Roughly 30 years ago, American educators stood at a crossroads, with a decision to make about the future of education. With their ears ringing of warnings that they were facing a "rising tide of mediocrity" and recognizing unacceptable gaps in achievement between disadvantaged students and others, educators set off down a path of reform…

To stem the tide of students dropping out, many schools and districts are turning to early warning systems (EWS) that signal whether a student is at risk of not graduating from high school. While some research exists about establishing these systems, there is little information about the actual implementation strategies that are being used across…

This paper contends that, if pupils are to achieve as optimally as possible, the principal needs to provide quality leadership in having teachers stress vital principles of learning from educational psychology. The paper states that there are selected principles of learning that all schools of psychology emphasize. It first enumerates and…

Fourteen suggestions for principals and teachers in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks include providing school leadership, reassuring students about their own safety, maintaining a structured schedule, and engaging in patriotic activities. Seventeen Web sites for additional information and resources are listed. (DB)

Praises United States Secretary of Education William J. Bennett's 1986 elementary education report for presenting worthwhile observations on values, parents' responsibility, and teachers' professional roles. Criticizes Bennett's omission of implementation strategies, especially concerning the federal government's role in assisting minority and…

The principal of Concord High School (New Hampshire) recounts the 1985-86 school year's four crises--the visits of teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe and Secretary of Education William Bennett, the shooting of a former student, and the Challenger space shuttle explosion. The greatest challenge was resuming the normal schedule and fielding media…

This handbook examines various topics of interest and concern to teachers as they work with instructional assistants forming a classroom instructional partnership and functioning as a team. These topics include: (1) instructional assistant qualifications; (2) duties--instructional, classroom clerical, auxillary; (3) factors to be considered when…

The president of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching applauds the push for educational excellence but believes local school personnel are too rarely considered in the reform process. He suggests ways of granting teachers and principals the support and recognition they need to participate effectively in educational improvement.…

This checklist is designed to help paraeducators, teachers, and principals understand their roles and responsibilities as they relate to each other. It offers tips for teachers on working effectively with paraeducators, practical suggestions for paraeducators on clarifying their jobs and relationships with students and school staff, and advice for…

This book presents information from a 5-year research project on teacher leadership which offers evidence that the answer to school vitality lies largely in the redefinition of traditional leadership in education and in the elevation of the perception, status, and role of classroom teachers. The research involved interviews with teachers and…

Principals should allow teacher input into decision making in appropriate areas and be clear about exactly which areas these are. (JM)

An Ohio study reveals that to reach the key position of vice-principal, it may be helpful for women seeking promotion to gain visibility through positions like counseling or through taking active roles as coaches or activity sponsors. (Author/JM)

This manual presents guidelines for individuals involved in the student teacher practicum-- student teachers, master teachers, administrators, and college supervisors. The objectives of the student teaching program at Whitworth College (Washington) are stated, and the qualifications, roles, and responsibilities of student teachers are described.…

Discusses roles appropriate for the principal and the teacher during the appraisal interview that follows the principal's observations and assessment of the teacher's job performance. Suggests techniques drawn from management theory for principals' use in enhancing communication, the key to making the appraisal interview mutually beneficial. (PGD)

This book, which is a companion to the books, "Shaking up the Schoolhouse" and "Inventing Better Schools," presents the Working on the Work (WOW) framework for improving student performance by improving the quality of schoolwork. Field-tested in schools nationwide, the framework describes the 12 essential components of a WOW…