Argentina and Chile have longstanding policies that give public subsidies to private schools. This paper uses data from 1997 from Argentina and Chile to compare the academic outcomes of seventh and eighth graders in public and private schools. Three types of private schools are analyzed: Catholic schools that are subsidized by the government,…

This annual report addresses the key achievements of and financial and service performance evaluations for Whitireia Community Polytechnic (New Zealand) for the year 2000. One key achievement highlighted in the report included the target student completion rate being 76%, while the actual completion rate was 83%. Every program was surveyed for…

This document presents practical guidelines for evaluating community-based adult leaning projects in the United Kingdom to document their impacts. The guide provides frameworks, terms of reference, examples of methods used by community-based projects, ways of demonstrating project impact, and a range of evaluation tools. Sections 1 through 10…

This comprehensive fact book is part of the institutional effectiveness effort at El Centro College in Texas. It provides extensive information on students, graduation, performance measures, continuing education, faculty, and finances. Report highlights (for fall 2000, unless noted otherwise) include: (1) unduplicated headcount was 4,227; (2)…

Presents an interview with Dr. John H. Lounsbury, Dean Emeritus at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, and publications editor for the National Middle School Association. Issues discussed include changes in young adolescents' education; the influence of societal changes, educational reform, and technological development in the…

An interview with three top students and an English teacher at a troubled urban high school in Portland (Oregon) yields interesting insights: The best teachers blend strictness with understanding. Learning is more lasting when multiple avenues for absorbing material are provided. A principal's strong leadership is critical to a cohesive school…

Case studies of six high schools identified eight features that promote the success of language-minority (LM) students: (1) respect for students' languages and cultures; (2) teachers' high expectations of students; (3) LM as a leadership priority; (4) staff development; (5) LM-specific courses; (6) counseling; (7) parent involvement; and (8)…

Federal and state educational indicator systems should include assessments of school context as well as of student outcomes. A review of the literature suggests that access to knowledge, pressure for achievement, and professional teaching conditions are the best general constructs to provide bases for school context indicators. (TJH)

Describes and synthesizes the findings of 11 case studies which comprise the Exemplary Practice in Science and Mathematics Education Study. Reports four assertions in which exemplary teachers used strategies for management, encouraging students to participate, increasing understanding of science and math, and maintaining a favorable classroom…

Presents reanalysis of data from earlier reviews, particularly those by Hanushek (1981, 1986, 1989, 1991), on relationship between educational resource input and school outcomes when controlling for student characteristics such as socioeconomic status. Using different synthesis methods, analysis shows a positive relationship between resources and…

Characteristics of schools that have succeeded in becoming unusually effective for all students include the following: (1) insistence that all participants take responsibility for improvement; (2) persistence in seeking to attain high standards; (3) resiliency in moving forward despite obstacles and discouragements; and (4) consistency in…

If boards of education in rural areas are going to strengthen education, they need to achieve empowering leadership through written policies that create a clarity of vision, empower subordinates, and emphasize renewal. Empowering leadership allows linkages among stakeholders of education and encourages creative efforts toward improving the…

Analyzes educational practitioners' responses to the fundamental reforms proposed in President Bush's America 2000 educational reform initiatives. Considers national support for and resistance to three proposal essentials (accountability, choice, and deregulation). Discusses the efforts' possible derailment in favor of headline grabbing…

Reports on a study of 350 student teachers and the use of a preservice training course on effective instruction. Findings indicate that student teachers who used the recommended instructional methods elicited more student engagement and were rated higher by student teaching supervisors. (CFR)

The evolution of the Mt. Hood Community College (Oregon) effort to analyze institutional policies affecting high-risk students is chronicled from the early 1980s to the present, from the initial findings of program ineffectiveness to program improvement. Chronicle includes successes and limitations of several early-change strategies, and factors…