As a consequence of the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) law, there is tremendous pressure on school principals, teachers, school superintendents, district staff, state departments of education and governors to maximize the increase in student achievement that is obtained with every dollar of expenditure. Currently, teachers are…

A continuing need for comprehensive and timely information about the public school teachers of the United States led the National Education Association (NEA) Research Division in 1956 to develop the first of a series of surveys and subsequent reports covering various aspects of teachers' professional, family, and civic lives. The NEA has conducted…

Studies concerning class size fall into three basic groups. Most of the research has focused on academic achievement and has revealed little correlation between class size and academic success. Research has also been done on institutional factors. While reductions in class size spur innovations in teaching methods, it is not clear whether the…

Thirty-nine states provided guidelines on student-teacher ratios for mildly handicapped students receiving special education services. Extreme variation was found in state recommended ratios and how ratios were defined. Ratios varied by special needs category, level of service, grade level, and age range; some states used weighted mathematical…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest reports on the relationship between class size and writing achievement. The digest first reviews the contradictory findings of class size research, then examines results of meta-analyses of these studies, and subsequent responses. The digest then explores the…

State special education regulations on class size/caseload in special education programs and services are analyzed, and regulations from 21 states are excerpted. Research on class size in general education and special education is reviewed. While there are hundreds of studies reported for general education, there have been very few studies focused…

Describes the work of the National Council of Teachers of English Task Force on Class Size. Addresses the issue of class size by outlining the needs and rights of students (at all grade levels and in each classroom) that can only be granted when appropriate class size and teacher workload are granted. (SR)

Discusses how to manipulate a database to create a spreadsheet which can be used to help decide which teaching areas are understaffed and by how much. Focuses on the use of the Lotus 1-2-3 database statistical functions. (TW)

To determine the best means of improving the effectiveness of classroom English teaching, the reasonableness of the present teaching load, and the adequacy of teacher education programs, 430 experienced teachers, representing 150 communities throughout California, were asked to report on their own professional preparation in English, their…

This is an analysis of the current Education Association model collective bargaining agreement. This document is intended to provide aid and assistance to board bargaining teams and negotiators; it is not a substitute for professional assistance where such help is indicated. The board of education-oriented clauses included in the analysis indicate…

This paper presents the revised 1975-76 allocation of funds for instructional services and capital note items. The revisions were necessary because of the impact of the 1975-77 agreement between the city board of education and the American Federation of Teachers local on obligatory teacher staffing patterns (such as minimum pupil-teacher ratios…

This study explored the elements in the school environment which predict beginning teachers' burnout at the end of the first year of teaching. Two surveys were administered to 45 first-year teachers, one in the fall semester and the other several weeks before the end of the school year. The surveys queried the teachers about their current working…

The statistical data in this report deal with characteristics of the Canadian teaching force that are particularly relevant to the effects of the declining enrollment phenomenon. Emphasis is given to data on class size, full-time or part-time employment status, teaching assignments (single or multi-grade), and languages of instruction in the…

This booklet provides snapshots of teachers' work lives, using information obtained from previous Schools and Staffing Surveys (SASS). The SASS is a set of integrated questionnaires that collect information nationwide about schools and the staff who work in them. A wide variety of schools complete the surveys. The SASS Teacher Questionnaire asks…

The appearance of Proposition 13, the Jarvis/Gann property tax limitation initiative, on the ballot in California in 1978 provoked legislators and educators alike to predict disastrous effects on education should the measure pass. Pass it did, and after the state went through a period of redistributing funds and the school districts reorganized…