Responds to Bill Barber's recent article refuting the author's conclusions concerning the beneficial effects of homework on student achievement. Asserts that the amount, frequency, nature, conditions, and other characteristics of homework must be studied, not just homework versus none at all. Homework is one of many factors contributing to…

Academically successful schools need to master student discipline and accept that character development is as important as academic development. Provides recommendations on how schools can do both. (MD)

A synthesis of 15 empirical studies shows that homework consistently benefits elementary and secondary students' achievement and attitudes, especially if it is commented upon or graded. (MCG)

Discusses ways in which Catholic schools can help improve student performance through systematic outreach to the home, including the development of policies that encourage teachers to assign and grade homework, and parent education programs focusing on the academic environment of the home. (DMM)

Local schools and school districts lack organized information on school effectiveness to select programs and practices to meet their specific program improvement and implementation needs. Critical program features, implementation and training requirements, program costs, program-delivery systems, program impacts, and a host of other relevant…

Couples a variety of criteria and actual and hypothetical examples to assist practitioners in identifying the values already being applied in their schools and classrooms through policy and curriculum, and to help them consider alternative approaches for transmitting values to students. (MBR)

The recommendations set forth in "Developing Character: Transmitting Knowledge," a recent statement signed by prominent scholars and educators, are reviewed here for principals. The statement focuses on the importance of education for character development. (Author)

A large scale study was undertaken to shed light on the question of school district efficiency, that is, the extent to which school districts are able to increase achievement beyond what would be expected from their families socioeconomic origins. Average scores on state-developed and nationally-standardized tests of third, sixth, and ninth…

This booklet focuses on aspects of effective education that appear to be universal in formal schooling. The practices, which are generally for use in elementary and secondary classrooms, show large, positive learning effects for students in widely varying conditions. Information in the booklet is based on research spanning half a century. Each…

This booklet describes key principles of and research on teaching additional languages. The 10 chapters focus on the following: (1) "Comprehensible Input" (learners need exposure to meaningful, understandable language); (2) "Language Opportunities" (classroom activities should let students use natural and meaningful language with their…