The historic connection of religion and spirituality to women, education, advocacy, and leadership is prevalent in Black American histories in general and the role of the religion and spirit in promoting education and socialisation. Important in this history is the intersection of spirituality and leadership for Black American women. This research…

Data from two previous studies are reanalyzed using the lens of institutional racism to examine district decisions that undermined, or sabotaged, improvement efforts at schools attended by students of color. Opportunities to rectify the sabotage were available but not pursued. A model portrays the interaction between decision-maker intent,…

This paper presents a comprehensive review of Richard Rothstein's book "Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Educational Reform to Close the Black-White Achievement Gap" (Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute, 2004). The insights offered in this book are timely in light of the No Child Left Behind legislation that puts the…

Explores the assumption that teachers want to participate in schoolwide decision making by constructing a typology of teachers. Characterizes four types of teachers: empowered, disenfranchised, involved (those that do not want to participate, but do), and disengaged. Analysis of teachers' differences and similarities on demographic and attitudinal…

Examined the extent to which schools that received Title I funds for schoolwide programs implemented the plans they developed when requesting funds. Results from 10 urban elementary schools show that schools implemented some plan components but did not generally implement instructional innovations included in the plans. (SLD)

This paper examines the effects of principal succession in a school-reform process. The report focuses on multiple changes in the principal's position at a primary school participating in the accelerated schools project. The text opens with an overview of the accelerated schools project followed by a description of the study's methodology. Data…

This report is based on a study that examined the effect of changing principals during a restructuring process. Data were collected at two rural elementary schools in a midsouthern state that had participated in the Accelerated Schools Project. The project's effectiveness was threatened by frequent principal succession at both schools. The schools…

A matrix of characteristics associated with transformational leadership and with high reliability organizations was developed. Using the matrix as a lens, researchers examined a successful school involved in a school improvement effort to understand the success more fully. Transformational leaders provide opportunities for personal growth for…

A hypothesized data set is used to illustrate that canonical correlation analysis is a general linear model, subsuming other parametric procedures as special cases. Specific techniques included in analyses are t tests, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of variance, and discriminant analysis. (SLD)

This paper examines how block scheduling affects teachers' perceptions of school climate. It is based on information taken from 21 high schools in a southern state that used 4X4 block scheduling. Data were collected through interviews, a survey instrument that measured teacher perceptions of climate, and focus groups. Based on results from the…

This study focused on the extent to which nontraditional instructional strategies targeted by a high school in its Title I schoolwide plan were observable in classrooms. The study was conducted in an inner-city high school where 76% of the students are classified as economically deprived. Data were collected through classroom observations in 18 of…

This collection of papers explores federal, state, and local efforts across the United States to ensure that all students have equal and equitable educational opportunities. The book begins with an introduction, "Title I Schoolwide Programs: Examining Evidence from the Field" (Dianne L. Taylor and Elizabeth A. Kemper). Section 1,…

Reports results of two separate but related studies: The first involves the use of a rubric to evaluate improvement plans from low-performing schools; the second involves a sample of teacher and administrator perceptions of their involvement in improvement planning. Finds poor-quality plans in evaluation study to be related to teacher-involvement…