The National Education Association (NEA) offers its vision of schools in the 21st century, describes today's schools, and identifies practical solutions for improvement. Nine overarching principles incorporate the recommendations made. These nine principles are the basis for the NEA's Action Plan for Educational Excellence: (1) students must…

The responses to two questionnaires by the principals and 186 randomly selected teachers from 40 elementary schools from Hillsborough county (Florida) provided the data for a study that examined whether principals of schools demonstrating high and low levels of student reading achievement differed in leadership behavior and/or demographic…

An insightful overview of what makes schools effective is presented. The report is based on a study of 272 schools that have been recognized by the Department of Education as exemplary, with particular focus given to the 60 private elementary schools within this group. Themes and characteristics that are frequently mentioned include strong…

Despite prestigious reports, most notably "A Nation at Risk," and fervent reform efforts, school performance is unlikely to be improved by measures failing to recognize that schools are institutions--complex organizations composed of interdependent parts, governed by well-established rules and norms, and adapted for stability. Effective…

This document traces the personal growth of teachers through the research literature and interviews and conversations with more than 40 elementary and secondary teachers. Chapter One provides an overview of teachers as artists, suggesting that teaching is a highly refined skill that requires knowledge and practice to master. Chapters Two and Three…

During the 1985-86 school year, an evaluation plan utilizing standardized norm-referenced test information was initiated within the Wichita Public School System in Kansas. The plan had four identifiable factors: (1) a growth measurement concept; (2) a simplified computation process; (3) a means of integration of growth measurement within user…

Research emphasizing a psychological perspective of social comparison processes shows that school-average ability (SAA) is negatively associated with academic self-concepts (ASC). Sociological research indicates that SAA is negatively related to educational and occupational aspirations. The present study unites these two related research areas,…

Based on the assumption that the problem of the at-risk, low-achieving student lies at least in part with staff attitudes, the Special Populations Project at Research for Better Schools developed a survey instrument to measure staff attitudes and perceptions. The "Assessment of School Needs for Low Achieving Students: Staff Survey"…

The development of the Tennessee school system Commissioner's Report Card (CRC) and the School Report Card--later named the Tennessee School Improvement Project (TSIP)--is described. The report card project began in 1984 when statewide mandated achievement testing was introduced. The first CRC included limited results of such testing. The first…

One of the perennial problems with universal education is the diversity in achievement it brings to the average classroom. Educational structures are needed that not only accept individual differences but also offer explicit recognition of their value to a democratic society. Young people growing up in the information society are going to have to…

This manual is addressed to principals and program managers within the Seattle Public Schools. It presents a planning process model and includes blank forms on which principals are instructed to inform the directors of their school-based plans for improved school effectiveness. The introduction describes Project ACCESS (A Community Cooperating for…

The standard measures of student performance in colleges and universities--grade point average (GPA), retention rates, and graduation rates--are examined for their usefulness in evaluating an institution's effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. Problems are noted with the GPA with all courses being treated the same and student load being…

To determine the public perception of schools and school leaders, this study questioned people with knowledge of and opinions about their local schools, allowing open-ended responses to a question about confidence in their schools: "What are the sources of your confidence in this school (or school district)?" Although data are incomplete and…

This review of research looks at the complex issues of school effectiveness by dividing the field into three clusters: (1) characteristics of effective teachers, (2) characteristics of effective learners, and (3) institutional and organizational characteristics of effective instruction. Research findings are summarized on college students'…

This speech reviews school effectiveness research over the past 5 years, presenting the most important conclusions: schools make a difference in how much children learn, and principals make a difference in school effectiveness. The characteristics of better schools listed are: 1) clear sense of purpose, (2) well-formulated instructional goals, (3)…