative criteria for identifying efficiency and discusses constraints on improving efficiency. The first section distinguishes efficiency from effectiveness, and also distinguishes "internal" from "external" efficiency…

This document traces the development of the effective schools movement from its early beginning in the late 1960's. A framework for this history, in the form of Larry Lezotte's "four critical periods," is described. Using Lezotte's framework of dates (1966-76, 1976-80, 1980-83, and 1983-present), this paper examines major events of and…

Potential indicators of organizational effectiveness and ineffectiveness in postsecondary institutions were investigated. Institutional effectiveness was defined as the possession of characteristics of excellence, including: student educational satisfaction, student academic development, student career development, student personal development,…