A study was conducted of four urban middle schools in Boston serving 1,600 students, mostly from low-income minority families, to assess urban public school effectiveness. School level practices were the primary focus of the study, but self-reports of classroom teaching behaviors were also studied in relation to student achievement through…

As a testing procedure designed to link instruction and testing in a helping relationship, Monitoring Achievement in Pittsburgh (MAP) is based on four assumptions: (1) classroom teachers are the primary untapped resource in schools and should be called upon for all their professional experience and talents; (2) all testing evidence about student…

This paper provides a perspective on issues among small schools in Canada through an analysis of topics that focus on Ontario. During the early phase of the small school movement, many educators believed that "small" represented a deleterious condition. After researchers examined negative conditions among larger schools, however,…

The programs and publications of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research from 1980 to 1984 are listed and described in this document. The center's efforts focus on the study of the nature and effects of diversity among students. The research program adds to knowledge about how children learn, how they are taught, and what characterizes…

To learn how residents of the Palouse and Garfield (Washington) school districts felt about school-related issues, a survey based on interviews was developed and administered in 1984 to a proportional sample between districts and between rural and city residents within each district. A specific sample of parents with children in Garfield's school…

A group of three conference papers, all addressing effective instructional programs, is presented in this document. The first paper, entitled "The Organization--A Viable Instrument for Progress" (Barbara Sizemore), addresses the subject of high-achieving, predominantly black elementary schools. Routines in these schools not present in…

The 23 chapters in this yearbook provide a review of existing theory and research in the field of school management; offer accounts of how administrators in different countries are coping with problems; and report on the progress being made in developing school management training experiences. Each chapter has been specially commissioned by…

To determine the role of vocational education in enhancing private sector productivity in the Sedalia, Missouri area, the feasibility of a program to assist business and industry in productivity awareness, assessment, and improvement was evaluated. Based on data from six area business and industry representatives who agreed to complete a survey…

As part of a comprehensive study of all mandates placed by the state of Illinois on elementary and secondary education, an analysis was undertaken of the school day/school year mandate in its historical perspective, inquiring into its original purpose, how well that purpose has been served, whether the mandate is still needed, and whether a…

This volume, part of the Junior High School Transition Study, reports on findings regarding one of five areas of interest in the study. Questions being addressed are: (1) How do students participate in, and respond to, junior high school instruction? (2) Do students respond differently in different circumstances? and (3) Are these differences, if…

Following a brief welcoming statement by Gwen Ericcsen, Executive Director of the Foundation for Oregon Research and Education (FORE), conference papers address a wide range of issues on the current challenges of educational reform. Among these issues are the hard choices brought about by the changing economics of education, and the value of…

Examined in this book are issues related to the education of at-risk children and youth. Part 1 of the volume consists of 12 original papers presented and discussed at the Council of Chief State School Officers' (CCSSO) 1987 Summer Institute. Papers concern: (1) values, standards, and climate in schools serving students at risk; (2) schools and…

During the past five years, student enrollments in Connecticut have declined by approximately 17%. Recent State Department of Education projections indicate that the decline can be expected to continue and become more evident in the high schools through 1989. Continuing declines in both enrollment and available resources raise questions about the…

In 1986-87, Schools for Quality Education, an organization of some 80 small schools in Kansas, and the Center for Rural Education and Small Schools (College of Education, Kansas State University) jointly investigated the effectiveness of representative smaller schools serving rural areas in Kansas. The study, which was conducted in two phases,…

This paper compares responses of 660 teachers and 3,420 students from 36 schools (23 elementary, 4 middle, 9 secondary), located in 14 rural Tennessee counties, by school level on the Good Schools Survey instruments. Data represent teacher and student perceptions of classroom practices, support services/facilities, commitment, and goal attainment.…