Student success is dependent on teacher quality; therefore, it is imperative that principals hire the teachers most likely to experience success as measured by the impact on student outcomes. This study investigated teacher hiring processes to determine the extent to which practices that are supported by selection science and teacher quality…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the size of Alabama's public high schools, selected school quality and financial indicators, and their students' performance on standardized exams. When the socioeconomic level of the student bodies is held constant, the size of high schools in Alabama has relatively little…

This study attempted to determine the perceptions of beginning principals regarding their need for induction experiences and the relationship of principal responsibilities to those perceived induction needs. Beginning principals were denied as principals in their first through third years as a principal in a school. The study further examined…

Based on the policies and goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), this study reviews how educators in the state of Alabama have addressed the many critical issues posed by this Presidential directive. Challenges such as certification, competency, quality of instruction, teacher training, and funding are discussed. Several state legislative…

Today, in the United States of America, preparing accomplished teachers who are committed to equity may be among the most important keys to the survival of their democratic way of life. In a society in which the ability to learn is increasingly essential to individual and societal success, the ability to teach powerfully--that is, to teach in ways…

Provides data gathered from a survey of English teachers in Alabama revealing the potential use of a list of teacher qualifications as an instrument for individual teachers' self-assessments and for directing teacher education program improvements. (RL)

A survey of one national and three statewide studies (in Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama) of class-size achievement effects revealed no consistent pattern across various subjects and grade levels. However, smaller classes can improve student achievement, particularly in early grades and when teacher quality remains constant. (Contains 36 footnotes.)…

To lure highly qualified teachers to low-performing schools, the Mobile County, Alabama, school board did what a small but growing number of districts are considering: pay teachers more money for working in what are considered less attractive jobs. As school districts are more pressured to raise achievement among all student groups, more are…

An assistant principal from Alabama describes her application of one of the skill dimensions derived from the Springfield Simulation--problem analysis--to a low-achievement problem among her fifth graders. Before she was through, she had exercised all the other skill dimensions as well: judgment, sensitivity, leadership, decisiveness, and…