Identifies and discusses four major concerns with the 1996 National Education Summit's call for standards. Argues schools need more than just standards testing, criticized as an easy solution to a complex problem. By creating tougher standards and through the overuse of standarized tests, schools are transforming into sorting mechanisms,…

Examines the charter school concept as a means for educational improvement. Concerns over quality and equity are briefly discussed, and reasons why educators and researchers need to be included in the debate are highlighted. Suggests that charter schools can pilot new teaching strategies and curriculum offerings, and introduce productive…

This article outlines the standards, accountability and assessment measures mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In addition to summarizing the accountability measures, the author outlines the consequences associated with failing to meet performance expectations and provides a comprehensive list of NCLB assessment vocabulary terms and…

Surveyed fifth-graders and school staff in 117 elementary schools regarding school processes and outputs. Found that the open systems and human relations models provided the best-fit statistics and explained the most variance in achievement progress, followed by the rational goal model. Explored implications for effective schools research and…

Presents two interviews: the first with educational researcher, Charles H. Abelmann, about educational accountability and what educational institutions are being asked to demonstrate; and the second with Paul Elsner, Chancellor of Arizona's Maricopa Community Colleges regarding the community college's response to demands for accountability. (11…

Describes Ireland's participation in an international comparative study investigating childhood services settings, types of services used, and reasons for particular choices (the IEA Preprimary Project). Provides account of recent developments in early education in Ireland, addresses the question of quality in service provision, and describes…

Discusses the public's growing disaffection for institutions of higher education in North America and the increasing need for educational reform. Reviews conclusions from a study of effectiveness practices in over 200 two-year colleges. Argues that the colleges can and will play an important role in education reform. (AJL)

Calls for a new standard of educational excellence following the assumption of the new North Central Association (NCA) Standard and Criteria for Accreditation. Argues that in addition to maintaining past standards of excellence, modern-age schools must also actively adapt and improve; they must examine their current status and plan improvements.…

Examines explanations for Catholic schools succeeding in communities where public schools fail. Discusses the differences in student makeup positively influencing graduation rates in Catholic and private schools and how this might be altered if a voucher system is implemented. (GR)

Catholic schools share five organizational characteristics that account for their unusual effectiveness. Catholic schools offer and require a core academic curriculum for all students, are embedded within a larger communal structure, are small enough to promote community, have decentralized governance, and have an inspirational ideology reflecting…

Advocates that campus professionals, particularly student affairs professionals, refocus on student learning in all its dimensions. Discusses research and learning, students' 24-hour needs, engaging in professional inquiry, collegiality, and classroom assessment techniques. Reiterates that learning is the goal of all education and that students…

Investigates whether trainees, tutors, and practicing teachers at a Pakistani teacher-training college felt that training matched the researched factors linked to successful schools. Fewer than half the practicing teachers felt well-prepared; groups could not decide which effectiveness elements should be included. The institution's hidden…

Shows how five key dimensions of efficient production organizations have been applied directly to improving school productivity through a national school reform effort, the Accelerated Schools Project. Substantial productivity gains can be obtained at a marginal cost (less than 1% of the school budget) through transforming schools to improve their…

Provides a bibliography of introductory resources regarding community college leadership roles. Explores whether there is a leadership crisis in the community college, if such a leadership crisis can be predicted, and if there is, actually, an excess of leadership. (Contains 15 resources.) (AUTH/NB)

The book "Leaders and Leadership in Education," by Helen Gunter, is the topic of four separate reviews and a response by the author. Each brief essay contains references. Dean Fink describes the book as "a breathtaking survey of contemporary management and leadership literature, particularly British." (Contains 68 references.) (MLF)