This paper reports on a longitudinal study of four urban schools that sought to develop professional community as part of a restructuring process. The study focuses on how restructuring affected teachers' work over a 3-year period. It reports that the absence of structural conditions can impede the growth of professional community; however, their…

This report summarizes findings of the National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students (NLTS) in four areas: (1) the multiple dimensions of diversity and the characteristics of young people with disabilities; (2) secondary school programs, performance, and completion; (3) postschool outcomes; and (4) life profiles which…

This report uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students (NLTS) to look at the adult service experiences of young people with disabilities in their first 5 years after leaving secondary school. It focuses on five broad categories of service: (1) vocational assistance; (2) life skills training or…

This report examines the findings from a series of evaluations of efficacy programs in selected elementary and middle schools in Peoria (Illinois), Detroit (Michigan), Los Angeles (California), and the Ravenswood School District in East Palo Alto (California). An efficacy program initiated in Sacramento is targeted as a research site, but no data…

The Coalition of Essential Schools is involved in a 3-year study to translate collaborative inquiry into a research process to simultaneously build schools' capacities for change. A current collaborative project is described, with a dialog between a principal, a teacher, and a researcher who are engaged in a process of school improvement. Members…

This study presents findings from the second phase of a longitudinal study of teacher education, based on interviews with 105 students in their second year of training at three colleges of education (Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch) in New Zealand. The study investigated students' perceptions of their second year of training, their…

A team of researchers from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is in its tenth year of working with individual schools to improve the quality of life within educational communities. This paper reports on the current Quality of School Life (QSL) study conducted to assess teachers' perceived levels of satisfaction with the quality of their…

The report summarizes findings of research activities conducted over 2 years by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) on the mother tongue and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy. The first section provides a review of existing literature in native language literacy for adults, including a summary of surveys, review of studies on native…

This study examined concurrent and long-term effects of parents' teaching strategies on their children's cognitive styles. A total of 83 mothers and 74 fathers helped their 4-year-old sons or daughters with 4 problem-solving tasks. The interactions between parents and children were observed and evaluated. Two measures of field…

This study of career patterns in teaching was conducted to provide insight into the development of careers within the teaching profession. The objectives of the study were: to describe the career patterns of a national sample of individuals from the high school class of 1971 (1,011 individuals surveyed during the period 1972-86) who were either…

Designed to examine New Jersey's articulation policy for two- and four-year public institutions, this report by the Transfer Advisory Board (TAB) analyzes longitudinal transfer data gathered from the state's public universities, state colleges, and community colleges for 1987 through 1989. Following a brief introduction, the first part of the…

The study involved an attempt to promote use of evaluation data in compensatory education through a technical assistance effort at the state education agencies (SEA) level. It included a secondary analysis of Hawaiian Title I longitudinal data and dissemination of findings through a series of consultations with evaluation and program personnel at…

A longitudinal comparative study was made of the physical growth and development of Australian fourth-grade students from low, medium, and high socioeconomic groups. Specific questions addressed were (1) Do children differing in socioeconomic status differ in anthropometric characteristics and incidence of physical defects? (2) What is the…

Part 2 of this Australian newsletter from the National Clearinghouse on the Transition from School to Work contains 11 review papers offering perspectives from various authors on a youth policy. The first two papers, "Youth Policies" by Shears and Matthews and "Putting Youth into Youth Policy" by Clohesy, provide an overview of…

The three papers which make up this report all deal with the potential impact on learning of investments in school resources: textbooks, school facilities, and teacher training. The first two papers use data from a longitudinal study of young people in Chile. The linkage between education and labor market entry is addressed in the first paper.…