This paper describes the method that the Minneapolis Public School system (MPS), Minnesota, uses to measure school and student performance. MPS uses a multifaceted system that both captures and accounts for the complexity of a large urban school district. The system incorporates: (1) a hybrid model of critical indicators that report on level of…

A study examined school factors and teacher factors contributing to primary grade students' reading growth and reading achievement. It investigated school and classroom variables in effective schools as compared to moderately effective and less effective schools and also looked at classroom practices of accomplished teachers as compared to less…

Volumes have been written about the value of more and better education. But is there sufficient evidence to support the commonly held belief that we, as individuals and as a community, should be investing more in education? This book explores that question in unprecedented detail, drawing on empirical evidence from an impressive array of sources.…

This document is one of a series of guides to self-evaluation that builds on the advice given in the publication "How good is our school?" (2002 edition). This guide should be used to evaluate the quality of parental partnerships and is designed for use by teachers, managers, education support services, parents and the bodies that…

The revised edition of "How good is our school?" (HM Inspectorate of Education 2002) has been widely welcomed in schools and authorities. This document is one of a series of guides to self-evaluation that builds on the advice given in "How good is our school?" The materials are designed for staff who have responsibilities…

Effective schools research problems (unreliable descriptions and definitions, over-dependency on tests, research limited primarily to elementary schools) result in narrow formulas leading to increased standardization, neglect of nonacademic areas, and failure to improve in schools with high test scores. Author urges using broader, more complex…

This article synthesizes research on teacher effectiveness, school effectiveness, and organizational change and interprets what the findings imply for staff development in the schools. Nine research-based themes for staff development efforts are outlined. (PP)

Methods staff developers used to improve the reading program at a Greenwich, Connecticut, elementary school are discussed. The entire staff of the school was involved in developing the new reading program, which focused on increasing teachers' expectations of student learning, use of diagnostic teaching, and other techniques. (PP)

An examination of issues and problems associated with urban secondary school quality indicates that educational improvement and expansion of educational opportunities in these schools require the presence of knowledgeable, dedicated, and effective administrators and teachers; community support; and educational programs that are responsive to human…

Recent changes in the system of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions in Australia are outlined, and a procedure for analyzing the degree to which the system is effectively coping with change in the 1980s is described. The procedure looks at the linking of administrative units, delegation of authority, and community involvement. (MSE)

Describes principal William Corbett and the characteristics that make him an effective principal; his foremost strength is commitment to the instructional program. (JM)

Describes Schools for Thought (SFT), a model developed at Vanderbilt University using three educational programs (Fostering Communities of Learners, Computer Supported Intentional Learning Environment, The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury) to promote literacy, attitudes toward school, and mathematical and scientific problem solving. Examines the…

The "Essentials of Best Practice in Professional Development for Sustained Change Model" is based on recent research in professional development, adult learning theory, shared leadership, effective schools, and the change process. The model views increased student learning as the goal; schools as the unit of change; professional…

Analyzed two sixth-grade teachers' efforts to improve their instruction. Subjects were 129 students. Theories of multiple intelligences were practiced in two essential ways, specifically, by encouraging students to understand the way they learn, and by generating a variety of instructional activities. Results showed that there were gains in…

This special issue pulls together several strands of research about home-school relationships' influences on school effectiveness. The first article presents a comprehensive model linking various research and policy initiatives with the effective schools framework. The remaining articles discuss family influence on schools through choice and…