High quality instructional supervision can be provided when educational objectives have been stated clearly and a strong staff development program has been instituted. The success of the staff development program used in the Newport News (Virginia) Public Schools is dependent on several prerequisites: the existence of clearly established district…

Research studies have found a number of teacher-related variables that are associated with student achievement. Professional development activities designed to improve the knowledge and skill of teachers can help students improve academically. In investigating the motivation for professional development, the findings of several researchers support…

After first glancing at previous research suggesting that schools (and principals) had little effect on students, this research review focuses on six research studies that suggest the opposite: schools (and their principals) can make an important difference in student achievement. The review highlights Michael Rutter's three-year study of British…

This report summarizes the design strategy and preliminary conclusions from the first year of a study that attempted to identify educational factors that produce the differences in student achievement between unusually high-performing schools and unusually low-performing schools of similar socioeconomic characteristics. The sample included 21…

Describes a statewide attempt launched in Connecticut in 198l, designed to improve school effectiveness through a systematic process using valid assessment methods founded on emerging research and sound practice. Also summarizes findings of the project's first major evaluation. (Author/GC)

Presents a New York City high school principal's account of how she, with staff and student support, was able to improve the school environment, increase student achievement, and change the total image of a school which had been considered the most problematic in the borough of Queens. (Author/MJL)

Approximately 20 percent of school children are members of families experiencing separation or divorce. This article clarifies 10 major issues affecting these children and provides guidelines for school administrators and teachers who must contend with their special needs. (Author/WD)

This bibliography lists materials on school libraries, organized in the following sections: (1) Evidence that Quality School Library Media Programs Positively Affect Student Achievement; (2) Evidence and Arguments that Collaboration Pays Dividends; (3) Evidence and Arguments that Administrative Leadership Is Key in Developing Quality Library Media…

A study of Chapter 1 elementary schools in a Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) school improvement project finds that four of five schools in which students' academic achievements were higher than expected had female principals. All four spent most of their time actively engaged with students and teachers over teaching and learning processes. (SLD)

According to Annenburg Institute consultants, all education community members need the responsibility and authority to take appropriate leadership roles. Effective schools develop a shared vision, determine clear priorities, promote continuous professional learning, link schools to community assets, provide strong accountability, and reorganize…

School leaders deal with pressures, pitfalls, and opportunities every day. The authors maintain that creative leaders can keep schools moving in the right direction by reflecting on their natural talents and maximizing the strengths of their staff. This completely updated guide helps you assess your role as an administrator, shows how you might…

Recent documents released by the U.S. Department of Education offer a negative characterization of Teacher Education. In a recent edition of "AACTE Briefs," Sharon Robinson (2005) points out the obvious: "teacher education has been the focus of high-profile and high-impact interest of policy makers for many years" (p. 2). Policy makers have cast…

Since the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), school leaders have been locked in a continuing struggle to comply with it. Unrelenting student testing, revisions to class schedules, required disclosures, teacher-quality issues, and requirements for supplemental services are straining every sector of school district operations.…

Three variables--student attendance, stability of enrollment, and socioeconomic status--can affect reservation students' performance on standardized tests as significantly as the quality of instruction. To test the impact of the three variables on academic achievement, the Ganado (Arizona) Unified School District No. 20 analyzed available…

This paper reports on a research study designed, in part, to explore the expression of bureaucracy (or structural management) and culture (or symbolic management) in the work of eighteen elementary school principals in Louisiana. In addition, the study compares principals in nine of the schools categorized as "more effective" and nine…