After briefly introducing the effective schools movement, chapter 1 of this monograph describes Ron Edmonds' criterion for effective schools (poor and minority children should score well on standard achievement tests in proportions equal to those attained by children in the dominant culture) and his five basic characteristics (a strong,…

Describes the major findings of research on effective principals and identifies the problems preventing its practical application to development of administrative training programs and school improvement policies and practices. Provides three new precise models that portray more accurately the complexity of the principal's involvement as…

Data from seven California elementary schools suggest that effective instructional leadership is both multidimensional and sensitive to school socioeconomic status (SES); in low SES schools, it involves direct supervisory activity and attention paid to school climate. Twenty-six reference notes are appended. (MLF)

This paper evaluates current research literature on effective schools. While acknowledging that the research provides systematic direction for school improvement, the author also points out some shortcomings of existing studies, including (1) inadequate description of curriculum content and of circumstances believed to result in test success; (2)…

This bulletin examines some questions that arise when children are not ready for promotion: Should they be retained? Who decides? Are there alternatives to retention? What is the effect of retention on the student? Despite research limitations, those who examine the studies on grade repetition say they show that grade retention does not have a…