Two questionnaires were sent to all school boards and a sample of teachers in Ontario to assess how receptive boards and teachers are to job sharing as an alternative work pattern in schools affected by declining enrollment. The report gives the background of the concept of job sharing and an analysis of the benefits, work situations, and problems…

In 2004, Edvantia, Inc. (formerly AEL) and the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) initiated an effort to identify successful strategies for recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in rural areas. They reviewed non-rural-specific and rural-specific research and practice literature, surveyed rural superintendents…

School board presidents are faced with many challenges as leaders. A past president of the Dallas (Texas) school board shares his experiences and maintains that an effective board president must be willing to take risks and criticism and be totally committed to public education. Provides a leadership style evaluation form to rate board presidents.…

Reduction in the size of classes from Kindergarten to Grade 3 was a major Liberal Party campaign promise in Ontario's 2003 provincial election. It was intended to demonstrate a new government's commitment to improving public education. By the 2008-09 school year, the provincial government's goals had been achieved: over 90% of all primary classes…

Policies and procedures established by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education for the use of state-funded student assistance are presented. Annual budget ranges, sample forms, and instructions are included. In addition to providing definitions and general policy information, the guidelines cover fund application and allocation; accounting,…

District wide efforts have been made toward developing a comprehension plan of program evaluation for all special education classes in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The proposed evaluation plan encompasses both instructional effectiveness and administrative issues. For the 1980-81 school year, instructional evaluation was directed toward academic…

This two-part survey, devised by the California School Boards Association, is designed to provide an assessment of school district needs and to assist a board of education in setting priorities for evaluation of the district superintendent. The first part, which evaluates the status of the district, includes questions relating to administrative…

The No Child Left Behind Amendment (NCLBA ) established new safeguards about the use of student data for marketing or selling purposes. Specifically, NCLBA amended the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) of 1994 addressing pupil privacy by requiring school districts to develop a policy on the collection, disclosure, and use of personal…

This study examined the extent to which Ohio school districts had implemented several policy and procedure recommendations in order to address the problem of perennial substitute teacher shortage. Surveys of district superintendents, who had completed a questionnaire on substitute teacher policy and procedures 3 years before, examined: district…

Adopting a year-round education schedule can be a traumatic experience in many school communities. A three-part process can help districts implement year-round education: (1) involve as many participants as possible; (2) identify the pros and cons of each factor; and (3) develop a survey instrument to weigh all of the issues. (MLF)

The Canadian Education Association (CEA) examined the procedures Canadian School Boards use to evaluate their chief executive officers. In March 1989, CEA sent a questionnaire to superintendents and directors of education of the school boards that subscribe to the CEA Information Service, as well as to others. Of the 123 questionnaires sent, 81…

Based on the premise that secondary school improvement is a result of change at both local high school and school district levels, this study surveyed both superintendents and principals of schools engaged in improvement activities in 35 large urban school districts. Superintendents were asked to identify areas of school improvement in which…

This guide has been prepared to assist Alberta's public, separate and francophone school authorities and their schools in preparing, updating and reporting on their three-year education plans. Preparing plans and reporting results are essential elements of accountability and continuous improvement in basic education. These documents assist boards…

A survey of 57 Minnesota school districts about participants in district curriculum decisionmaking reveals a heavy involvement by principals in both curriculum coordination and development. Teachers are less involved in coordination than in the development process. Community members are almost totally excluded, and students are excluded.…

This retrospective study used the language of political ecology to describe the dynamics of a school board decision to hire a nontraditional superintendent. Those dynamics were described as contextual variables that existed within the community as well as mediating variables that were negotiated among the key players who were part of the selection…