Addressing the underlying tension that generally exists between school-level autonomy and systemwide uniformity, the author's nine commandments include recognizing the school as the key organizational unit in public education, selecting and nurturing first-rate principals, and granting more budgetary authority to the school level. (JBM)

The Longitudinal Evaluation of School Change and Performance (LESCP) analyses were organized around policies embodied in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This study measured changes in student performance in seventy-one high-poverty schools, which included many schools that had implemented standards-based reform policies. The…

The 1930 White House Conference revealed the fact that approximately 22 out of every 100 children in the United States need special attention either in the form of medical and surgical treatment, professional supervision of feeding and exercise, or instruction under the direction of highly specialized teachers. It was revealed at that conference…

Reports a national study of variables influencing the retention, restriction, or removal of challenged library materials in secondary schools. Results show that retention is positively associated with the presence of school board policy and support of librarians, whereas removal is associated with administrative challenges and librarians willing…

Standardization discourse is dominantly linked to tests; yet standardization occurs in practices of everyday social life, too. This research seeks to understand standardization processes involved in the writing done by a class of seventh grade students, half of whom did not do well in school or on tests. Acting as participant observer in a…

As traditionally structured, American schools, in general, have found it more difficult to educate some students than others. In Washington State, as in most other states, the single best predictor of student achievement at the school level is the percentage of students on free or reduced (f/r) lunch status (Abbott & Joireman, 2001). This fact…

Prepared in response to a legislative recommendation that the certification of community college faculty by the State Board of Community Colleges be discontinued, this report provides results from constituent surveys, recommendations, and background materials. First, background information is provided on the review, indicating that there are…

This paper examines how the Melrose-Mindoro School District, a rural school district in Wisconsin, implemented curriculum reform. Current national reform agendas focus on the organization of student learning experiences, the roles teachers assume in schools, and the organization and management of schools. Equally important in implementing change…

A study described coordination between Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) and county vocational schools in New Jersey. The coordination resulted from the State Council on Vocational Education's responsibility to achieve the mandate of the Carl D. Perkins Act. The project directed investigators to: (1) select typical county and regional Private…

Four annual surveys of the 50 states provide data for analyzing nation-wide trends in competency assessment of teachers. Most state plans for teacher competency assessment include testing one or more areas of basic skills, professional or pedagogical skills, and academic knowledge. The testing occurs at the entry level--admission to the teacher…

Official policies concerning students' rights in Newfoundland and in the United States are examined, and standards of justification for students' rights are discussed. A questionnaire was sent to each school district superintendent in Newfoundland and to 100 selected superintendents in the State of Wisconsin. The response rate from Newfoundland…

Using personnel files provided by New York's state education department, this study examines and compares teacher retention rates in relation to region and gender from 1974 through 1984 in school districts using alternative practices of internal salary distribution. A total of 57 school districts from 2 regions of the state were included in the…

This study of incumbent British Columbia school board members prior to election analyzes relationships between individual members' feelings of political efficacy and trust and their decisions to seek or not seek reelection. The 60 subjects, from 24 districts, represented candidates (those members seeking reelection) and retirees (members not…

Teachers participating in a 12-month study investigating teacher response to computer innovation in the classroom reported several factors as influential in determining how computers are incorporated into classroom routines: the support they received; private and public expectations for the teacher and the school; ministry and board guidelines;…

To clarify the role of collective bargaining in defining and reforming local school district staffing policies, an analysis was made of 144 teacher contracts gathered from a stratified, random sample of districts. In five of these districts, selected for their diversity on a number of variables (state, region, size, labor history, contract, and…