A study was done to determine the extent to which effectiveness among a nationally representative sample of two-year colleges differs in terms of their dominant type of organizational culture. The study was based on a survey of 1,332 faculty and administrators in 30 colleges. Of these, 662 usable responses were received. Analysis yielded the…

This report draws from a study being conducted by William Massy and Andrea Wilger for the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE). The study examines how academic departments work in order to identify organizational incentives that can improve productivity. The brief offers some definitions of productivity in higher education and…

The call to restructure schools is born from a new set of challenges facing U.S. society as well as its education system. This paper describes the process followed by 12 schools that participated in meeting the challenges in the "Schools of Tomorrow...Today" (ST/T) project, supported by the New York City Teacher Centers Consortium (TCC) of the…

The development of school culture within a comprehensive school in northern England, Deangate School, is examined in this case study, with a focus on the process of self-definition. Two aspects of school culture emerged as significant to the process of "becoming": generic culture, that which is common across secondary schools; and unique…

This book describes the Louisiana School Effectiveness Study (LSES), a decade-long project that identified the characteristics of effective schools. Following the foreword by Larry Cuban, four chapters in part 1 outline the rationale and four-phase design of the LSES. Four chapters in part 2 present quantitative and qualitative findings from LSES…

This paper outlines the reasons for the overall lack of synchronization between school-effectiveness knowledge and school-improvement practice at the international level. It surveys the two communities, attempts to understand the origins and distinctiveness of the two paradigms, and outlines what each community could gain from an appreciation of…

This book is a collection of 30 "Schools in the Middle" newsletters that were published from 1981-90. These articles, which focus on the melding of theory and practice, reflect exemplary middle-level practices, issues, and concerns about early adolescents during the past decade. Among the articles contained in Part 1, titled "Successful Middle…

Concerned with the conflicting goals, purposes, and roles that characterize schools, this paper examines the relationships among educators, the wider educational community, and society in general as these relationships affect schools' organizational functioning. The focus is a theoretical model that attempts to explain how the microbehaviors of…

Education needs to change to ensure individual success and survival as well as retain the United States' position in the world. Expectations must be raised for students, teachers, parents, school boards, administrators, and the public at large. Partnerships are essential among school boards, staffs, businesses, students, parents, communities, and…

In this paper, academic efficiency is operationally defined and a methodology for measuring it at the school level is described. Academic efficiency is defined as the extent to which a school utilizes its time for the academic development of all its students. The measure of academic efficiency must include three elements: time, students, and…

A comparison is presented of how teachers, students, and parents perceive the climate of the secondary schools in Greenfield, Massachusetts, as measured by responses to eight selected value statements about the purposes of the school. Agreement among teachers, students, and parents indicates a school climate of collaboration, while disagreement…

A seminar for high school principals (held in Portland, Oregon, June 28-29, 1982) sought to stimulate and record interaction among participants on five key topics related to school improvement: standards for excellence, elements of effectiveness, productivity, the high school of the future, and causing change in high schools. Following…

In recent years, educational research and development has focused increased attention on ways of enhancing the instructional value of tests. This ERIC Digest summarizes some of the recent advances in linking instruction and assessment. Studies of teacher effectiveness indicate how important systematic assessment of student progress and use of test…

Intended as a synthesis of current literature on school improvement and educational change, this guide attempts to provide central office personnel, principals, teachers, and parents with an overview of five school improvement models, along with practical suggestions for improving instructional programs. The second chapter summarizes relevant…

This report describes the Quality Enhancement Project (QEP), one of four major components of the Child Day Care Planning Project (CDCPP) of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The major goal of the QEP was to develop a model for improving the quality of funded centers. The quality of care at 65 funded centers in Cleveland and 11 surrounding suburbs was…