Characteristics distinguishing more effective from less effective public primary (grades 1 to 8) schools in Santo Domingo were studied, using a comparative case study design. The effectiveness of the school was determined by expert nomination and achievement tests in reading, mathematics, and writing. Socioeconomic status was controlled and three…

A review of the literature is presented on the excellence movement in education and vocational education. The review focuses on the contribution of the educational institution to excellence and describes institutional-level factors associated with excellence. Several questions guide the review: What elements characterize exemplary institutions?…

While effective schools research has inspired new efforts toward improving education for all students, it is flawed by offering simplistic prescriptions based on correlational studies focusing on basic skills achievement. Effective school research and theory can be upgraded by a more careful definition of the goals of learning and a systematic…

The issue of whether senior secondary education should be expanded in Indonesia was explored. The analysis was based largely on data from a nationwide tracer study that followed a cohort of primary, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary school leavers for two years after graduation in 1976. The schooling, training, and job experiences of this…

This six-chapter book describes professional practices found in good schools and presents practical ideas for implementing the indicators good schools have in common. The first chapter, "Recognizing Good Schools," discusses school philosophy and the qualities of an educated person. A "Good School Check List" is also presented. Among topics…

Materials related to Hudson's Bay High School's (Vancouver, Washington) program to improve school effectiveness are presented. On the first page are enumerated six steps that were taken to implement the program, including the administration of an Effective Schools Evaluation Instrument asking faculty to identify needed improvements. Eight teams…

Drawing from research conducted by the Academy for Educational Development and the College Board, this booklet presents nine recommendations to enhance the transfer function of community colleges, especially for minority students; provides a rationale for the recommendations; and describes two major programs to promote the transfer function.…

New Jersey's Public School Education Act of 1975 requires local school districts to provide students with "thorough and efficient" educational opportunity. This report describes State initiatives carried out as of April 1986 to help urban districts comply with the act's mandate in the face of the particularly complex and concentrated…

This report describes New Jersey's continuing efforts to help urban school districts comply with the state's Public School Education Act of 1975 in view of the particularly complex problems which the urban districts face in complying with the act's mandate requiring all districts to provide their students with a "thorough and efficient"…

This document presents a "Prospectus" in the schools of the 1990s by distinguished educators. These papers were commissioned to provide insight into the demands to be faced by educators in the 1990s and to spur dialogue and exchange among them. The monograph serves as a project resource in the current American Association of Colleges for Teacher…

Arguing that educational disadvantage, underachievement, and dropping out are problems that originate with schools as well as students, this document describes the Work and Learning Center in Madison, Wisconsin, that was designed to meet the needs of high school dropouts. The first section gives disadvantaged students' perspectives on the school…

This report summarizes findings of the Los Angeles Unified School District's third annual Basic Activities Survey (BAS), held in spring 1985. The BAS measures opinions of certificated staff, classified staff, and parents concerning the district's performance in the areas of curriculum, teaching methods, and instructional materials. The sample…

The general meaning of research data drawn from study of school improvement programs creates the opportunity for sound theory building. By emphasizing the principal's role in policy development, this paper analyzes the characteristics of large-scale educational innovation projects and their explanatory foundations. Belgium's comprehensive Renewed…

Providing introduction to the whole language philosophy, this book aims to demonstrate that whole language is indeed good education. It outlines what kinds of research support whole language education, how a whole language philosophy may be carried out in practice, and how to go about implementing a whole language philosophy in a school or a…

During the last five years, the Prince George's County (Maryland) public school system has brought about dramatic improvements in the academic achievement of at-risk students, offering strong evidence that public education can succeed for all children. This report describes how Prince George's County accomplished this turnaround through a process…