This report summarizes a study that explored the relationships between efforts to improve schools, the definitions of effectiveness or success which drive those efforts, and how these are affected by the inner life, or cultures, of the schools. Three improving high schools were studied in an attempt to understand the deeply-held beliefs of the…

Eight weeks of instruction that included 120 minutes of guided practice in the overarm throw did not significantly change the ball velocities of kindergarten children when compared to two groups with no formal throwing experience. (Author)

Discusses the School Improvement Project of the New York City public schools. Lists five factors identified by the Project as determinants of student academic success and outlines the job responsibilities of the school Project liaison person. (FL)

T.E.A.C.H., which stands for Teacher Education And Compensation Helps, began in 1990 in North Carolina. What began as a small pilot project, offering scholarships to 21 caregivers, has grown into a national movement. Now in 23 states, T.E.A.C.H. addresses the enduring challenges that plaque the early childhood field--high turnover, low…

For nearly a decade, the Chicago High School Redesign Initiative (CHSRI) has worked to improve educational opportunities for Chicago adolescents by opening and supporting small high schools across the city. While the overall results of the initiative have been mixed, several CHSRI schools have successfully improved students' outcomes. This latest…

School counselors acknowledge the need for supervision but rarely receive it. This article describes the counselor performance improvement system in one school district. Supervision is embedded in a process that assesses counselors' levels of professionalism on a matrix of competence and commitment. Administrative and clinical supervisors…

In recent years, federal, state, and local governments and other funding organizations have increased pressure for greater effectiveness and accountability of prevention programs, including those oriented toward families. This rising demand for program accountability has fueled a growing interest in evidence-based programs. Drawing on what is…

The President of the University of Cincinnati charged the Academic Coordinating Committee (ACC), a universitywide governance body, to conduct a comprehensive review of degree programs by designing a process with multiple outcomes: building an academically stronger university; ensuring consistency with the institution's capacity and academic…

Given a choice, most administrators, staff, and students would probably choose food from home over the school offerings. What about those without a choice? Students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch are stuck with school lunches, which are sometimes the most balanced meal they'll get that day. Many others opt for school lunches out of…

Project RAISSE, which stands for Reading Assistance Initiative for Secondary School Educators, focuses on site-based content area study groups led by a content area teacher trained as a coach/literacy leader with some roles and responsibilities commensurate with a literacy coach. The goal of Project RAISSE is to enhance students' reading…

Teachers are responsible for using evidence-based practices to improve students' academic and behavioral outcomes. Although teachers have access to a variety of resources on evidence-based practices, poor implementation can adversely affect their effectiveness. However, an inadequate student response to intervention may also be the result of…

Three programs to improve test-taking performance were evaluated. Subjects who had failed the Chartered Life Underwriter examination were assigned to four treatments: (1) training in test wiseness; (2) systematic densensitization of test anxiety; (3) a combination of (1) and (2); and (4) control. (Author/CTM)

Recommends a training program of very modest investment which deals with five specific ways to obtain positive results. (EK)

Considers three variables that can help performance technologists work more effectively with different kinds and different generations of people. Discusses recognizing the impace of position and disposition, assuring that feedback occurs, and thinking beyond old ways of operating and motivating. Suggests that the context of human interaction is…

Although most teachers are finished with their formal education, their desire to learn has not been extinguished. As important as initial teacher and administrator preparation are, the ability of a school leadership team to maximize the potential of each staff member is perhaps even more important to helping each student realize his or her…