Analyzes the content of the literature on community, junior, and technical colleges, utilizing a matrix with seven major classifications (i.e., governance, organization, staffing, clientele, curriculum, finance, and evaluation) and three dimensions (i.e., structure/form, function/role, and process/operations). Offers observations on effectiveness…

Thanks to four major education movements (the restructuring, effective schools and school improvement, school as culture, and demography movements), educational leaders are adopting a more holistic approach to improving schools. The four movements affect educational leaders' problem-solving behavior, the character of educational research, and…

Customer satisfaction and continuous improvement of products and services are concepts underlying quality philosophy that swept across U.S. industry during 1980s. These organizational principles are now being applied to educational practice, including administration, curricula, and teaching. This article explains how to build a strong, compelling…

Explores several dilemmas facing those interested in developing processes for principal evaluation and, drawing from program evaluation practices, suggests a consumer-oriented, outcomes-based approach for evaluating principals. The article concludes with a set of criteria for assessing any principal evaluation program. (GLR)

Standard reading test scores were gathered from 2,500 British students at ages 6 and 8. School and pupil variables sieved with multilevel modeling were used to develop a measure of school effectiveness that ranked schools substantially differently than the raw scores. The measure may be a fairer comparison of school effectiveness. (SK)

Analyzes three SAT data sets to address whether private high schools have higher completion and college enrollment rates than public high schools. Indicates a consistent advantage for public high schools with respect to SAT math attainment. In general, school effects outweigh ethnicity, gender, and social class in SAT outcome measures. (CJS)

Relationships between organizational effectiveness and the effectiveness of organization leaders were studied for 112 elementary school principals in Alberta (Canada) who rated effectiveness on 38 organizational and 29 leadership criteria. Results support a close relationship between the two constructs and highlight the complexity of educational…

Discusses influence of school context on effective schooling, based on observations at four Australian high schools. Generic school improvement characteristics and processes assume different meanings in practice; these meanings are shaped by school's response to particular circumstances and environmental challenges. Response has implications for…

Although the (British) government's "league tables" may be an inappropriate method of comparing schools' relative effectiveness, analysis of the 1992 examination results points to Catholic schools' apparent success. A summary of the limited research evidence on Catholic school effectiveness suggests that a rigorous study of their…

Argues that Chicago's northwest and southwest public schools should enroll all students in a common core curriculum to reap benefits similar to those seen in Catholic schools: high standards, smaller gaps in minority achievement, and a strong sense of community. Considers that traditional academic education is appropriate for all students. (SK)

The New Community School in Lafayette, Indiana, a parent-run school, and Ann Arbor's Community High School demonstrate the challenges of running alternative schools (in finances, organization, and member burnout) and the sense of community that evolves in the process. (SK)

Presents the latest evolution of the accountability movement in higher education to be that of institutional effectiveness assessment. Outlines a model of key factors relating to institutional effectiveness planning and discusses the basic decisions involved in implementation. (30 citations.) (VWC)

Explains how colleges and universities, faced with emerging trends and increased competition, can utilize their facilities as strategic resources. Examines technology changes in the classroom and the effects on user needs, the trend toward real-world learning environments, and facility design planning that responds to social interaction and…

Examines differences in student math and science achievement between rural and urban schools in Western Australia, after controlling for student background variables. Using multilevel modeling techniques, shows that school location significantly affected student achievement, with students attending rural schools not performing as well as those…

The paradigm within which educational effectiveness has been studied has played out. A new paradigm that fully integrates educational-effectiveness research with ongoing school improvement and reform processes is emerging. Studies show reconceptualization of the field may lead to research-driven reforms to shake the foundations of schooling. (27…