This report presents results from an April 1995 self-study of academic programs and support services in the vocational-technical and professional studies division at New Mexico State University's two-year branch campus at Carlsbad. College activities and outcomes are described for the following 12 programs and centers: pre-business, the Career…

Milwaukee's Highland Community school was opened in 1968 as an independent school (and is still funded mostly by donations) to provide a quality Montessori education and nurturing environment for economically and culturally diverse groups of families on the city's economically depressed Near West Side. Governed by a 9-member parent board of…

This paper characterizes the school effects literature that has been conducted over the past 25 years with a focus on urban elementary and secondary schools. The features of the research studies reviewed are explored, including dependent and independent variables employed, sources of data, research methods used, and the number and direction of…

Many young adolescents, possibly as many as half, feel boxed in and bored in their middle schools. Research suggests that schools, parents, and the rest of the community must do more to make middle schools places where young adolescents thrive. In spite of the emergence of the junior high school and later the middle school in the 20th century,…

In 1991, a study was conducted at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Kansas, of "leavers," those students who were once enrolled at JCCC, but did not graduate, transfer to another institution, or complete a career program. Questionnaires were mailed to 1,860 students identified as leavers who had been enrolled at JCCC during…

This directory identifies 83 national and regional organizations with major programs focused specifically on young adolescents and/or schools serving the middle school grades. The programs listed have been designed to encourage and support schools to better serve these youths. The directory entry lists each program's name, address, phone number,…

Quality requirements of curricula are analysed in terms of the educational effectiveness of their implementation. Improvement of educational effectiveness is seen primarily as taking place by improving the pupils' opportunity to learn, by increasing their time on task, by structuring and pacing their instruction, by clear and explicit objectives…

This paper explores the recent two decades of school reform efforts and focuses on application of the Effective Schools movement's ideas in urban, economically depressed communities. Five common characteristics of effective schools are teacher and other staff who believe that all children can learn; safe, orderly, and work-oriented environments;…

Every 5 years, Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Overland Park, Kansas, conducts a study of community perceptions to measure the level of community satisfaction with the overall mission of the college. Specifically, the studies seek to measure constituents' awareness of JCCC's role, their support of the college's activities to fulfill…

This report discusses findings from a study that examined the inclusiveness of state standards for students with disabilities. Specifically, the study investigated the extent to which individuals who know students with disabilities were involved in the development process, the extent to which students with disabilities were identified as being a…

This report discusses the findings of a study that examined the participation and performance of students with disabilities in the 1996 Minnesota Basic Standards Tests in reading and mathematics. Results indicated that approximately 70 percent of Minnesota's 8th grade students with disabilities participated in the Basic Standards Tests during the…

The continued implementation of Chapter 1 Schoolwide Projects (SWPs) within the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District during the 1989-90 school year is evaluated. A 5-year achievement summary is also presented. Data on attendance, report card grades, and normal curve equivalent (NCE) gains for 37 schools from the first SWP cohort are…

The 27 papers included in this proceedings report focus on various aspects of institutional effectiveness and student outcomes. The papers are: (1) "Assessment Update: Ends, Means and Results" (Banta); (2) "The Top Ten Issues Facing America's Community Colleges" (Lorenzo and Banach); (3) "Assessing Institutional Effectiveness in Continuing…

This resource guide is intended to assist local Texas school districts in the implementation of site-based decision-making and in the development of district and campus plans that will result in improved student performance. This document includes information on site-based decision-making and suggestions for developing district and campus plans.…

Studies of school effectiveness have sometimes been criticized for placing too great an emphasis on a limited range of achievement measures as indicators of school quality. This paper draws on a study of secondary schools in Australia to explore the extent to which achievement growth, attitudes toward school, and school holding power are…