Ninth grade results from the April 1989 administration of the New Jersey High School Proficiency Test (HSPT) are reported. Passing the HSPT, which consists of reading, writing, and mathematics sections, is a high school graduation requirement in New Jersey. In 1989, the HSPT was administered to 67,099 ninth, 6,352 10th, 3,018 11th, and 762 12th…

It is possible for at-risk students to perform at demanding academic levels, and their achievement can be improved dramatically in a relatively short time. Effective ways to teach at-risk children have already been identified; no new research is needed. This report covers the following specific issues related to educating high-risk students. It…

This study examined the differences between actual and predicted school achievement on a grade 5 standardized reading posttest. The primary objective was to identify which schools are performing above expectation on a posttest by examining multiple regression residuals and, concurrently, which school level variables are associated with that…

This paper presents, describes, and explains the results of Project SIGN (a school improvement groups network) collaboratively conducted by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the Camp Lejeune Dependents' Schools during the 1989-90 school year. The collegial, professional in-service program, designed to improve school effectiveness…

In response to Legislative Resolve 47 of the 1989 Alaska Legislature, the Alaska State Board of Education prepared this report on efforts to improve school performance and recommendations for legislative action. In the past year, the State Board met with educators, parents, Native leaders and organizations, nationally known experts, and…

The practices and perceptions of a shared planning team decision-making model and the effects on student achievement and attendance are examined in this study. Survey results, test scores, and background data on schools were utilized to analyze the relationships among the degree of shared decision-making and planning effectiveness ratings, student…

This document states the position of the National Association of Elementary School Principals regarding the essential ingredients of a fine elementary or middle school. It combines the findings of current research on effective schooling with the practical, onsite experience of working principals. After a brief introduction, these standards are…

Despite the fact that students over age 25 will soon comprise the majority in higher education, programming and resource allocation at many universities remain inadequate to meet adult needs. Institutions have also failed to invest in adult education research. At the same time, pressures for objective assessment of student learning in higher…

Addressing the Pittsburgh public school system's need for staff evaluation, Pittsburgh's Research-Based Instructional Supervisory Model (PRISM) is an adaptation of Madeline Hunter's materials on effective teaching and Theodore Forte's synthesis of Hunter's materials in his "Workshop on Instructional Skills." While total PRISM…

This manual contains documentation of a 3-week course conducted jointly in March 1982 by the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and the International Institute for Educational Planning on the subject of the school map (or micro-plan). Prepared at the regional or subregional level, the school map aims at equalizing educational opportunities and…

This case study of a central office school improvement initiative in an urban school system examines instructional leadership practices of two junior high school principals. The school-based research focuses on correlates of school effectiveness in "low achieving" settings and the principals' capacity to "reflect-in-action," an ability to make…

During the 1982-83 school year the Spencerport (New York) Central School District began a comprehensive project to study the effective schools research and its implications at all levels of a suburban school system. A leadership planning team (consisting of teachers, principals, and district personnel) participated in a series of workshops and…

This paper is based on a descriptive study of six elementary school secretaries. The study was undertaken to gain an understanding of the work of the school secretary and how this work might contribute to school effectiveness. Several research methods were combined in this study: onsite observations, interviews with secretaries and their…

This report on trends in school improvement test results presents an analysis and synthesis of 1978-1984 student performance data from four state-mandated testing programs: (1) the Educational Quality Assessment Program in Pennsylvania; (2) the Minimum Basic Skills Program in New Jersey; (3) the Delaware Educational Assessment Program in Delaware;…

To discover if there were differences in the influence-gaining behaviors of principals in schools of varying levels of instructional effectiveness, 9 of 19 urban schools involved in a school improvement project were selected for study. All the schools met the following criteria: involvement in the project for at least 1 year, employment of the…