This report presents results of the first Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward the Public Schools in Maryland. Based upon the 16th Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes toward Public Schools, this statewide poll provides: (1) benchmark data on the attitudes toward public education of Maryland communities; (2) a vehicle for obtaining…

The current state of education suggests that the present salary schedules and school organization models work against effective education. In addition, theoretically effective educational programs are not successful without effective personnel. Trends also show forces that are at work to lower the quality of teachers' work in the next decade. The…

In this paper, the school is viewed as an institution used by members of society to help them to adapt to their environment. Examined are (1) relations between the school and other immediate settings, such as the home, preschool and day care programs, informal groups, children's extracurricular organizations and summer experiences; and (2)…

This report presents a summary description of the 1974-75 Michigan Cost-Effectiveness Study and its findings. The study was an effort to develop and implement evaluation techniques for determining what educational practices affect student behavior and what costs are associated with those practices. Overall purpose of the 1974-75 study was to…

Uses the example of proposed bill, H.R. #5, The School Improvement Act of 1987, to describe how the Federal government can create progressive legislation for promoting and supporting public schools that can teach children to excel. Urges more Federal support for public schools. (FMW)

Interviews with head teachers gathered information to study the relationship between academic achievement and variables such as availability of classrooms, furniture, and books in Botswana primary schools. In contrast to some studies carried out in the West, research supported the view that school facilities are integral to academic achievement.…

Describes background, goals, methods, and preliminary findings of the PACE-ACE study, which analyzed how California middle schools and high schools have changed in response to state and local pressures for reform. Discusses how those changes occurred. (PS)

Presents survey and case data from a study of knowledge use in United States schools and concludes that well-designed government-supported dissemination activities that focus on reaching schools rather than individuals may be one approach to capitalize on both internal and external pressures for school improvement. (MLF)

Discusses the young child's home-community links and less strong school-community links. Examines reasons for schools becoming isolated from their communities. Emphasizes importance of teachers finding ways to relate child's learning to the community and finding ways to let parents share in their children's learning at school. (LFL)

Suggests that small, rural schools take interest inventories of teachers and students to improve the quality of education by taking a closer look at courses offered and the qualifications of teachers responsible for them. (MH)

Because research by Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore did not control for differences in achievement levels for students when they entered public and parochial schools, their conclusions are flawed. Reanaylsis of their data show that, when student selection is controlled, there are only slight differences in cognitive and achievement test results. (IS)

This paper is a report of a study that investigated whether increased private-school competition results in enhanced performance of public schools. Data for the study came from a pooled data set from Georgia Department of Education documents and directories, which included socioeconomic data on students and test scores from Georgia school systems…

This Fact Book offers information regarding Diablo Valley College (DVC), California. The report offers summary statistics about DVC's students and programs, and the state and county (Contra Costa) environment in which DVC functions. The population of Contra Costa County is one of the most highly educated in the nation; has a diverse population,…

Complying with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has presented special problems for small, rural, and isolated schools. This document presents results of surveys and interviews of county and district superintendents, principals, teachers, trustees, and curriculum directors of small, rural, and isolated schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon,…

A review of research yields nine conclusions concerning mathematics achievement among rural and urban students. Among them are that currently a national rural vs. non-rural mathematics achievement gap does not exist; at the state level, a rural vs. non-rural achievement gap exists in 40 percent of the states, and that gap is evenly split between…