An analysis of three research studies which examined the movement towards comprehensive schooling in Great Britain shows that the answer to the question "has it worked" can be yes or no, depending on the selection of data and of statistical techniques. (RM)

Recent research shows that students at all grade levels, especially at-risk youngsters, learn more in small schools; small schools are more violence-free; and bonds created in small schools are likely to influence students' post-high-school behavior. Success is attributed to small schools' human scale, more willing students, more committed…

Surveyed fifth-graders and school staff in 117 elementary schools regarding school processes and outputs. Found that the open systems and human relations models provided the best-fit statistics and explained the most variance in achievement progress, followed by the rational goal model. Explored implications for effective schools research and…

Attempted to determine type of school organization that most benefited ninth-grade students. Results from ninth graders in junior high schools (n=771) and in high schools (n=825) indicated that ninth graders in the junior high school setting participated significantly more in extracurricular activities and achieved significantly higher…

Children spend more time in school than in any social institution outside the home. And schools probably exert more influence on children's development and life chances than any environment beyond the home and neighbourhood. The purpose of this book is to document some important ways schools influence children's development and to describe various…

This report expands on earlier research that found evidence of strong links between school restructuring and improved learning among students in the first 2 years of high school. This report, based on 1992 National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) data, analyzes data collected for most of the same students in their last 2 years of high school.…

This paper focuses on Frontier High School, a new school designed as an alternative to more traditional schools in its district. While the school is still clarifying its structure and philosophy, it is committed to "honoring diversity," defined in such terms as race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, alternative…

This study examined Anchorage School District (Alaska) kindergarten classes from 1987-88, 1988-89, and 1989-90; these years correspond to the last year in which there was no full-day kindergarten program in the district, and the first and second years of the district's full-day program. The study examined matriculation patterns, special education…

The five correlates of effective schools are as follow: (1) strong administrative leadership; (2) high expectations for all pupils; (3) safe and orderly climate; (4) strong instructional focus; and (5) frequent monitoring of pupil progress. This paper outlines a model for implementing effective school practices. One or more of these correlates…

Reorganization was undertaken by the Oakland Unified School District in an effort to improve student achievement. To facilitate the Instructional Strategy Plan, the Instructional Strategy Council was formed which consisted of persons representing business, labor, community, and school employee organizations. Technical Task Teams were established…

This paper describes a secondary school in Baltimore, Maryland, and presents a chronological account of how the school developed and implemented course registration and grade reporting procedures. The school aims at (1) providing "focused flexibility" to the students, enabling them to select among quarterly offerings of courses; and (2)…

This paper examines school productivity research--research regarding school effects on students, divided into two broad classes according to whether the dependent variable is (a) later life consequences or (b) immediate student outcomes. The discussion is organized in four sections. First, six major issues in the methodology of school productivity…

Asserts that achievement and cost measures of school districts' effectiveness are useful but insufficient performance critera. Focusing on British Columbia, Canada, this paper demonstrates a surprising negative relationship between cost and achievement and seeks a third element--school ethos or goodness--as a potential predictor of school…

Grade-span configuration refers to the range of grades within a school. Grade span is an important issue to various factions in public education, including advocates of middle schools and rural educators concerned with the association between grade fragmentation and school consolidation. This digest focuses on research that has examined the…