The Longitudinal Evaluation of School Change and Performance followed the progress of students in high-poverty schools as they moved from third to fifth grade, investigating the impact on student achievement of specific classroom practices fostered by school-, district-, and state-level policies. This analysis, conducted between 1996-99 as part of…

Describes one-room country schools in South Dakota--importance of patrons; self-sufficiency and varied skills of teachers; administrators who deal with each school individually; advantages of the students (having several grades taught in one room, small teacher-student ratios, student interdependency, opportunity for creativity, close parental…

The federal Campus Security Act, an amendment to the Student Consumer Information Act of 1976 and amended by the Sexual Assault Victim's Bill of Rights (1992) and other federal laws, requires that colleges and universities provide substantial information to students and employees. The requirement crosses boundaries of student affairs, academic…

Asserts that students see grades as an indicator of effort unconnected to the content of the course while teachers regard grades as a measure of achievement within a discipline. Discusses some of the current controversies and approaches concerning grades and how they relate to school reform. (MJP)

This article describes the methodological challenges and processes involved in designing and conducting the School Health Policies and Programs Study. Information is provided on questionnaire development, sampling, data collection, and weighting and variance estimation. (SM)

Examines the role of conflict resolution in addressing bias-related incidents and hate crimes. The author discusses how one organization, Children's Creative Response to Conflict, is working to teach conflict-resolution skills to students and teachers to reduce bias-related violence. Recommendations for the creation of bigotry-free school…

A survey indicates that student complaints led legislators in 20 states to mandate that higher education institutions develop policies on oral English proficiency of instructors, including language certification for international teaching assistants. Many institutions responded with policies requiring formal language testing and remedial…

Although the president of the University of Chicago (Illinois) has resigned, the controversy over his planned changes for the institution has not abated. Proposed changes include reducing the number of core curriculum courses and expanding the size of the undergraduate population. Faculty, students, and prominent scholars are calling for improved…

Success in today's K-12 environment often hinges on improved test scores. But success should be defined more broadly to recognize the overall learning environment that is created by students, teachers, staff members, administrators, and parents. As a middle level principal, the author has learned that to create long-lasting change and to foster a…

This module is designed to introduce educational leaders to an organizational assessment tool called a "culture audit." Literature on organizational cultural competence suggests that culture audits are a valuable tool for determining how well school policies, programs, and practices respond to the needs of diverse groups and prepare…

This paper reviews studies on the use of corporal punishment in the nation, particularly in Louisiana public schools, and the impact of corporal punishment on black male students. The paper reviews the recent polls and studies on attitudes toward corporal punishment, noting that approval rates for use of paddling are significantly higher in…

In 1986, after 2 years of preparation for merger, DeKalb Community College (DCC) became part of the University System of Georgia. One of the most important issues to be resolved before the merger was the development of the criteria for establishing a faculty ranking system and its implementation. In addition to determining minimum qualifications…

This document is a draft of a proposed city of Portland, Oregon, school policy. Four themes run through the document: (1) neighborhood revitalization, (2) best use of public facilities, (3) greater efficiency in human services, and (4) the best use of public funds. In particular the policies address questions of equal access to education, school…

Thirty to forty years ago educators had at most the challenge of tape recorders and players and transistor radios to confront as electronic distractions in the classroom. Then pagers were introduced and became associated with drug trafficking and gang activity. Not long after, the first cellular phones were introduced and, when they became…

Collegiality can effectively address complex schoolwide problems requiring shared expertise or cohesive schoolwide action for resolution, but traditional teacher autonomy may inhibit such collegiality. Two New Zealand schools used collegial processes to develop solutions to schoolwide problems. Forest High was worried that staff failure to meet…