Immediate steps must be taken to construct a plan to help middle school students make the transition to the high school. A Program Evaluation and Review Technique model for helping to construct such an articulation plan is provided in this article, and program sequence and timeline charts are included. (DCS)

This article discusses national, state, and local youth service, noting the initiatives of 1984-5, the association of national youth services with the military draft, some keys to deriving maximum value from youth service initiatives, and the outcomes that can be anticipated from a youth service program. (DCS)

Staff development is the key to middle school effectiveness, and this article lists characteristics of an effective staff development program, examples of activities and topics, and questions for program evaluation. (DCS)

Middle level program planning involves three phases over three years: developing a written school philosophy, designing the curricular program, and implementing the plan to meet objectives. (Author/DCS)

Developing, launching, and maintaining an assessment center plan requires continuous attention to three essential ingredients: communication, education, and politics. The four key considerations in developing a master plan are costs, scheduling, sources of funding, and terms of the agreement required by NASSP. A sample agreement is provided. (TE)

Physical education contributes to the physical, mental, and emotional health of young people. Administrators must recognize these contributions and ensure an effective program by evaluating and retraining teachers to keep abreast of the recent knowledge explosion in physical education. (CJH)

Discusses development of the six components of any sound performance appraisal program: (1) explicit job descriptions, (2) definitions of key areas of responsibility, (3) criteria for performance appraisal, (4) methods for data collection and analysis, (5) written procedures, and (6) legal review of all procedures. (PGD)

Outlines the special summer humanities institutes for secondary school principals that began at three universities in 1984 and were funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. (MD)

Effective schools research gave birth to a new role for principals: instructional leader. Recent studies have suggested the relationship between strong school instructional leadership and higher student achievement. Skeptics question whether the principal's job is realistic and reasonable, with its emphasis on instructional leadership, multiple…

Describes some innovations found in large U.S. corporations' educational programs and discusses the relevance of these innovations for educational institutions. (MCG)

Although the national reports have not focused on the problem, effective schools must address the needs of potential school dropouts. The author rebuts some of the common arguments against dropout prevention programs, arguing that successful dropout prevention is one of the key indicators of overall school effectiveness. (Author/TE)

Designed for high school teachers and administrators, this compilation of two journal articles, a bibliography, and a course list describes how one school took two days between semesters, abandoned regular schedules, and offered special minicourses suited to the talents of the staff and community. Minicourses are seen as a way to broaden horizons,…

Programs for gifted students are in great demand in secondary schools. An administrator can easily supervise the development of such a program by starting small, using existing resources, avoiding "ousidersism" and perfectionism, developing a working definition of giftedness, developing a sensible identification procedure, and publicizing the…

Alternative high schools have an important place in our educational system, since exellence in education must mean more than improving the abilities of those who are succeeding in our present school environment. A list of suggestions (nine "dos" and four "don'ts") are offered for consideration before establishing such a school. (MCG)

Reviews 20th-century research on gifted students and on approaches to their education. Discusses recent federal and organizational initiatives and describes several current approaches to gifted education. Includes an extensive bibliography. (MCG)