Public schools across the country are aiming to improve student performance by engaging in comprehensive school reform (CSR). This guide was created to help school districts make CSR an integral part of their strategies for improving student achievement. Five components for CSR are described: (1) Strategizing, whereby the district supports CSR by…

Issues related to inclusion of African-American males into educational programs have continued to spark multidimensional political debates. It is apparent that African-Americans and other minorities are ill-prepared to attain their educational goals in the current state of affairs. Consequently, African-American males are underrepresented in…

Descriptions of scholastic competitions for Marin County (California) students are presented. Following a rationale for conducting scholastic competitions, community groups and businesses which lend support are listed along with the type of support given. Participating grade levels, dates of competition during the 1983-84 school year, and a brief…

This manual was developed for individuals serving as mentors in Evergreen Valley College's PUENTE Project, a program which integrates the skills of an English teacher, a Hispanic counselor, and Hispanic professionals/mentors into a team structure in an attempt to assist Hispanic students in making academic improvements, to build self-confidence,…

A program which recognizes oustanding scholastic achievement of students in grades 4-8 is described. The program is financed by contributions from local businesses. An overview of the program provides details on the successful efforts to obtain business sponsors along with a letter which solicits contributions and a program sponsor form. A booklet…

Since 1975 the Contoocook Valley District, a small rural cooperative school district in southwestern New Hampshire, has developed a performance-based student competency program which has resulted in a dramatic increase in scores on the Stanford Achievement Test. The district is comprised of 9 towns, covers an area of almost 300 square miles, and…

This review summarizes and analyzes the body of research on the characteristics of effective schools in addition to early input-output research, which implied that the determinants of student achievement lay chiefly outside the control of the schools. Chapter 1 discusses patterns in the results of input-output studies, including research…

This booklet surveys the possibilities in instituting a 4-day school week, an approach which has gained favor in some small school districts. The history of the 4-day week and its characteristics are first described. Drawing on case studies of districts that have begun the 4-day schedule, the authors enumerate the steps in proposing and…

An introduction to the issues involved in converting to one of the many 12-month school schedules is provided in this primer. A brief historical review of school calendars and a summary of various year-round education (YRE) plans is followed by a discussion of the advantages of adopting YRE and an analysis of variables for success or failure.…

Public relations guidelines for school principals are offered in this handbook, with an emphasis on improving student achievement and internal and external communication. Six chapters discuss the principal's public relations role, internal communication, securing and maintaining community involvement, school publications, media relations, and…

This report describes the Educational Voucher Demonstration, serves as a guide for its documentation, and offers an extensive bibliography. Part 1 gives background information and summarizes the implementation of the Alum Rock Demonstration based on a transitional voucher model and involving six public schools, each offering at least two distinct…

This publication contains descriptions of "outstanding practices" in high schools that had the most success in improving student performance by doing the best job of implementing one particular High Schools That Work key practice. The 33 efforts are organized according to which of these 10 key practices they reflect: high expectations…