An insightful overview of what makes schools effective is presented. The report is based on a study of 272 schools that have been recognized by the Department of Education as exemplary, with particular focus given to the 60 private elementary schools within this group. Themes and characteristics that are frequently mentioned include strong…

Despite prestigious reports, most notably "A Nation at Risk," and fervent reform efforts, school performance is unlikely to be improved by measures failing to recognize that schools are institutions--complex organizations composed of interdependent parts, governed by well-established rules and norms, and adapted for stability. Effective…

A sample of curriculum projects representing the first generation of new curricula in Israel was analyzed, using an instrument developed to determine the implicit or explicit message regarding the teacher's role in curriculum development and use. Curriculum development in Israel is moving from a centralized approach to greater involvement of…

Reform of teacher education must be based on substantial emphasis on the liberal arts and major academic disciplines, and rigorous admission and graduation requirements. The professional curriculum must be relevant to the world of teaching and learning. Teachers are now being prepared for a world of professional practice that should not exist;…

In reviewing a study of elementary urban school teachers, the author points out how the bureaucracy of education stifles teachers' ability to develop an internalized locus of control and leads to disenchantment and alienation. Giving teachers authority to act in their areas of expertise while decentralizing the educational power structure will…

Surveys 24 Mexican primary school teachers about their perceptions of formal responsibility, informal accountability, and personal responsibility and autonomy. Presents teachers' comments on educational authorities, curriculum, parents, and extra-curricular activities. Compares Mexican teachers' perceptions to those of English and French cohorts.…

Two staff members of the first Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Summer Institute held outside the United States commented on the reasons for and the objectives of the institute, preoccupation of the participants, course types, main interests of participants, and suggestions for future institutes. (Author/LMO)

Interviews with psychiatric technicians in four different units in a state residential facility revealed similar sources of job stress (lack of control over work), but differing perceptions of coworkers' degree of supportiveness. Lower Cornwell Medical Index Scores, indicating fewer health problems, were found on the unit associated with better…

Teachers must play a central role in attempts to reform public education. Teachers are losing control over their work. They must organize, defend schools as institutions essential to maintaining a democracy, and portray themselves as transformative intellectuals who combine scholarly reflection and practice to train students to be responsible…

A comparison of teachers' professional perspectives in France and Great Britain shows that in each country the differences that exist in political, institutional, and ideological terms interact in different ways to inhibit change and reinforce a similar degree of conservatism. To fully understand national differences, comparative classroom…

Reports a survey of 528 rural British Columbia teachers to determine their levels of satisfaction with the quality of their working lives. Notes the major sources of dissatisfaction and satisfaction reported by the respondents. Describes the research procedure used and includes detailed tabular results. (SB)

Reviews the development of composition research and suggests ways to forestall minimum competency policies in writing instruction. (AEA)

Never before in U.S. history has the quality of human resources--the skills and education of its people-been so important to the economic prospects of states and their residents. Within the next 20 years, the nation will lack 14 million people with postsecondary education unless states realize significant improvements in high school and…

Interest in educational reform is a side benefit of recent school criticism. Unfortunately, where the cause of educational failure is understood to be teachers, educational reform has become teacher reform, which most often means that greater effort will be placed on controlling teacher behavior. (LC)

Identifies and assesses issues critical to education for librarianship, including the role of library education as perceived by practicing librarians, the library school's relationship with the university, concerns about accreditation, providing the human resources needed to meet libraries' staffing requirements, and the shortage of faculty in…