Describes a research project that analyzes performance indicators such as customer/client satisfaction, student achievement, and student-skill improvement. Discusses the use of indicators as a tool to promote institutional improvement. (Contains 15 references.) (AUTH/NB)

Explores four observations of student participation and perspective: (1) pupils are not seen as consumers that can be consulted; (2) focus on student experiences and opinions in school improvement efforts; (3) students talk about forms of teaching/learning; and (4) more can be done to help students talk about learning. (CMK)

Examines the effect of differences in governance structures, school-effectiveness factors, and classroom-level factors on mathematics achievement in public, Catholic, Protestant, and neutral schools in The Netherlands. Concludes that the higher mathematics achievement of Catholic pupils can be explained, in part, by the governance structure and…

The article reports on 2 Minnesota Educational Effectiveness Project studies on the relationship between school effectiveness variables and attitudes/achievement of 2,604 students in general and 758 students with mild disabilities. Results did not support the idea that general efforts at school improvement will lead to improved outcomes for…

Discusses the relationship between educational quality at Catholic schools and educational costs, and between consistency and effective schools. Describes steps to determine just teacher salaries/benefits, to elicit the support of the community, and to move to decisive action. (PAA)

The extent of truancy, dropout, and grade repetition in 36 Dutch secondary schools was correlated with contextual variables such as school size, class size, and percentage of non-Dutch pupils. Multiple regression showed that numbers of non-Dutch pupils and average class size were of importance regarding the extent of truancy. (SK)

John Chubb and Terry Moe believe that the failure of schools to educate children is attributable to their institutional nature. During the past 25 years, the American public school system has been expected to resolve every social inequity. Bureaucracy has had a stifling effect on education, but its removal through parental choice will also remove…

Defines, illustrates, and evaluates three approaches to home-school collaboration: School to Home Transmission, Interactive Learning; and Partnership for School Success. Discusses pitfalls to avoid. (DM)

Ideally, teacher confidence in the principal's instructional or supervisory expertise can overcome concerns about professional autonomy and bureaucratic control. This study focuses on elementary teachers' perceptions of the relationships among the principal's supervisory expertise, teacher sense of autonomy, and the robustness of school climate.…

The Australian experience with school self-evaluation is reviewed, and projections are made concerning the future. Trends for both government and non-government schools are reviewed, and tools for periodic as well as ongoing self-evaluation are discussed. An increasing focus on the design of school management information systems is projected. (TJH)

Discusses the rationale for the use of school incentives in public education and reviews the use of incentives in the public sector. Provides a topological overview of incentive programs and case descriptions. (JOW)

Compares the theories of E. D. Hirsch on teaching cultural literacy with the earlier work of education reformer, Carleton Washburne. Points out that Washburne also supported the notion of cultural literacy, developed a social studies curriculum, and promoted the organization and internal continuity of learning as the prime consideration. (NL)

Recounts the history of Beijing University prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China. Provides insights through the author's personal memoirs. Gives a sense of the past through the liberal use of anecdotes. (KO)

Three change facilitator styles (approaches to leadership for change) exhibited by nine elementary principals are identified and discussed. The intervention behaviors of principals and other change facilitators, and the influence of these behaviors on school improvement are discussed. (IAH)

Although more than 40 states have developed public school choice plans, not all plans are equally effective. Problems and possibilities of school choice options in East Harlem (New York), Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin are outlined. Sidebars list types of plans and elements of successful plans. Includes 13 references. (MLH)