No external force or authority can make an organization excellent. Leadership's role is to persuade an organization's members to strive for excellence. This explains the failure of coercive state mandates for teacher evaluation, testing, academic standards, and foreign-language requirements. A new leadership model is desperately needed. (MLH)

Despite Professor Wraga's positive claims (in this same "Educational Administration Quarterly" issue), there is a substantial record of failure associated with the comprehensive high school--a stratifying institution that broadens the gap between the fortunate and disadvantaged. Urban high schools have low standards and are resistant to…

The current challenge for higher education is not to change its traditional beliefs but to become more conscious of them and the role they play in academic life. Such inquiry will show that preoccupation with acquiring resources, enhancing reputations, and being smart has had an effect contrary to academics' own best interests and to the…

Explores and interprets factors related to the burgeoning of codes, criteria, and guidelines in recent years within three kinds of context: (1) higher degree and dissertation-award processes; (2) guidelines for teachers and university lecturers; and (3) codes for researchers in the social sciences. Discusses the intentions and unforeseen…

Describes how standards established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards for its Early Childhood/Generalist certification serve the purposes of accountability-driven education and can revitalize teaching and enrich teachers' work with each other. The paper examines one teacher's experiences weaving the standards through class…

A survey of 88 graduate schools investigated the nature of the administrative process for selecting graduate students, factors considered in examining applications for admission, and attention given to prospective students' preparation in their chosen graduate field. Results are summarized, and implications for graduate schools are discussed.…

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, 64 percent of its 660 schools increased their norm-referenced test scores from 1998 to 1999. Success stems from a clear, districtwide approach to standards-based learning and broad-based communication about student and school gains. Bancroft Middle School's results-driven approach is profiled. (MLH)

Assesses effects of five large city school districts' fiscal dependence on educational spending in New York State. Results suggest that spending levels may be systematically lower in fiscally dependent districts. Recommends re-aligning resource allocation and school governance responsibilities and using matching grants to reduce spending…

Argues that high-stakes testing is inconsistent with the National Science Education Standards' goals regarding what students are taught about the nature and purposes of science. (Contains 23 references.) (Author)

Provides a lesson that enables students to explain the global importance of mountains by applying the five themes of geography (location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions) to a particular mountain range. Explains that students work in teams to prepare a brochure about their mountain range. (CMK)

Presents a lesson in which the students are divided into four Mountain Study Teams in order to examine a sacred mountain. Explains that the students in each group assume a particular role, such as an historian or scientist. Provides a profile on the four mountains and a definition of the seven student roles. (CMK)

Outlines the basics of outcomes assessment, describes a format useful for assessment preparation, summarizes some lessons learned from a 1996 pilot visit conducted at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and discusses some consequences of outcomes assessment. (WRM)

Discusses the Essentials Project that began in 1994 involving 20 teachers in creating standards for history and social science in secondary education in Ontario (Canada). Provides the standards, learning outcomes, and performance tasks focusing on why the particular learning outcomes were chosen and issues for social studies teachers. (CMK)

This article suggests "mainstream inclusion" be replaced by "educational inclusion" in order to avoid the implication that venues other than mainstream schools are inferior. It argues that placement of pupils with disabilities should be informed by a consideration of the effectiveness of the venue in raising academic and social standards.…

Examined the evaluation and implementation of standards-based curricular materials by middle school mathematics teachers over two years. Data from classroom observations, conferences, field notes, surveys, and interviews indicated that teachers' experiences, professional knowledge bases, work contexts, and personal theories on effective teaching…