Transformation of schools is the key to America 2000, an ambitious amalgam of ideas that Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander and his advisers have developed. The program's centerpiece is the creation of 535 "New American Schools" receiving a 1-time $1 million federal grant to develop exemplary programs. A sidebar describes the…

In response to OSHA, school board members and administrators should initiate a comprehensive, districtwide safety education and accident prevention program. OSHA will affect schools by requiring injury and illness records and onsite inspections. It will affect the operation of the physical plant and effect the provision of a comprehensive,…

New school board members need crash courses in boardmanship and basic educational principles. Such a move cannot help enhance their credibility rating with taxpayers, as well as lay the foundation for a new two-way relationship between administrators and policymakers. (Author/WM)

Reports mixed evidence regarding the success of charter schools after 10 years, especially on the issue of academic achievement. Includes brief summaries of four recent studies on charter schools. Describes growth of for- profit and online charter schools. (PKP)

Charged with overhauling the state's educational system, the Kentucky General Assembly last spring devised a landmark reform scheme that mandates site-based management, abolishes the existing state board of education, and institutes an ambitious system of rewards and sanctions aimed at holding schools accountable for student performance. A sidebar…

Schools are the victims, as bid-rigging scandals in the dairy-products industry surface in 13 states. School boards, in close cooperation with superintendents and district business managers, have the responsibility to detect bid-rigging or collusion. Offers guides for good business management and warning signs of bid-rigging. (MLF)

Total professionalism is based on 10 principles governing how individuals think, decide, and behave: connection, inquiry, focus on the future, clarity, inclusiveness, win-win attitude, accountability, improvement, alignment, and contribution. Possible board of education scenarios and dilemmas are presented to illustrate each principle. (MLH)

The Northwest Evaluation Association, serving over 300 U.S. school districts, is developing an Internet-enabled assessment system that adapts questions to each student's performance. Shorter, adaptive tests help students avoid frustrations or boredom caused by too-difficult or -easy questions. Scores are as valid as traditional test scores. (MLH)

Longitudinal data about individual students and groups of students can be used to track their progress in ways that hold district-level administrators, school principals, and teachers responsible for what's happening in schools. The key is to examine data that show how well individual students perform in specific classrooms in specific schools.…

School principals are being pushed from below by militant teachers and court protected students, while being pressured from above by harried superintendents and accountability-conscious board members. The middle part of the 1970's may well be the last chance for maintaining principals as an integral part of the management of the schools.…

Detention rooms are more effective when students are accountable for their behavior, rules and consequences are clear and publicized, and teachers are involved in the disciplinary process. (DCS)

Kalamazoo has demonstrated that a comprehensive, performance-based system of administrator evaluation and accountability can work wonders. (Author/WM)

Provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) are putting pressure on schools. Last year, schools were only required to show gains for entire grade levels. This year, all states must also show specified improvement in various subgroups. Provides five examples. The National Education Association plans to file a lawsuit over the unfounded…

Findings from a 3-year study of 33 urban special education programs reveal the following: (1) enrollments are stable; (2) costs are not spiraling; (3) improper referrals have decreased; and (4) few parents are complaining. Offers 4 suggestions to improve special education programs. (MLF)