An outline of the characteristics of exemplary schools is presented in a discussion of the effective schools movement. Research on the implementation process of a pilot program explores a plan for school improvement. A view of effective school research and school improvement from a political perspective is offered. (DF)

The recent research on school or educational leadership is reviewed in an attempt to define some of the major recurring research problems. This paper outlines and describes both methodological problems and organizational perspective problems so that future research efforts can be strengthened. (BW)

The purpose of this report is to present and discuss competing accountability approaches, or models, designed to systematically indicate how a school's students are performing academically. Within the framework of the current federally mandated accountability legislation, increased interest in models measuring school performance has caused…

The passage of the Children First Act in 1988 ushered in a new era of data collection, analysis, and reporting about the overall quality and condition of education in Louisiana. Implemented in 1990, this major piece of legislation resulted in the publication of the Progress Profiles (School Report Cards, District Composite Report, and the…

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a general introduction to: (1) the growth of the charter school movement in Ohio since 1998;(2) the reaction of some who oppose this expansion in school choice; and (3) legal and political challenges that need to be met to ensure the sustainability and educational success of the charter…

School choice proponents share a recognition that the institution of public schooling is not living up to our ideals of public education. Despite that shared recognition, a diverse and sometimes conflicting set of policies are championed. The purpose of this paper is to improve the movement's prospects for success by identifying the precise points…

This document is a chapter in "The Principles and Practice of Educational Management," which aims to provide a systematic and analytical introduction to the study of educational management. The structure of the book reflects the main substantive areas of educational leadership and management, and most of the major themes are covered in…

This document is the annual Accountability Report Card that was created by the Dalton State College Office of Institutional Research and Planning for the academic year 2002-2003. The document addresses improvements made according to indicators in a variety of areas that have also been used in previous years. The results for the 2001-2002 are…

This paper describes the difficult task of performing a critical evaluation of a Professional Development School (PDS). The paper notes the often contradictory opinions of the stakeholders in regard to acceptable conceptual models and the tensions involved. The description is a result of active participation in PDS related activities, document…

This Critical Success Factors Report is an accountability document for the North Carolina Community College System; it is also the result of a process undertaken to streamline and simplify accountability reporting by the community college system. The 12 performance measures for accountability, also labeled as the 12 core indicators of student…

The purpose of this study is to identify the policies and practices of community colleges that are effective in enabling their students to succeed in postsecondary education. The study was conducted through a partnership with the Florida Department of Education's Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Education and funded by the Lumina…

Homelessness has a devastating impact on children. School provides stability and a sense of continuity during an otherwise chaotic time, as well as access to other comprehensive services, both inside and outside the school, such as meals, health care, counseling, and recreation. But despite their desperate need, homeless children face high, often…

This paper revisited the findings of a study of school effectiveness changes by J. Gray and others (1995) and compared them to findings from two other studies, one by J. Freeman and C. Teddlie (1996) and the other conducted for this report. In the study by Gray and others, the researchers used data from three cohorts of secondary school students…

This document describes the 1997-2002 strategic plan for Westchester Community College (New York). The college's four focus goals are described in detail. The first goal is student retention, which includes the following actions: (1) identifying students' intent at the point of application; (2) centrally collecting data about students; (3)…

This document describes Austin Community College's (Texas) educational academic plans, facilities plans, and financial implementation plans for 2000-2001. Plan goals and priorities include: (1) enhancing scheduling efficiency while responding to unmet student demand and community needs, and increasing enrollments by 3-5%; (2) opening two…