This systematic review of the relationships between principal characteristics and student achievement was created for educators, administrators, policy-makers, and other individuals interested in a comprehensive catalogue of research on relations between principal characteristics and student achievement. It synthesizes what is known about…

Background: Using meta-analytic review techniques, this study synthesized the results of 79 unpublished studies about the nature of transformational school leadership (TSL) and its impact on the school organization, teachers, and students. This corpus of research associates TSL with 11 specific leadership practices. These practices, as a whole,…

Service learning places teaching and learning in a social context, facilitating socially responsive knowledge. The purposes of this meta-analysis were to summarize evidence on (a) extent and types of change in participants in service learning programs, (b) specific program elements (moderators) that affect the amount of change in participants, and…

Federal laws mandate that students with cognitive disabilities receive instruction in academic skills and also support the importance of teaching self-determination. The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize intervention research examining effects of self-determination interventions on academic skills for students with cognitive…

This paper reviews meta-analysis procedures and several meta-analysis findings related to science teachings. Several generalizations are offered, one which indicates that instructional techniques which help students focus on learning (preinstructional strategies, increased structure in verbal content of materials, use of concrete objects) are…

Meta-analysis techniques were used to synthesize research on the effectiveness of three major activity-based elementary science programs: (1) the Elementary Science Study, (2) Science--A Process Approach, and (3) the Science Curriculum Improvement Study. Implications for both widespread adoption and curricular decisions, as well as long term…

This policy brief reviews research on the effectiveness of summer-school programs. It begins with a short history of the current school calendar, including how 19th century agrarian life required children to stay home during the summer to attend to crops or livestock. Next, a meta-analysis of 13 studies brings to light the effects long summer…

A meta-analysis of studies of the impact of new science curricula on the performance of students was initially conducted in 1983 as part of a coordinated program of meta-analysis of research on science education. This paper reports the results of a re-synthesis of the research dealing with student performance in the new science curriculum using…

This meta-analysis found a minimal relationship between student achievement and educational expenditures except for direct instructional expenditures such as teachers' salaries and supplies. The amount spent is less vital than how the money is spent. (Compare gymnasium renovation with purchasing a new math program.) Nonschool factors may also be…

A policy of reducing class size seems sensible, but might have costly, far-reaching implications for students, teachers, and public support for schools. The purpose of this research brief is to summarize 100 class size research studies from 1950 to 1985 and to regroup them into 18 areas of concern. The cluster analysis approach was designed to…

Differences in science achievement between males and females have been examined either directly or indirectly in a variety of studies. This investigation reviewed a quantitative synthesis of correlational research on science affect, ability, and achievement conducted by Steinkamp and Maehr. Their findings were reassessed by employing a…

This digest provides an overview of several meta-analysis studies which focused on various aspects of science instruction. These studies examined: productive factors in science learning for grades 6 through 12; quality and quantity of instruction; effects of various teaching strategies on science achievement; instructional systems in science…

The two science education digests for 1985 contained reports of research related to science curriculum and instruction. This information bulletin has been designed to continue making suggestions for improving education, more specifically education in science classrooms. It focuses on: (1) findings from science education studies (including…

This executive summary reports on a study which utilized meta-analysis and best-evidence synthesis techniques to evaluate 13 research studies on the academic, social, and psychological effects upon learners who are gifted and talented of three grouping practices: (1) ability grouping for enrichment; (2) mixed ability cooperative grouping for…

The great concern in recent decades over the trends of declining student achievement scores and increased cost of schooling has prompted speculation about how these trends might relate to one another. Much like popular opinion, research findings from studies of this relationship have often been contradictory. This study presents results from a…