The Austin (Texas) Independent School District conducts survey research as a means of collecting information from people affected by district policies and programs. Some general results are presented for the following surveys: (1) the School Climate Survey; (2) the Office of Research and Evaluation Coordinated Survey; and (3) the Former Student…

It is generally agreed that students (especially those from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds) are better educated in Catholic high schools than in public high schools. This book examines a broad range of Catholic high schools to determine if this difference is so, the reasons why, and whether this type of success can be transferred to the…

This book proposes a new view of middle school curriculum and the specifics of how to create such a curriculum. It introduces the notion that the approach to developing a curriculum appropriate for adolescents should be based on similarities of human learning at different ages, as well as the uniqueness of the adolescent. Chapter 1 highlights six…

Reaching Success through Involvement (RSI) is a continuous improvement process through which schools can constantly restructure and create quality cultures through altering school roles and responsibilities of students, teachers, administrators, and parents as well as increasing student involvement. Previous papers have reported the results of the…

This paper traces the development of research concerning effective schools and provides a critical, synthesizing overview of various research strands. Strands of research included are self-concept, teacher expectations, democratic-authoritarian leadership, various uses of the term "school climate," input-output production models (with…

One of the seven correlates of an effective school, as identified by the Effective Schools Research, is a positive school climate: a positive attitude on the part of the entire staff and student body exhibited through overt behavior that creates a warm, orderly learning environment. Development of such an environment depends upon: (1) strong…

Black educators must act to counter the national trend toward eliminating Afro-American study programs and to preserve these programs as a permanent part of the English literature curriculum. Administrators in predominantly white institutions must be led to understand the importance of black literature to the American experience. To accomplish…

This issue features a special report on a 1982-1983 study of 19 rural North Dakota high schools. The report is preceded by a brief commentary. The study provides in-depth descriptions of 7 schools and survey data from 12 others, and has sections on teachers, students, purposes and expectations, school climate and relationship with the community,…

This booklet is intended to help teachers and principals examine their roles, responsibilities, and relationships to create a quality instructional program at the school site. It consists of guidelines intended to foster a positive school environment; to encourage and facilitate discussion, collegiality, and mutual professional respect; and to…

This document explores teaching and learning of mathematics apart from what mathematics content is being taught. Cooperative learning and peer tutoring are seen as effective alternatives for providing mathematics instruction in secondary schools. The physical and intellectual environments of the classroom are discussed, with special attention paid…

This study was undertaken to assess the condition of school facilities in rural and small school districts in the 50 states and analyze the mechanisms used by rural and small school districts to finance capital outlay. The study is part of an ongoing effort to address concerns specific to rural and small schools in the United States. The focus of…

Information was collected at six urban high schools in the Northwest during 1984 and 1985 to describe the procedures used to manage student absenteeism and to compare the schools on staff implementation of and satisfaction with the absentee procedures used. An additional purpose was to investigate the influence of school procedures on student…

This review summarizes the rapidly growing body of findings on the social and organizational environment of teaching and examines one innovation--the collaborative school--that offers promise of an organizational context more conducive to effective teaching. Chapter 1 characterizes the actual conditions under which teachers work, focusing on…

This annotated bibliography was prepared to serve as background material for the writing of the synthesis paper "From Isolation to Collaboration: Improving the Work Environment of Teaching." Items were selected to represent the range of issues that pertain to the social and organizational context of teaching. The selected materials…

Twenty-two principles of middle grade education are addressed in this report, which is intended for those who have the authority to give meaning and substance to the reform of middle grade education in California's public schools. Each principle is developed through a discussion that concludes with specific recommendations that have implications…