Traditional approaches to character education have been viewed by many educators as an attempt to establish self control within students to habituate them to prescribed behaviour and as nothing more than a 'bits-and-pieces' approach to moral education. While this is accurate for many character education programmes, integrated multi-dimensional character education embraces both moral education and character formation. Students learn to identify and process social conventions within the core values of the school and community and have opportunities to learn practical reasoning skills in schools where character education is integrated into all aspects of the schooling process. Reported in this article are several studies, including two large-scale experimental investigations, that show integrated character education results in an improved school environment, student pro-social and moral behaviour, and reading and maths test scores. Schools become more caring communities; student discipline referrals drop significantly, particularly in areas related to bullying behaviour; and test scores in moderately achieving schools increase nearly 50%.

Character education programs, at their best, positively influence school climate, thereby enhancing learning and academic performance. This study reports the relationship between aspects of school climate as reported on student, teacher/staff, and parent surveys and third and fourth grader’s scores on the state standardized tests of reading and mathematics. Results indicate that school climate, as represented in students’ perceptions of the classroom community, their sense of well being, and their concern for others, are strongly related to mathematics and reading proficiency. Teacher and staff feelings of belonging, and of leadership support, and a common assessment of school climate as positive, and having a spirit of collaboration, all show strong associations to proficiency in either math or reading. This is support for investing in school climate as an additional way of optimizing student academic performance.

The purpose of this study was to determine the congruence among W. E. Deming's 14 points for Total Quality Management (TQM), the organizational health of school districts, and student achievement. Based on Kanter's (Citation1983) concept of a Culture of Pride with a Climate of Success, healthy districts were defined as having an organizational culture with high levels of interconnectedness and trust among and within the various levels of the system. Unhealthy districts were defined as having an organizational culture reflecting disconnection and mistrust among and within these levels. We found a high correlation (0.88) between the number of Deming's points implemented within school districts and overall organizational health. Also found was a significant relation (p < 0.01) between organizational health and student achievement. Examining the congruence for each point revealed that healthy districts integrate the TQM principles as a planful strategy rather than discretely applying them, and implement most of Deming's 14 recommendations in a process of continuous improvement. All of the high districts were found to have Constancy of purpose. The unhealthiest districts lacked defined purposes and used segmented approaches to management rather than integrated applications. The three points showing the least implementation in all districts were the principles of Drive out fear; Institute programs of training for new employees; and End the practice of administering education on price tag alone— build relationships of trust. Notes Corresponding author. Marshall Consulting, 14008 Golf Course Rd, Rapid City, SD 57702‐7311, USA. Email: joncmarshall@aol.com This study was part of a larger study funded by the US Department of Education, Grant No. R308F7002. All statements contained in this paper are strictly those of the authors and do not represent, in any way, the official view or policy of the US Department of Education.

This study examines processes that personnel go through to assimilate the cultural norms of their schools. These processes are compared according to the teaching and learning environments of healthy, high achieving school districts and unhealthy, low achieving school districts. Specifically, this paper examines the “basket of crabs” effect, a metaphor the authors use to describe what happens during the systemic storming or Dissatisfaction stage for personnel in schools located in unhealthy, low achieving districts. The “basket of crabs” effect occurs when teachers view the success of an individual as a personal or professional threat so that they pull the achieving teacher away from leadership and innovation to a norm of isolation and practicing “teacher work.” This negative norming process stifles potential growth and inhibits full commitment to the school and district.

Professional development is a requirement of every reform effort. Most states in the USA mandate a certain number of days in the school calendar to be allocated for professional development. Other nations often fund professional development for teachers to accompany an initiative to improve student performance. Although assumptions about why and how professional development should be conducted are shared, empirical evidence is relatively slim. Recent research generally focuses on the role of professional development in school reform. This study investigates the characteristics of involvement in professional development at the level of the district-the umbrella organisation for a geographic collection of schools. As part of a larger study, this research examines the professional development activities in school districts in relationship to overall district health. How do healthy and unhealthy districts differ in their approaches to professional development? What is the relationship between district health and student achievement? While confirming some of the assumptions about what makes effective professional development, this study provides research-based evidence for what districts can do to ensure district-wide impact and to bring about and sustain change. Furthermore, it illustrates the close association of district health and student achievement.

This study provides an initial examination of a learning style topology through the comparison of information processing and instructional preference toponymies. It was hypothesized that learning style modes would be discernible within each of these toponymies and that the toponymies would demonstrate orthogonality. Data analyzed for 429 university students supported these hypotheses.

A survey designed to assess access to, attitudes towards and knowledge about computers was administered to secondary level students and elementary and secondary level educators in rural and urban public schools. In general, differences in computer knowledge between rural and urban respondents were found. The rural respondents did have more positive attitudes toward computers than the urban respondents and they indicated having greater access to computers.

A computer survey was used to assess the attitudes and knowledge of 2302 students from grade 7 through university level, 537 teachers, 81 administrators, and 95 library/media specialists. In general, there were significant differences in computer attitudes between students and educators. Attitudes were found to relate to age and computer knowledge, and computer knowledge was found to relate to the age and sex of the respondent. The survey contained several specific questions for each of the respondent groups. The results obtained from these items are discussed.

Reported here are results of a study to determine the consistency of information gathered in both formal and informal assessment procedures, and the comparative validity of each.

The model for effective program development that is described here assumes continuity in the process of evaluation, goal set ting, planning, implementation, and data collection. The authors report the results of a study that focused on the goal-setting process.

How good is your approach to staff development? The authors, who believe this article, will help readers evaluate their programs, delineate the issues, assumptions, and characteristics of four models.

of different items. 2) A set number of points is pre-assigned to each assignment. Interestingly, Scott suggests that the largest number of points be given to assignments completed late in the term. 3) A certain percentage of points be equated to a letter grade, e.g., A = 80-100%, B = 60-79%, C = 40-59%, D = 30 39%, and E = 0-29%. These percentages would hold for all assignments. Furthermore, if letter grades are assigned to particular assignments, the point equivalent would be the highest in that category, e.g., A ? 100%, B ? 79%, etc.

American Studies, a humanities program for eleventh grade students at University City (Missouri) Senior High School, aimed toward achieving student-centered learning goals, is based on a process-oriented philosophy of instruction. The program, which has been in operation for six years, was generated by classroom teachers and implemented with support from school district administrators. Several specific factors were conducive to the formulation and implementation of the program. In the early 1960's University City, Missouri, was a placid suburb, similar to many across the nation. The schools, while traditional in framework, were acknowledged as providing an excellent education. Numerous teachers and administrators were at work devising new programs and attempting to incorporate current ideas from the field of education into existing programs. In 1963, the district received a substantial grant from the Ford Foundation to stimulate program development and innovation. The professional staff became involved in a far-reaching evaluation of the goals and practices of the schools, and new directions were charted. Within this stimulating climate, members of the staff were encouraged to dream a little with the expectation that their ideas would be considered and that changes could be made.

TEACHING based on a. oriented position \vould emphasize the de velopment of critical skills in student-centered learning situations. The purpose of such techniques is to use reliable knowledge as a means of formulating valid generalizations. It is assumed that such generalizations will influence the student's actual behavior. This position differs from the conventional con tent oriented position, which tends to em phasize the acquisition of knowledge which at that time is assumed to be reliable. In general, the difference is in learning how to iifie knowledge as opposed to s toring knowl edge. The direction of current social studies curricular innovations is toward a process