Nine steps to improving the climate of a school are (1) staff as role models, (2) highly visible principal, (3) planning, (4) ongoing assessment, (5) rewards and incentives, (6) clearly defined policy, (7) individualized instruction and high expectations, (8) balanced curriculum, and (9) parental involvement. (SK)

This document intends to guide school principals through a process for improving the quality of math and science teaching in schools. The project is guided in part by national standards in mathematics and science which provide a vision for student learning that includes a mastery of the basic fundamentals of the subjects complemented by a…

Homeroom "power" (the capability to affect students' feelings, attitudes, or behaviors) varies by meeting frequency and length, amount of student turnover, faculty members' length of assignment with one group of students, and number of allotted tasks. Homerooms can be revived to promote a communitarian spirit and serve students' need for…

A recent Canadian charter gives students new status in schools and places additional responsibilities on principals and teachers. Article helps administrators and teachers create school policy taking new legislation into account. Examines new student status and "right to schooling" in Charter. Recommends possible elements of school…

Every year, a few administrators mishandle school searches and create spectacles similar to the New Castle, Pennsylvania, incident involving six illegally strip-searched students. Principals using "cops-and-robber" techniques to unearth contraband may not realize the potential for infringing on students' constitutional privacy rights.…

Pete Gameros's recent study examined effective principals' roles and attitudes toward providing services to students with disabilities. As inclusive principals, study participants accepted the ownership of all students, supported inclusive placement decisions, promoted a policy specifying all school personnel's responsibility for disabled…

A predominantly African-American middle school in Baltimore, Maryland, developed a college exploratory program. The "Paving the Way" checklist suggests that students establish good academic skills, begin a savings plan, explore careers, and visit local colleges. Administrators must help increase the number of students who view themselves as…

When the National Literacy Strategy was introduced into English primary schools it aimed, among other things, to raise standards of reading and, in so doing, to improve children's ability to use textual sources to enhance their wider learning and enjoyment. We propose that success in achieving these is likely to be affected by the way in which…

There is little empirical evidence describing how school principals respond to the changing socioeconomic position and ethnic identities of the urban population. In this paper such empirical evidence is presented in respect of three primary school leaders in the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The schools selected were identified as…

As of the 2006-2007 school year, 19,733 students attended charter schools in the District of Columbia, representing over a quarter of the District's total public school student population and one of the largest charter school markets in the country. It is under such circumstances, some suggest, that choice will spur competition, ultimately…

This report of policy samples and resources is the 15th in a continuing series of Kit-booklets issued to help school boards develop written policies in key subject areas. The intent in providing policy samples is to encourage thinking in policy terms; and to provide working papers to be edited, modified, or adapted to meet local requirements.…

Summarizes a national survey of high school principals and newspaper advisers concerning their opinions on freedom of the high school press. Reports that, although most principals and advisers believe in a free press, they also believe that maintaining discipline is more important than an uncensored press. (MM)

Principals should allow teacher input into decision making in appropriate areas and be clear about exactly which areas these are. (JM)

This article reports on a study of a large-scale Belgian innovation project. From interview data four types of local innovation policy (LIP) were identified. LIP's reflected the organizational reactions of schools and appeared to be determined primarily by principals interventions. LIP's were characterized by planning, interaction, risk avoidance…