The purpose of the study reported in this chapter was to determine if senior evaluation consultants experienced stages of growth in their practice similar to the small business development stages described by Bruce and Scott, to identify the stimuli that led to those changes, to determine what the consultants learned from these incidents, and to…

When children are sick, hurt, or in desperate need, parents/caregivers naturally make preferential options for them. Yet, as it relates to social justice, particularly when working with students from marginalized and poverty situations, the concept of making a preferential option in a school setting is not as clear. However, a school setting is a…

This study took place at a newly formed charter school serving 150 students in a large metropolitan city in the southwest. Students were mostly Hispanic (98%), and all were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in interviews with 45 sixth- (n = 28), seventh- (n = 10), and eighth- (n = 7) grade…

This study examined the following research hypotheses for fifth graders taking the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) tests in the El Paso (Texas) Independent School District in 1990-91: (1) ethnicity is positively predictive of TAAS status; (2) socioeconomic status (SES) is positively predictive of TAAS status; (3) gender is positively…

Examining the characteristics of school districts against the characteristics of 55.3 million "school-age children" (3- to 17-years-old) plus 18- and 19-year-olds who had not graduated from college) provides important insights into observed interrelationships. This report describes ways in which the characteristics of the children, such as…

In the 1930s and reprinted in 1974, approximately 85 percent of the teachers in U.S. public schools were women--"schoolma'ams." This book provides a portrait of women teachers of that era, as well as a comprehensive overview of their lives, their careers, the conditions under which they taught in rural and urban schools, and the…

This report is concerned with at risk children and youth. Synthesizing data based on country reports and case studies from 17 countries and 3 foundations, the report covers issues relating to the preschool, school age, and transition to work periods. At risk children and youth have become key issues not only from claims of social justice, but also…

The New Jersey Grade 11 High School Proficiency Test (HSPT11) consists of sections for reading, mathematics, and writing that must be passed as requirements for a high school diploma. Students who do not pass all three sections receive additional instruction and retake sections they have not passed. This booklet helps educators review, interpret,…

This paper reports findings concerning the identification of gifted and talented students from low socioeconomic groups, based on research at a Catholic school for gifted students in Rome, Italy. It reports that social and cultural family disadvantage, lack of education, and poor nutrition decrease IQ scores by 15 to 20 points. The category of…

The effects of academic self-concept and the learning environment on science and mathematics achievement were studied in remote and rural Western Australia. The Western Australian School Effectiveness Study explored achievement in 28 urban and rural high schools. In the first phase, survey instruments were developed and piloted in two schools, and…

This paper examines the relationship between a school's grade configuration and student performance in Louisiana. Student performance was measured by academic achievement (standardized test scores) and student persistence (attendance, suspensions, expulsions, and dropouts). Elementary schools, middle schools, secondary schools, and combination…

This report compares various factors associated with educational reform to student outcomes in Calumet Region (Lake and Porter Counties) in northwest Indiana. Specifically, this study examines the influence of these factors on students' educational success as measured by an index of excellence: a composite measure that includes attendance rates;…

The extent to which school mix--the social class composition of schools--influences school processes and student achievement has long been a matter of dispute. Drawing on a comparative ethnography of four New Zealand urban secondary schools, this article suggests that school mix probably does impact on school organizational and management…

The existence of a contextual effect of the social class composition of a school's intake on individual student performance--the school mix effect--has long been debated in qualitative school effectiveness literature. This paper reports on a qualitative study of four New Zealand urban secondary schools of varying social class composition (and…

This report examines the characteristics of less-than-4-year institutions and the students who attend them. Data are presented on the number and size of less-than-4-year institutions, their educational offerings, types of degrees awarded, and on student demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, attendance costs, and financial aid. Following…