Building on previous research, this study examined the reciprocal relationship between academic achievement and satisfaction of 1001 seniors at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Students completed a survey which measured overall satisfaction, ratings of academic and social experiences, whether the student would recommend the university to a…

This study explored how the leadership behaviors of an elementary principal in establishing school climate affects teacher productivity and teacher behaviors in the school. In addition, the facets of security and strength were explored as the underlying premise to school climate. The Organizational Climate Questionnaire for Elementary…

This paper provides advice to college and university administrators on issues and problems associated with the assessment and documentation of institutional effectiveness, in light of the current Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) criteria for institutional self-evaluation. Administrators need to: (1) get the attention of…

The concept of "world class," often used in reference to education, lacks a precise, universal definition. This book presents case studies of exemplary schools. The foreword by Fenwick W. English presents a developmental concept of world-class education, in which fair and comparable standards, with sufficient room for sociocultural…

This paper reports the results of an investigation into the stability of school effects in Dutch secondary education across both years and subjects. The following research questions were addressed: (1) What percentage of the total variance in student achievement per subject can be attributed to differences between schools and to what extent are…

School-based management refers to a form of educational administration in which the school becomes the primary unit for decision-making. The book is structured into five parts. In part 1, international developments in school-based decision-making and management are documented and analyzed. Described are developments in Australia, Canada, France,…

An evaluation of North Carolina's public school system is provided in this report, which uses student academic performance as a primary indicator of educational effectiveness. The first two sections describe characteristics of North Carolina and its schools, with a focus on public school population, enrollment, and funding. Section 3 focuses on…

This paper explores what researchers have meant when they talk and write about the effects of schooling on the educational performances and educational development of children. First, a literature review illustrates both the lack of consensus about theory and methodology and some reasons for the inconsistent conclusions about school effects. A…

School-based management has been a key element of education reform in the United Kingdom. Under Local Management of Schools (LMS), individual schools are given broad power over management of school budgets and most aspects of personnel and buildings. Two factors influence the transition to greater local control of schools. First, parental choice…

Schools are being increasingly encouraged to "restructure" to improve education in schools. However, restructuring has many different meanings for different people. This book addresses the origins, purposes, and methods of restructuring schools and clarifies the definition of restructuring. It also advocates comprehensive change in thinking about…

This paper draws on school-effectiveness research to address issues concerned with effective learning and effective teaching, and the role of the school in promoting these processes. The following questions are addressed: What do we know about effective learning and teaching? How does the effective schools research contributed to this debate? What…

This paper addresses trends and issues in the progressive inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools and classes. It examines the current changing school scene in terms of changes directly affecting students with disabilities and those who work with them (such as deinstitutionalization of students with severe and profound…

This paper tries to set out a framework for thinking about whether the innovation known as "charter schools" is working. It is designed to help those who are designing evaluations and those who are thinking about accountability. The charter schools movement is a new state strategy for educational system change. Those who ask whether the…

This paper gives the reader some insight into the development and uses of one approach to school self-evaluation in Scottish schools. It first gives some history and background of the Scottish education system and its educational "glasnost." Following this is an explanation of the development of an approach to self-evaluation as a basis…

Based on a review of recent research on school effects and workplace psychology, this paper hypothesizes that three core concepts comprise teacher organizational commitment: (1) belief in school goals and student learning ability; (2) intention to remain an active member of the school; and (3) willingness to exert extra effort on the school's…