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…

The secretarial instructional programs at Florida community colleges and area vocational-technical centers were reviewed to determine the actions that are needed to enable the programs to meet current and future demands for secretaries who are competent in the use of advanced office systems technology. Data for the review were drawn from a…

This document includes four papers presented at a symposium, based on a synthesis of five years of research--on the interaction of role groups and factors in the change process that are critical for school improvement in elementary and secondary schools. The papers identify elements of the change process crucial for the success of proposed changes…

A one-page introduction is followed by summaries of articles and documents on teacher competency testing. George F. Madaus argues that, although tests serve some useful functions, treating them as a major mechanism for reforming education is questionable. Peter A. Garcia examines the negative impact of testing on minority teachers and minorities…

Prompted by the national educational reform movement, a Kentucky committee, mandated by the general assembly, called in 1983 for changes in the preparation and certification of school administrators. This study presents a background of the mandates, details of the certification changes, the board of education's study of administrative preparation…

Evaluating the longitudinal effects of a 5-year secondary school composition curriculum, a study investigated students' perceptions of their ability to use essay-level and syntax-level skills. Student questionnaires provided perception, definition, and usefulness data about the curriculum. Results showed that 3 years elapsed before students became…

Designed to facilitate development of local school district curricula, this document provides science educators with guidelines for conducting an assessment of K-14 programs as well as offering "essential" process skills and knowledge items for synthesizing the most appropriate student outcomes in science courses. The booklet is divided…

As schools primarily use human resources to accomplish their mission of developing the potential of students, their success is contingent upon the quality of the people employed by the schools. Thus, the selection and development of professionals within the schools is the most important responsibility of the school board and superintendent. The…

A study was conducted in Wyoming to determine the scope and economic value of supervised occupational experience programs (SOEPs) in vocational agriculture. The study tried to determine the level of participation and success realized by females engaged in SOEP activities, and to find out to what degree males and females engage in balanced SOEPs,…

Designed to update an original study conducted two years ago, this study questioned businesses across Wyoming about the job skills needed by persons graduating from high school and immediately entering the work force in office occupations. A questionnaire was sent to 210 businesses across the state, with a response rate of 62 percent (137…

An American Chemical Society (ACS) task force was charged to examine the state of chemistry education in the United States and to make recommendations in light of its findings. This document presents the task force's report and 39 major (and also secondary) recommendations. These recommendations, with accompanying discussions, focus on: (1)…

This fifth edition of a review and synthesis of research in home economics education covers the period from 1979 through 1985. The review covers research found in the ERIC database, the Comprehensive Dissertation Index, and professional journals, as well as from solicitations to the field. Criteria for selection include validity and reliability of…

The collection of 18 essays is intended to provide the educator with an understanding of specific aspects of social studies instruction and education in general. The essays include: "Objectives and Learning Experiences in the Social Studies"; "Studying Trends in Society"; "Social Studies: Process versus "Studying Trends in Society"; "Social…

A group of three conference papers, all describing successful methods of preparing students for succeeding at the postsecondary level, is presented in this document. The first paper, "Educational Pathways that Promote Student Success at the Postsecondary Level" (Lester W. Jones), discusses a program established at Xavier University--a…

During 1985-86 the Division of Special Education of the New York Board of Education operated a Chapter 1/P.S.E.N. Remedial Reading and Mathematics Program which served approximately 11,500 English-speaking and limited English Proficient (LEP) students. Of these, 9,627 received reading instruction alone, and 119 received remedial instruction in…