This paper presents findings of a study that developed, measured, and tested the Organizational/Supervisory (O/S) Model of Instructional Supervision. The six dimensions of the Organizational Supervisory Climate Inventory (OSCI)--organizational structure, professional autonomy, collaborative sharing, district supervisory climate, reflection, and…

Centering is a problem in multilevel analysis that needs to be addressed. Multilevel analysis gives researchers a choice between centering within context and grand mean centering, both statistically sound ways to improve estimation of the parameters in the model. Researchers of the most widely used software package for the analysis of…

This publication describes Venture Capital grants, which are awarded to Ohio schools for school-improvement efforts. Originating in the business sector, the concept of Venture Capital represented corporate earning or individual savings invested in a new or fresh enterprise. The grants are designed to be long-term, evolving efforts focused on a…

This book offers strategies for enhancing a school's teaching and learning by using benchmarking, a team-research and data-driven process for increasing school effectiveness. Benchmarking enables professionals to study and know their systems and continually improve their practices. The book is designed to lead a team step by step through the…

This book synthesizes research findings on principal effectiveness, viewing the principal as a key factor in ensuring school effectiveness and productivity. Methodology includes an extensive literature review, participation and observation grounded in theory, and pragmatic responses to conditions and issues. Chapter 1 presents an overview of…

A good college assessment program should include departmental level assessment to evaluate what students learn in their major field. Small colleges have unique opportunities and constraints in developing departmental assessment programs. Because of their size, small departments can use labor-intensive methods and have more opportunities for…

Research reveals that parental involvement in their children's education improves attendance, increases academic achievement, improves student behavior and study habits, and generates positive attitudes toward schools. The demands of work and family can act as barriers to involvement. Some parents are discouraged by a fear of incompetence and…

This digest discusses issues in the selection of an appropriate focus for a focus school. Schools with a theme and schools targeted for particular students, which are both components of the focus-school genre, have long been a part of the nation's education system. A number of school districts, especially in urban areas, have established focus…

The recent movement to restructure schools has raised fundamental questions: Can changes in school structure improve student performance? Under what conditions might some structures be more effective than others? This document presents findings from Lee and Smith's study that examined the role of school restructuring on student performance.…

Findings of a study that examined the relationship of principals' change facilitator styles to school effectiveness in different socioeconomic contexts are presented in this paper. Data were collected through a survey of 472 public elementary school teachers in 53 schools in 19 Louisiana school districts. Schools were categorized according to SES…

This paper traces one example of area support for schools to show how an administrator can initiate school-effectiveness work. The paper describes the implementation of an intervention plan for social justice and improved educational outcomes for aboriginal students, the Social Justice Resource Schools (SJRS) program, which was established in the…

This guidebook is designed to serve as a resource and road map for restructuring schools, focusing on the development of a systematic process to implement and manage change. Chapter 1 defines restructuring as the reform of school-organizational relationships and processes to increase student learning and performance, with a focus on the following…

The purpose of this study was to examine the operations of a Texas high-poverty middle school focusing on teachers as a significant component in the flow of resources and their effect on achievement. The sample in this study included 11 math teachers and 26 English/language arts teachers, all from the same school, along with randomly selected…

This book describes the kind of education system that is needed for the future. The text originated with a study that involved 21 leaders in business, education, government, and other fields who identified more than 250 characteristics that would enhance schools' capability in preparing students for a global knowledge/information age. Followup…

With the re-adoption of the Texas Education Code (TEC) in 1995, the Texas commissioner of education was required to develop and propose an assessment system for students with disabilities and for students of limited English proficiency. The evolution of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) program and the development of the…