Contends that the small cultural lag that normally occurs between the schools and society makes education a constant target for criticism. Maintains that schools are still the best hope for the nation's future. (Author/JM)

Reviews Democratic and Republican party platform statements relevant to education between 1900 and the present. Currently, the parties are struggling to resolve government's role in relation to the individual. Reducing government does not necessarily secure development of strong individuals. A consensus to improve education for all students may…

We must determine national standards, an acceptable degree of student achievement, and ways to guarantee equity while encouraging excellence. Any school can increase its graduation rate by decree through social promotion and lowered grading scales. The shift to standards means a shift to measurable outcomes, true learning, and a quality product.…

Recent pressures for school accountability and effectiveness herald a new public critique of schools and require that principals educate the public about the problems and goals of schools. (JW)

The assistant principal is potentially the most effective leader to spearhead a drive toward renewing quality educational programs. This report includes an extensive bibliography on personalizing instruction. (Author/LD)

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,…

Creativity is an abstract concept, not a measurable, observable behavior. There is little correspondence between intelligence and creativity functions. Educators need not pierce the mythology of genius or formally define creativity to foster creative thinking. Teachers can nourish the seeds of creativity by engaging students' learning styles and…

Current research supports the importance of positive school climate and the use of school-climate measures as school-effectiveness predictors. This article describes several instruments, including the Organizational Climate Index, the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire, the Effective School Battery, the Charles F. Kettering Ltd.…

Reviews current practices in middle schools. Includes a listing of 24 practices used in effective middle schools extrapolated from a survey of literature on effective schools. (MD)

Reviews the advances in instructional technology during the past 60 years. Cautions that instructional materials are only as good as the minds that produce them. We must insist on computer materials that fulfill the potential of the medium. (MD)

Missouri's A+ Schools Program is a legislated, statewide framework for providing universal quality education with a career focus and an academic foundation for lifelong learning. The program recognizes that an internationally competitive workforce will require many employees to have more than a high school diploma, but less than a baccalaureate…

The master schedule determines instructional time, use of space, student grouping, and teacher role. Currently, secondary school buildings are used like factories, and teachers can spend an entire career in the same classroom. Traditional, intensified, and flexible block scheduling produces master schedules with greater flexibility, less…

Despite recent criticisms, U.S. society is getting a good value for its education dollar. High schools are beset by college influences on the curriculum; special education requirements; overemphasis on student activities; unreasonable international comparisons; the influences of TV, teenage employment, and pathological behaviors; and the…

As population demographics in the United States continue to shift and issues of educational reform are being considered, the promotion of academic success for all children is an ongoing agenda for educators, citizens, and politicians. To provide high-quality education for students from low socioeconomic households and diverse cultural backgrounds,…

The authors present the results of a study of the effects of racial integration on faculty stability, pointing out that schools with low teacher turnover provide the highest educational quality. They propose the development of a Faculty Stability Index to measure other factors. (DS)