While effective schools research has inspired new efforts toward improving education for all students, it is flawed by offering simplistic prescriptions based on correlational studies focusing on basic skills achievement. Effective school research and theory can be upgraded by a more careful definition of the goals of learning and a systematic analysis of the interdependencies of effective learning, teaching, and schooling that sorts out conditions from causal factors. Interacting factors of learning include characteristics of the learner and the learning task, and learner activities, all of which are at least partially under the influence of schools. Factors of effective teaching include belief that all students can learn, clear and high academic and behavioral expectations, well defined and maintained classroom procedures, evaluation of student progress and evaluative feedback, clear communication of material, the direct instructional approach, appropriate questioning strategies, and frequent and appropriate reinforcement. Effective schooling is marked by such factors as staff commitment to success of students and colleagues, secure and orderly environment, progressive student involvement and responsibility, appropriate use of time, accurate and timely evaluation, clear and consistent consequences for meeting and exceeding expectations, parent and community support, and strong leadership. An instructional effectiveness checklist illustrates application of the research. (MJL)