The Individuals with Disabilities Act mandates that all students with or without disabilities should be included in the regular education classroom to the greatest extent appropriate. Research shows the importance of the principal's ability to shape programs, policies and school cultures that are supportive of inclusion. Deploying a modified…

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to explore how the characteristics of the principal preparation programs of newly hired elementary school principals might influence school achievement through the development of well-qualified teams of teachers by the school. Of primary interest is whether elementary school principals from preparation…

This study examined advantages and disadvantages of team teaching and elements of successful teams from the perspective of eight teachers and a principal at one elementary school. The teachers were all participants in several types of school teams. During individual interviews, they discussed their thoughts and feelings about team teaching. Their…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of the Instructional Improvement Committee's (IIC) involvement in decision making, the representation of teachers on the IIC, and the effectiveness of the Instruction and Research (I&R) Unit in Individually Guided Education/Multiunit Elementary (IGE/MUS-E) schools. The theoretical base for…

Describes the founding of Washington, D.C.'s Brookland School, a preschool-to-grade-eight facility that embodies the middle school philosophy. (Author/JM)

The purposes of this study were to determine the relationship of structural aspects of the school organization and leadership behavior in schools to job satisfaction within Individually Guided Education (IGE) schools, and to determine whether organizational structure or leadership behavior had more impact on job satisfaction in IGE schools. Data…

Discusses the benefits of flexible scheduling in school media centers and emphasizes the importance of cooperation among media specialists, teachers, administrators, and volunteers in successfully implementing flexible scheduling. The experiences of a school media specialist who introduced flexible scheduling in the media center at Whiskey Bottom…

This report focuses on some key varieties of decisions governing instructional affairs in public elementary schools. Twenty-nine elementary schools, 16 of which utilized team teaching and 13 of which employed conventional instruction, composed the sample in this study. The control structure interview was used as one of the key data collection…

Patrick O'Hearn School in Boston (Massachusetts) has been a model integration elementary school, integrating children with disabilities with regular education students since 1989. Elements of the program include 2 teachers in each classroom of 20 students, a visually impaired principal, a family center, and a planned home visitation program. (JB)

An elementary school principal's successful attempts to improve her inner-city school are described in this case study, which includes a diagram representing her formula for better education. The principal, a charismatic, elderly woman, takes an aggressive role in improving the school environment and student nutrition, encouraging and monitoring…

Discusses the pivotal role of the middle school principal in the success of collaborative teaching teams. Details team functions, selection, and stages of team development. Also discusses team meetings, reports, leader meetings, team competition, and team professional growth. (ET)

A longitudinal study of elementary schools formally implementing the Multiunit School model collected data suggesting that teachers' feelings of autonomy and job satisfaction are less closely associated with teacher participation on faculty teams for the management of instruction and school administration than with the presence or absence of…