This paper considers the model of school effectiveness (SE) currently dominant in research, policy and practice in England (although the concerns it raises are international). It shows, principally through consideration of initial and propagated error, that SE results cannot be relied upon. By considering the residual difference between the…

Secondary data analysis as a methodological approach is not without its critics. Indeed, three main objections to the use of secondary data analysis in social research stand out: first that because of the socially constructed nature of social data, the act of reducing it to a simple numeric form cannot fully encapsulate its complexity. Secondly,…

The comparability of examinations in different subjects has been a controversial topic for many years and a number of criticisms have been made of statistical approaches to estimating the "difficulties" of achieving particular grades in different subjects. This paper argues that if comparability is understood in terms of a linking…

Statistical neighbour models provide one method for benchmarking progress. For each local authority (LA), these models designate a number of other LAs deemed to have similar characteristics. These designated LAs are known as statistical neighbours. Any LA may compare its performance (as measured by various indicators) against its statistical…

Describes (1) a statistical study of secondary teachers' conceptions of and beliefs about mathematics and its teaching and (2) the relationships between them. Reports that five factors were identified representing a conception of mathematics as an area of human activity, while five conceptions of mathematics teaching were also identified.…

This report provides statistics on enrollment trends, student teacher ratios, student ages, class sizes, curriculums, and on handicapped and immigrant pupils. (JF)

This study concerns itself with a comparison of selected interpersonal and intrapersonal perceptions, attitudes, and values of teachers in industrial cities in three countries--England, West Germany, and the United States. The nonsubstantive, positional nature of teachers' responses were compared across the three national settings, and questions…

School leaders are faced with the daunting task of anticipating the future and making conscious adaptations to their practices, in order to keep up and to be responsive to the environment. To succeed in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, it is vital that schools grow, develop, adapt and take charge of change so that they can…

Describes a research study in which students were observed in eight secondary school mathematics classes and time lost from instructional activities was assessed using a time-filter. A typical child was assessed as spending slightly more than half the allocated time to time on task. Stability of results is discussed. (EAO)

The last 20 years have seen the development of sophisticated techniques for analysing individual data within a hierarchical context and the growing availability of good datasets to which these techniques can be applied. The modelling of pupil performance controlling for prior attainment has led to a type of analysis commonly titled…