The study of the practices in the selection and appointment of teachers indicates that the specific methods employed in locating, selecting, and appointing teachers differ considerably in cities of various sizes, in different regions of the country, and in the various types of schools. In 1930 about 8 per cent of the secondary-school teaching…

The federal No Child Left Behind Act and its mandate for adequate yearly progress has placed unprecedented demands on districts to use evidence to support their school improvement efforts. Research has not yet determined if data-driven decision making leads to improvements in teaching and learning since most outcomes reported to date are based on…

During March of 1920, by resolution of the Board of Education of Wilmington, Delaware, a committee of 30 citizens of the city was appointed to make a survey of the public schools and of the system of education of the city. The executive committee was directed to prepare a plan or program to be followed in making the investigation and survey and to…

A 1981 needs survey distributed to 587 superintendents (37.5 percent returned) of all small (1,000 students or less) K-12 Texas school districts shows lack of money to be the most critical need. A critical teacher shortage (especially in mathematics and science) and curriculum development and supervision are other important concerns. (LC)

Examines the challenges of providing educational leadership in rapidly changing rural school settings. Describes a leadership development model that stresses learning in action, examines the role and responsibilities of school boards related to educational leadership, and suggests that the Individual Education Plan process can be a model for…

This study contributes to the field by identifying a broad range of traditional and newer middle grade policies and practices, and determining in California which of these differentiate higher- from lower-performing schools serving similar student populations, with performance measured by the state's standards-based tests. Based on a sample of 303…

In the 2008-09 school year researchers from EdSource and Stanford University conducted a large-scale study of 303 middle grades schools in California. The team surveyed 303 principals, 3,752 English Language Arts (ELA) and math teachers in grades 6-8, and 157 superintendents of the districts and charter management organizations that oversee the…

Building community collaboration and commitment for educating students in urban districts was the theme of the January 29-31, 1992, meeting of the Urban Superintendents' Network. Presentations and discussions focused on the political nature of education, Chapter 1 legislation, the use of educational technology, and educational standards and…

Perceptions of secondary educators were examined regarding delivery of educational programs via interactive video networks (IVN). The population included all agricultural education instructors, principals, and superintendents employed in public secondary schools having an agricultural education program during the 1990-91 school year in a…

A survey of school district superintendents sought to gather data on a number of characteristics and compare the data with earlier surveys. From a random sample of 2,536 superintendents, stratified by district size, responses were received from 1,724, for a return rate of 68 percent, or 11 percent of all U.S. superintendents. The variables covered…

Most organizational problems are communication problems. The administrator must employ strategies for listening to employees (personal listening), and must allow the employees to participate in the decision-making process (corporate listening). The Marietta City School System (Georgia) employed several strategies to deal with the passive…

A model for improving school and classroom effectiveness must pay attention to: (1) leadership; (2) school climate; (3) supervision; (4) teacher behaviors; (5) student behaviors; and (6) student achievement. Chapter 1 of this book on effective schools and classrooms introduces these important issues and describes a model incorporating these…

This monograph is designed primarily to provide a broad scope treatment of case law involving public school issues. The cases included were selected from judicial decisions found in federal and regional reporters in the period from June 30, 1988, to June 30, 1989. Cases were selected on the basis of their relevance to contemporary problems in…

Four school boards in Ontario, Canada, were selected for intensive case studies to examine the models, policies, procedures, and practices used to stimulate, support, coordinate, and assess the effectiveness of curriculum changes within their jurisdictions. The data collection consisted of (1) documents such as organizational charts,…

To assess the impact of the 1984 Alberta Education teacher evaluation policy, this study investigated the formal teacher evaluation practices of superintendents, other central office staff, and principals in Alberta (Canada) in 1983-84. A three part, mailed questionnaire based on existing instruments collected: (1) demographic data on the…