Examined the nature and extent of the school principal's role in affecting student learning. Found no direct effects from the principal's instructional leadership, but did find an indirect influence on overall school effectiveness through actions that shape the school's learning environment. (ET)

Presents information gained while working with English language teachers in Russia in the fall of 1999. Describes the school system within Russia as well as information on the structure of schools in Russia. Explores characteristics of Russian schools and the challenges to Russian education. (CMK)

According to John Chubb's research, the more influence principals (relative to that of superintendents, district offices, unions, and school boards) had over hiring and firing teachers, curriculum decisions, instructional methods, and disciplinary policy the more effectively organized schools were likely to be. Chubb recommends a public education…

Compares the organization and effectiveness of public and private schools in New York (New York). Argues that successful schools have a large degree of autonomy and are accountable to their constituencies through the process of competition and choice. (FMW)

If school restructuring simply means dismantling centralized authority, the resulting centrifugal tendency will diminish accountability. Schools today need impulses of integration, not disintegration. The main problem is deciding what we want the schools to accomplish. An inset describes a Pennsylvania district's removal of reform obstacles. (MLH)

The literature profiles few schools that have determined to democratize their existing, primarily authoritarian structures. This article discusses reasons for democratization and summarizes participant responses in two schools in England and South Africa that have attempted such changes. Both studies explore the role of pupil participation in…

Three articles in this special issue explore the people/school organization interrelationship in England, Canada, and the Netherlands. Two articles discuss learning organizations' change capacity. A third article examines tensions occurring when people/organization interactions clash with desired outcomes. Chaos theory and improvement programs are…

Responding to the need for a comprehensive framework for monitoring and improving school effectiveness in local and international contexts, this paper presents the findings of a case study of one effective and one ineffective school. Data were derived from a survey of schools, document analysis, and field observations. The case schools are…

Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) in Missouri began its self-study process in January of 1995. Within the next two and a half years, when the comprehensive evaluation visit took place, the steering committee, the coordinator, and the vice president/dean of academic affairs produced a self-study that gained continued accreditation for TRCC and…

Research on middle-level education and the relationship between grade-span configuration and educational outcomes is reviewed in this paper. Discussions include the evolution and growth of middle schools in the United States, differences between middle and junior high schools, and outcomes of middle-grade organization. Two national trends are…

In contrast to early research (such as Coleman's) that concluded schools could not override influences of the home environment, more current research indicates that schools can make a difference. This paper summarizes those research findings (emphasizing the limitations of the research from the practitioner's perspective) and relates them to new…

A colloquium on educational reform held in New York brought together leading educators, union representatives, business leaders, and public officials to discuss one of the greatest challenges to the state and the nation: improving America's public schools. As a follow-up to the discussion, this report documents the most pressing reform issues. The…

Although it has been in the lexicon for 20 years, educational accountability remains an untested concept. Traditionally used in public service areas involving the stewardship of public funds, the term loses its legal-financial context when applied to educational settings. Here, accountability is mainly concerned with furthering school systems'…

Local boards of education have the responsibility and authority for operating local school systems, but in a system of any size authority must be delegated. Unlike factories, schools cannot be run from the top down. The health of the schools is determined directly by and in proportion to the extent that principals and teachers have a voice in…

The difficulties faced by Chicago's public school system have prompted two state-level investigative bodies to recommend the breaking up of the system into smaller, locally controlled units. Without exhaustively reviewing all of the factors involved in making the transition from a centralized to a decentralized school governance structure, this…