In the first phase of a study of factors affecting knowledge dissemination and knowledge use in staff development programs, a conceptual model was developed, and from it a 15 page questionnaire was derived to collect data on workshop participants' background and personal characteristics, school characteristics, and workshop characteristics. This…

In 1981, TDR Associates, a private, independent research organization in Newton, Massachusetts, began a two and one-half year study of "Knowledge Utilization and School Improvement Through Staff Initiated Inservice Programs." This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Education and conducted under an arrangement with…

Dropout prevention is emerging as the most important new issue in education. Broad demographic trends predict a continuing growth in the population of at-risk youth, those most likely to drop out of school. The overall goal of any dropout prevention activity is to reduce the number of at-risk students. This issue is devoted to what research and…

Using a microanalytic case study approach, school effectiveness/school improvement strategies in a Northeastern urban public school district are examined. Recent research findings have indicated inconclusive and, at times, negative results related to the implementation of such strategies. The 202,469 students enrolled in 257 schools within the…

The overall focus of this booklet is on planning for change that allows for integration of computers into articulated learning environments that will enhance the learning goal of students. The first chapter presents four major themes to increase the likelihood of combining computers and individualized instruction in schools: (1) a revitalized form…

In an attempt to correlate effective school practices with actual observed student achievement, a survey instrument concerning principal leadership and school climate was distributed to classroom teachers in the Oklahoma City Public Schools. Responses by more than half of the teachers yielded 1,294 usable questionnaires representing all 94 schools…

A study examined various characteristics of learning environments that promote or retard the development of basic skills proficiency. Data on four school programs--vocational noncooperative, vocational cooperative, general education, and college preparatory--were collected in a repeated measure design via observations, testing, and interviews. A…

Survey data from 3,698 teachers in 600 schools in Maryland are used to explore the determinants of teachers' use of parent involvement strategies. Two questions are addressed: (1) How much do elementary school teachers organize their teaching practice to facilitate parent involvement in home learning activities? and (2) Which factors in the…

This report describes and assesses the effectiveness of activities conducted by the University of Toledo (Ohio)/Springfield Local Schools Teacher Corps Project. On-site staff development activities provided to elementary, junior, and senior high schools are described: (1) two credit-bearing courses on teaching strategies for multicultural…

Nine public schools in New Jersey, eight of which are in urban areas, are separately described as samples of schools with a high level of student achievement in the basic skills, and with demographic characteristics that are similar to those of schools with serious achievement problems. Eight elementary schools and one high school are included in…

An overview is presented of research studies that reflect the realities that exist in elementary and secondary public education. Explorations of school culture cite behavioral and programmatic regularities that make up the school culture and the importance of school principals' roles. Focusing on the teachers and the ways things actually get done…

This report summarizes the findings of the Louisiana School Effectiveness study, designed to identify school level attitudes and behaviors which predict students' achievement. Principals, teachers, and students in 76 schools with third grade classrooms responded to school climate questionnaires. Data for the students also included scores on the…

This report details the methodology and findings of the Louisiana School Effectiveness study, designed to identify school level attitudes and behaviors which predict students' achievement. Principals, teachers, and students in 76 schools with third grade classrooms responded to school climate questionnaires. Data for the students also included…

The educational environment of the U.S. Air Force Academy is discussed and the Academy's basic world history program is described. The first part of the report focuses on the Academy's educational environment, discussing the core curriculum, history instruction, the cadet, and the history faculty. The report's second part, which comprises over…

The design of computer-­based learning environments has undergone a paradigm shift; moving students away from instruction that was considered to promote technical rationality grounded in objectivism, to the application of computers to create cognitive tools utilized in constructivist environments. The goal of the resulting computer-­based learning…