To eliminate duplication and underutilization of student services, a South Carolina high school formed a student services committee composed of all service providers (principal, assistant principals, guidance counselors, psychologists, at-risk coordinator, computer specialist, and nurse). The group focused on needs assessment and team-building,…

Provides an overview of a team approach to pupil personnel services that allows the counselor to function as a generalist in guidance and counseling. (Author/IRT)

Physical measures such as weapons checks and metal detectors are inadequate to forestall school violence. The key to managing crises is a trained, broad-based crisis-intervention team and a crisis-management plan. Team responsibilities include developing an intervention plan, coordinating with community services, educating and training staff, and…

High school principals assume direct responsibility for selected instructional leadership functions, but must delegate partial or full responsibility for other functions. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale helps shift principals' attention to the most appropriate areas. The key component is a systematically developed leadership…

A rural Georgia high school has established a framework of continuous improvement to help it become a learning organization. Teachers are involved at all organizational levels--from school management to instructional practices. Teams of teachers are testing new ideas and knowledge, using data and simple statistical tools to discover what works,…

A study was conducted at two metropolitan South Florida high schools to determine perceptions of 100 teachers concerning block scheduling. Teachers felt that the 4 X 4 block schedule contained too many time gaps for teaching foreign languages, English, and math. Teachers believed block schedules benefitted advanced students more than others and…

As one Brooklyn high school discovered, quality improvement begins with administrator commitment and participants' immersion in the literature. Other key elements include ongoing training of personnel involved in the quality-improvement process, tools such as the Deming Cycle (plan-do-check-act), voluntary and goal-oriented teamwork, and a worthy…

Discusses results of a study examining self-perceptions of students moving from middle level to high schools. Kids reported a significant drop in perceived physical appearance, job competence, romantic appeal, conduct, and global self-worth. A transition team can help eighth graders develop an understanding of the academic rigors and cocurricular…

Students need to develop interpersonal skills, including the ability to work as team members, teach others, and work well with diverse people. A Connecticut high school successfully used curriculum-based teaming to integrate its curriculum and teach the value of teamwork. The 9th-grade Success in Learning program and the 10th-grade American…