In spite of the important role of parents in their children's educational success, teacher education programs do not prepare teachers to deal with parents. One program which was successful in improving the home-school partnership trained teachers to develop curricula relevant to the minority issues that were important in the community. (VM)

Concept of "special education" focuses on schools' duty to develop programs that include and educate even the most difficult of the disabled. The concept of "school failure" puts the responsibility on the students, excluding them, though they also have a "disability.""Zero reject" concept, which includes all students, is recommended. (PS)

Describes a British technique called paired reading that shows parents how to tutor their children in reading. (FL)

The most effective principals can conceptualize instructional processes enough to orchestrate, lead, and implement efficient and effective programs. Selection of principals is as important as their training. Principals should not be selected from the best teachers, but from those who are bright, tough, and ambitious enough to ensure that their…

Addresses the question of effect on college and universities that coming revolution in retention strategies will have. Points out that more colleges will be requiring validation of intellectual accomplishment before, during, and at the end of the college career. (Author/ABB)

Soon after desegregation, teachers and administrators of an urban school may be unable to escape or effectively protest deteriorating conditions. Their response includes shifting blame in several ways, depending on one's position and power. Blame strategies do little to solve problems and may exacerbate them. (LHW)

Argues that student performance on standardized tests should not be the basis for educational reform and presents suggestions for expanding the criteria by which school success is judged. (SRT)

Identifies the following four types of parent involvement in schools: (1) basic obligations, (2) school-to-home communications, (3) parent involvement at school, and (4) parent involvement in learning activities at home. Describes each and discusses the principal's role in establishing and monitoring effective parent involvement programs. (LHW)

On April 26, 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education released its report, "A Nation at Risk," emphasizing the need for educational reform. The report's findings are discussed and the main polarizations in the responses to the report are examined. (RM)

Ascribes the basic flaw in American education to lack of dimensionalism, the sense of at-homeness in an ordered world and universe. Praises the Hellenic educators who inspired youth to self-confidence and suprahuman effort, in contrast to Salinger's hero Holden Caufield's feelings of alienation and self-doubt. Cites four references. (MLH)

Reviews resource allocation studies and includes an overview of resource allocation in public education and a review and analysis of studies by unit of analysis. Argues for informed resource allocation to increase school productivity. (MD)

Hispanic students who are learning and achieving well in certain kinds of schools are succeeding not because these schools have special policies for them but because the way the schools are organized helps to resolve some of the problems of Hispanics--problems that generally are not well understood. These organizational policies and Hispanic…

From interviews with 32 principals and observations of 17 of those interviewed emerged a picture of effective leadership in instructional management and school administration. Success was connected to the principals' capacity for linking routine activities to the school's context and a personal vision of its mission. (SK)

The superintendent of schools in Boston examines major factors in improving Boston public schools: strong principals, emphasis on basic skills, clear curriculum objectives, high expectations of all students, use of test results to improve classroom instruction, and state-of-the-art teaching methods. He discusses successful outcomes of these…

Outlines the findings from the NASSP Task Force on Effective School Climate including clear definitions of school climate and a model illustrating the inputs and outputs of the school environment. Includes a table for the model. (MD)