Secondary school educators are concerned with increasing parental involvement; raising attendance levels, grades, and test scores; reducing behavior problems; and improving the community's perceptions of the schools. This document is comprised of two brief articles. The first describes how to establish an Academic Booster Club to help accomplish…

The Language Arts 6-12 Program of the Des Moines Independent Community School District (Iowa) is directed by its mission statement to provide a quality educational program to a diverse community of students where all are expected to learn. The Language Arts supervisor is responsible for supervising and coordinating all aspects of the middle and…

Without changing teaching methods or asking for additional funds, a small western Oregon elementary school district made dramatic gains in test scores in less than one school year. The superintendent spearheaded a cooperative effort by the district's administrators and teachers to revise the curriculum, beginning by compiling and displaying, in…

Principals wish to foster both staff motivation and student achievement in their schools, yet research reveals a seeming contradiction between these two goals. Fredrick Herzberg found in the late 1950's and 1960's that in various occupations, employees' motivation depended primarily on their sense of: the significance of their work, achievement,…

Reviewing and incorporating previous research findings, this essay develops a paradigm for future research on the contribution of school administration to student achievement. The paradigm focuses on the discretionary behavior of school administrators in an attempt to yield implications for policy and practice as well as for research. The…

Research evidence on the effects of schooling continues to demonstrate that schools with effective leadership produce more learning than other schools do. Today's instructional leader must possess skills in the four areas of curriculum development, clinical supervision, staff development, and teacher evaluation. Recent research also reveals a list…

Many New Yorkers have given up on the public schools and on the chance for reform. However, the school system's new chancellor, Frank Macchiarola, seems to have both the necessary commitment to change and the administrative skills. Interim evaluations have been made of his performance, with the following results: (1) Staff Performance--good work…

Before planning leadership strategies for improving student achievement, principals need to identify the factors that affect achievement and determine how they affect it. Model 1 shows that strategies to improve student achievement should consider four key factors: (1) students' inherited capacity to learn, (2) students' learning experiences, (3)…

Students tend to respond academically when they believe their teachers and administrators are taking a positive personal interest in their education. Many principals and educators often employ motivational stunts as rewards and as learning tools for their K-8 students as one sure way of motivating academic achievement. Frank Sennett's…

Based on a survey of superintendents from 100 of the nation's largest urban and ex-urban districts and on interviews with 40 large-district superintendents, this study finds that a majority of urban school superintendents believe that their ability to implement reform in order to raise academic achievement is frustrated by district governance. The…

Reports on a performance review of two New York City schools, one with high and one with low reading achievement scores. Recommends ways in which schools and communities can cooperate in improving inner-city schools and the education of Black children. (JLF)

Despite a lack of support for the teaching of writing as a process that requires much practice, administrators must support teachers in this proved method of teaching writing skills. (Author/JM)

Cases study uses structured interviews, field observations, document and artifact analysis, focus groups, and member checks to identify "teachable" (transferable) elements of the "beyond expectations" successful instructional program at a K-5 school in North Carolina. Finds that the school achieved success by enacting a…

The level and caliber of athletics in some 2-year colleges equal or exceed that of 4-year colleges 30 years ago. Because of the nature of the two-year college, participation for its own sake should be fostered. Monitoring and reporting academic progress by athletes is important to program success. (MSE)

Reviews 1980-95 empirical literature on the relationship between the principal's role and school effectiveness. Examines conceptual underpinnings of several theoretical models to study the role, the relationship between models and investigation methods, and the nature of principals' influence. Principal leadership and school goals indirectly…