This study of the composition and operation of both "top down" and "participative" school management teams in 18 Israeli elementary schools considers (1) how management teams are organized, solve problems, and make decisions; and (2) how the operation of the management team influences school effectiveness. No relationship…

Describes practical considerations for presidents of colleges undergoing accreditation, e.g., building consensus in the college community, empowering faculty and staff, establishing accountability-oriented planning models, creating a research-based organizational infrastructure, formalizing the management of planning and accreditation processes,…

Effects of educational policy reforms on provision of special educational services to students with disabilities in Scotland are examined. Topics discussed include the impact of British policy on Scottish practice; the culture of achievement; devolved school management; parents as consumers; consumerism, competition, and the Warnock legacy; the…

Focuses on the long-term effects of the Danish school system on students. Summarizes a research project of comparison interviews with former students of experimental and ordinary schools. Reports that students from experimental schools evaluate their schools more positively but rate their preparation for further education as less adequate than…

Discusses family school cooperation in Western Europe historically and today. Stresses the importance of cooperation especially at the primary school level. Attributes the swing toward parental involvement in the 1970s to social unrest linked with demands for participatory democracy, new research results revealing family influences on…

A case study of a successful alternative school in South Carolina for rural at-risk students suggests that the school exhibits four characteristics of successful urban schools for at-risk students: small class size, caring staff, school as community, and program flexibility. Two other vital features are the leadership role of the principal and a…

Several different meanings of effectiveness as applied to school administrators are identified and analyzed. The criteria of purpose, validity, measurement, and administrative image are used to enhance understanding of four concepts of administrator effectiveness and their implications for the evaluation of school administrators. (SLD)

Analysis of data on community college students' transfer to four-year colleges found that these students receive fewer bachelor's degrees than other college entrants. Reform proposals such as transforming community colleges into four-year colleges or making them two-year branches of universities need to consider the comprehensive nature and role…

Besides reorganizing the central office to support instructional goals, the Vancouver (Washington) School District has passed bond and levy issues to revitalize the infrastructure, changed to a three-year middle school configuration, designed three new school facilities, and allocated $1 million for school improvement initiatives. The goals are…

Investigates the impact of job satisfaction and changing jobs among secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. Finds teachers' job satisfaction is not high, and there is a low level of commitment to their profession and schools. Also significant was dissatisfaction with the nature of the job and social prestige of teachers. (NL)

The major transformation demanded by third-wave educational reform is replacing an incrementalist, ameliorist, and improvement orientation with dramatic new visions of schooling and society. According to Bela Banathy, the images (or designs) must be revolutionary, whereas the processes for attaining them must be evolutionary. "Design…

Traces the increasing emphasis on the assessment of two-year college student outcomes in each edition of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges'"Handbook of Accreditation" since 1978. (DMM)

As part of Alberta's provincial initiative, stakeholders (staff, parents, students, and community members) at each school in Grande Prairie School District identified indicators of quality education in the areas of student achievement, school climate, instructional quality, and funding. Results were used to develop an individualized evaluative…

Summarizes approaches identified in recent research that were used in schools in the United Kingdom that were effective in educating minority students. These effective schools were characterized by strong leadership, shared vision and goals, school organization, and high expectations for students. Treating students with dignity and respect was…

All 50 exemplary private and public schools the author visited incorporated "best" educational practices: showing students how to learn; creating self-directed, independent learners; providing authentic learning experiences; increasing curriculum integration; using technology appropriately; equipping students with needed skills; and…