New Leaders is a nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure high academic achievement for all students by developing outstanding school leaders to serve in urban schools. Its premise is that a combination of preparation and improved working conditions for principals, especially greater autonomy, would lead to improved student outcomes. Its…

New Leaders is dedicated to promoting student achievement by developing outstanding school leaders to serve in urban schools. RAND Corporation researchers conducted a formative and summative external evaluation of the New Leaders program, its theory of action, and its implementation from 2006 through 2013. This document presents technical…

Dramatic changes in the higher education landscape and the recent recession have intensified the challenges students face in postsecondary enrollment and completion. In response, some states, communities, and institutions have developed "postsecondary opportunity programs (POPs)"--comprehensive college access and success programs…

Using techniques of the reputational method to study community power structure, this report identifies components of power structure in a Tennessee school district, demonstrates that proven methodologies can facilitate educational leaders' reform efforts, and serves as a pilot study for further investigation. Researchers investigated the district…

Researchers conducted surveys of public attitudes in two Tennessee school systems in 1984-85 and 1985-86. Although interested in the survey results, one purpose of the researchers was to determine some inexpensive and relatively simple survey procedures. The researchers sought--through several pilot studies--to identify an efficient, parsimonious…

Theoretical concepts about situational management decisions are incorporated in an investigation of school administrators in Tennessee to determine (1) whether administrators can be identified who possess specified leadership characteristics and (2) if those leaders consider employee maturity criteria when selecting employees for tasks. The study…

In order to determine the capacity of high schools to profit from the pre-high school computer experiences of its students, a study was conducted to measure computer utilization in selected high schools of Middle Tennessee. Questionnaires distributed to 50 principals in 28 school systems covered the following areas: school enrollment; number and…

This study was conducted with three purposes in mind: (1) to determine the utility of the Colwell Music Achievement Test 3 (MAT3) as an instrument for measuring student instrumental music achievement; (2) to determine the types of musical achievement exhibited by students in Tennessee's secondary music programs; and (3) to determine the utility of…

Accurately estimating the number of female high school administrators is difficult because (1) comprehensive studies by individual position are nonexistent; (2) most state departments of education do not collect or report such data; (3) limited samples are used in studies; and (4) researchers and reporters tend to aggregate positions. Researchers…

This paper presents the findings of a study of the effectiveness of collaboration between the Rural Education Research and Service Consortium at Tennessee Technological University and rural schools in its service area. The study uses the instrumentation and research design of the Good Schools Project (GSP) initiated by Kappa Delta Pi in 1984.…

Summaries of the design, planning, and implementation of performance funding programs in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington reveal the challenges and opportunities of this reform approach. Performance measures and objectives and the history of the program in each…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

the 1983 Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) Forum brought together educational researchers and practitioners to learn from one another by sharing their innovations, successes, concerns, and progress in utilizing research and development to promote excellence in their state and local education agencies. Two thematic strands: (1) applications…

With the objectives of assisting state educators in designing school leadership programs, school administrators in Tennessee were surveyed to determine levels of training and perceived training needs. Questionnaires were administered in 1986 to school board members, principals, and superintendents. Part 1 of the questionnaire dealt with…

To test a situational leadership model, this study sought to determine (1) whether, among a population of educational administrators in East Tennessee, individuals possessing high flexibility/high effectiveness leadership characteristics can be identified and (2) whether those leaders consciously apply Hersey and Blanchard's concept of maturity…