This paper presents summaries of selected articles and research reports that address the role of the principal in areas of instructional leadership, teacher evaluation, and student achievement. Research concludes that the single most important factor in determining the success of a school is the ability of the principal to coordinate, organize,…

This educational and architectural masterplan prepared for an architectural firm was a major component of the educational reform plan of a remote school system enrolling approximately 3,300 students on the Navajo Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The study found the chronic underfunding of P.L. 81-815, Federal Impact Aid for Indian…

The papers presented at this conference review current research on effective educational practices for low-achieving students and identify those that might be applied to programs funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. This report is a reaction to three papers which were presented at the final session of…

Previous research with the large, nationally representative High School and Beyond data has compared senior year achievement test scores for public and Catholic high school students after controlling for background variables and sophomore year test scores. These analyses, however, were based on traditional applications of multiple regression with…

The annual performance report of the Austin Independent School District (AISD) for the 1986-87 school year contains the information required by the State Board of Education reconfigured into district-level and campus-level (individual school) information. Data include: the Superintendent's Report for 1986-87, dropout rates, class size above…

Chief state school officers have committed themselves to seek the elimination of the nation's dropout problem by the turn of the century. Two reasons are given for this unusually strong statement. First is the human or moral issue that leaves millions of youth destined to a life of poverty if school cannot be successful in meeting their needs.…

An overview is provided of the problem of student attrition and the essential components of effective retention programs. Following introductory arguments that the secret of retention is in the development of communities committed to education rather than retention, the paper discusses several major causes of student attrition, including academic…

This study employs meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness instruments to evaluate and compare cross-age tutoring, computer assistance, class size reductions, and instructional time increases for their utility in improving elementary school reading and math scores. Using intervention effect studies as replication models, researchers first estimate…

This report outlines the Seattle Public Schools' high School program, with an emphasis on preparation for college and employment. Part I describes the seminar, held in 1982-83, which generated this report. It explains that recommendations contained in this report will become guidelines for schools as they move towards the district's goal of…

Although Pennsylvania's Long Range Planning for School Improvement (LRPSI) assumes linkage between school improvement and school compliance with state-mandated registration process guidelines, the extent to which the newly mandated evaluation/registration process will actually contribute to substantive school improvement and a rebuilding of public…

Teacher educators, teachers, parents, and principals participated in a 1983 seminar in Australia on early adolescents. A literature review on schooling for early adolescents was prepared as background reading for seminar participants. The opening address was given by Professor Colin Power, Flinders University of South Australia, who outlined the…

This guide describes the New York State assessment process as a framework for other districts aiming to develop an effective approach to performance assessment. In 1984-85 the New York State Board of Regents initiated the Comprehensive Assessment Report (CAR) as a process of reporting and using education results throughout the state. The…

The Integrating Studies Program at Vermont College was designed not only to help students master the dictates of established disciplines, but also to inquire about the nature of knowledge. As such, it reflects the growth of the general studies movement and that movement's desire to restore the bond between education and character-formation. The…

School effectiveness programs were evaluated at six urban schools (five elementary and one junior high schools) in Louisiana for the 1986-87 school year. Focus was on providing principals with information to improve their school effectiveness programs for the 1987-88 school year. Subjects were 3,006 students, for whom scores on the California…

The At-Risk Student Program Area, part of the National Center on Effective Secondary Schools, will study how at-risk secondary school students are affected by special programs, efforts toward school improvement, and policies of admission and attendance. This paper describes the testing procedures that will be used. Data will be collected in six…