This is the first of what is expected to be a regular series of reports from Arizona's community colleges to the citizens of Arizona regarding the effectiveness with which community colleges are achieving their goals. Initially the Task Force on Institutional Effectiveness Measures worked for most of an academic year and recommended the measures…

This policy bulletin summarizes the comments of participants in a forum on the subject of turning around low-performing schools. The forum was hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and the Consortium of Policy Research in Education and included policymakers, teachers, and state and local officials working on issues related to low-performing…

This workbook presents a seven-step planning process for safe and effective schools. Though specifically directed to schools in California, most of the components of the plan will pertain to schools everywhere. The workbook contains requirements of the California Education Code; many work sheets, sample forms, summary sheets, checklists, rubrics,…

An updated study of Kentucky school district performance since the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990 (KERA) added 4 years of accountability data; compared the performance of various districts; and explored district financial and teaching resources and their impacts on performance. After the initial years of change…

This report documents a study that examined what school leaders actually do to effectively lead schools. It then presents what this implies for policy and leadership development. Data for the study were collected from interviews with principals, vice principals, and teachers from 21 public, private, charter, contract, and magnet schools in 4…

The essays provided in this book shed light on and initiate debates about important policy issues associated with education reform and improvement. The authors do this by linking conceptual frameworks to past research, analyzing these challenges, and speculating about the contours of future research and school practice. Part 1, Educational…

Research on school restructuring reveals the commitments and competencies that lead to improved outcomes for children, including careful attention to students' emotional development, professional development that emphasizing the reflective study of teaching, culturally responsive and inclusive teaching, and a focus on early language and literacy…

This work explores the process of devising effective recruitment, hiring, training, and retention strategies for new teachers. Chapter 1, "The Need for New Teachers," documents the growing need for teachers due to growing enrollment, retirement, and increasing specialization. Chapter 2, "Envisioning and Defining the New…

Examines determinants of cognitive achievement in rural Pakistan, controlling for cognitive ability, family background, various school quality measures, and educational attainment. Estimates indicate substantial variation in school effectiveness. Investments that improve teacher quality and increase student exposure to teachers are likely to have…

Elementary school teachers' negative perceptions of parents in Villefleurie, France are explored. Teachers see parents as "natural enemies" and criticize all categories of parents to different degrees. Contributing factors include role conflict, class conflict, local history, and teachers' need to ascribe blame for academic or behavioral…

Presents three hypotheses about education: (1) equal opportunity in education is largely a myth; (2) students are often exploited for noneducational ends; and (3) ability is often discriminated against in schooling and life. Discusses each hypothesis and presents supportive arguments. (CFR)

Reviews several studies of prereferral intervention models and their effects on such variables as referral rates, student achievement and behavior, and student and parent satisfaction. Some models involved collaboration among teachers, and others involved formal consultation between teachers and specialists. Research to date has been more…

Observations of an elementary school in Florence (Italy) show the strengths and weaknesses of the Italian school system and its implications for education in the United States. The homogeneity of values and culture that characterize the Italian classroom are in marked contrast to the classroom of a U.S. city. (SLD)

Examined public school preschool programs for disadvantaged children and their developmental appropriateness by studying the programs' effects on children's language and memory skills and on classroom environment. Results showed that teachers could not distinguish their uninvolvement from overly and inappropriate academic involvement. Teachers did…

A national study of 14 alternative secondary schools (urban, rural, and suburban) enrolling students at risk of dropping out suggests that effective schools provide at-risk students with a community of support and can prevent students from dropping out. Eight policy recommendations comprise a youth policy agenda for states and communities. (SLD)