This paper reports the findings of an investigation of the effects of school organization and ability grouping on students' academic achievements in Great Britain. Data for the study came from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) conducted by the National Children's Bureau (NCB) of London. The NCDS surveyed virtually every child born in…

This longitudinal study measured the impact of pubertal development, sex, race, and school type on the self-esteem of 12- and 13-year-old children. One of the questions being investigated was whether the move from a protected elementary school into a larger, more impersonal junior high affected children's self-image more negatively than did a move…

Based on the assumption that a positive environment is an important component of a well-run school, this monograph offers techniques to school principals for evaluating and improving school climate. Topics covered include assessing school climate, planning for climate development, providing leadership for climate improvement, improving classroom…

THIS REPORT TO THE NEW YORK LEGISLATURE DESCRIBES SEVERAL EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR DESIGNS WHICH HAVE BEEN CREATED TO HELP ATTAIN THE GOALS OF ECONOMY AND INCREASED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY--(1) THE CONTINUOUS PROGRESS DESIGN, (2) THE MODIFIED SUMMER SCHOOL, (3) THE TRIMESTER DESIGN, (4) THE QUADRIMESTER DESIGN, (5) THE EXTENDED K TO 12 PLAN, AND (6)…

THE APPLICATION OF SYSTEM ANALYSIS TO EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS OF A CONTINUOUS PROGRESS PLAN HIGH SCHOOL WAS DESCRIBED. THIS SCHOOL SCHOOL PLAN INVOLVED A RADICAL DEPARTURE FROM THE TRADITIONAL CURRICULUM AND AN EXTENSIVE USE OF NEW MEDIA. ALTHOUGH NO FULLY IMPLEMENTED CONTINUOUS PROGRESS SCHOOL EXISTED AT THE TIME OF OF THIS REPORT, THE BRIGHAM YOUNG…

This book discusses schools--the effects of curriculum change and the reasons why some children are successful in school and others are not. Its purpose is to present evidence of the contribution of contemporary research in the sociology of education to the understanding of education and of society. The collection of research studies represents…

Discusses the benefits of teachers acting as student advocates as opposed to mere functionaries of the educational system. Describes the qualities of a good teacher while showing how educational organization and administration make it difficult for such to exist. Suggests alternatives that would maintain the necessary organization while promoting…

This paper discusses the work of the Education Trust and other teams of researchers and school leaders. If focuses on one symposium on and five research studies of high-performing, high-poverty schools. The six studies provided information about best practices in school leadership, organization, and instruction. Building on scholarship from the…

This article agues that ideological power plays an important role in education and that it is part of a general trend in policy and social sciences to underestimate ideological and overestimate the role of political and economic power. The article sketches a concept of power in general and especially of ideological power based primarily on the…

This paper distills from a research conference, arranged by the Council for American Private Education (CAPE), six questions that constitute an agenda for research on private education. Discussed after each of the following proposed questions are some of the past research studies relevant to the question, and the status of research in progress.…

Twnety-seven hypotheses relative to middle school operations were generated and tested through analyses of data gathered. Using various instruments data was obtained from: students, teachers, principals, and central administrative offices. Discussions and findings about the hypotheses are presented, and each is catalogued according to whether it…

What are the effects of block scheduling? Results of transitioning from traditional to block scheduling are mixed. Some studies indicate no change in achievement results, nor change in teachers' opinions about instructional strategies. Other studies show that block scheduling doesn't work well for Advanced Placement or Music courses, that "hard to…

In response to standardized test scores that did not accurately reflect student learning, Franklin Lower Elementary School in Meadville, Mississippi, began a process of restructuring to become a developmentally appropriate school by using hands-on materials, focusing on whole language, and emphasizing the development of thinking skills. To…

This paper applies the concept of educational partnership to the problem of drug use among students. The present structure of public education in the United States is critiqued, and a new structure based on shared responsibility of home, school, and community, and on the voice, educational choice, and loyalty of participants, is proposed. The…

Although the existence of small Catholic elementary schools (enrollment: 300 or less) is precarious, these institutions enable students to succeed academically beyond national norms, due to the special learning environment that they provide. The recent Small Schools Survey of Catholic elementary schools indicated that classes in small Catholic…