According to the assistant secretary of the U. S. Department of Education, unsolved problems facing the educational excellence movement include lack of educational performance data, shifts in curriculum content, expected shortage of qualified teachers, and lack of training standards for educational leaders. A critique by the Minneapolis…

This document examines rural education in the member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Within these nations the range of conditions and communities that are called rural is enormous. Nevertheless, the allocation of human and financial resources to rural education has increased despite generally adverse economic…

Explains how Dr. Ronald R. Edmonds discovered five characteristics common to 55 United States schools exhibiting academic effectiveness. Explains the characteristics: large portion of principal's time spent in classrooms, global understanding of school's major purpose, orderly school climate, teacher behavior, and close monitoring of students…

The author proposes a new curriculum sequence for elementary and secondary education. (MCG)

Assesses critically the likely impact of existing inservice programs for training principals, identifying their major shortcomings and suggesting potentially more effective alternatives. Argues that, although a complete curriculum for principal training has yet to be developed, the Principal Profile method offers a foundation for long-term…

To obtain far-reaching results from educational change, it is necessary to keep purposes and processes balanced and to apply the six-step Purpose Identification Model to the perceived problem, thus bringing a more meaningful relationship between purposes and processes. (Author/DCS)

The Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Public Schools' Project RISE raised the achievement levels of 18 inner-city elementary schools dramatically without changing personnel or student composition, and without additional funding. Improvements were related to change in staff attitudes and in policies and practices affecting management, organization, behavior,…

In a districtwide student and community survey, reading with comprehension was considered the most important skill necessary for graduation, while decision-making skills were rated the most important general category. Many respondents believed that the home, community, and school should share the responsibility in such areas as values education.…

Changes signaling more effective public education that taxpayers have not yet perceived include targeting of resources to deficient schools, summer remedial programs and tougher student promotion policies, principal training programs, more efficient use of funds, improved student achievement, new regulations reducing school violence, and increased…

Highlights are offered of one district's 7 years of experience with a Walkabout program. Steps found to accelerate individual effectiveness among adolescents include building confidence, responsibility, attitude, and skills. These steps have also been appled to adults in seminars for teachers and administrators, a school improvement process, and…

An action research method, consisting of data collection, diagnosis, action planning, and evaluation, was used by the Saskatoon Schools (Canada) to facilitate school self-diagnosis and problem solving. The organizational model that helped categorize research findings on school effectiveness and innovation is explored in this article. (DF)

Based on data gathered during their public elementary school education, two groups of 49 students in private and public schools were matched on age, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status and IQ. Their achievement test scores as high school seniors do not support the claim that private schools necessarily effect higher achievement. (BS)

Examines the assumptions that educational vouchers will mean less state control over education, more choice for parents, and education that serves the child's best interest. The assertion that a voucher system will lead to more efficient and effective schools is examined in the light of five educational goals. (CMG)

Are charter school students in Dayton learning more than students in traditional district schools? You might be surprised to find that the answer is "yes," though there is still tremendous room for improvement on both sides. This analysis takes Ohio's 2004 School Report Card data from the state Department of Education and compares them with 2003…

This document discusses the performance indicators set forth by Jamestown Community College in 2002 in order to assess the effectiveness of the school in specified areas. The document begins with an overview of the vision and mission statement of the school. The mission statement is closely related to the indicators that are discussed in the…