The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between the length of superintendent tenure, longevity, and continuity relative to student achievement as evidenced by the 2008-2009 Grade 3 New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) in Language Arts. The researcher focused on New Jersey school districts in the…

This article is a commentary on Australia's involvement in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests. It provides a rationale for Australia's participation in the PISA programme, the influences of PISA involvement on education policies and practices, and considerations and implications for school leaders and…

This study examined the influence of student demographic variables (i.e., SES, race, attendance, and gender) and the school variable of placement in an inclusion setting on the academic achievement of general education students in grades 6, 7, and 8 (n = 1200) in an urban school district as measured by the 2010-2011 NJASK, the state's annual…

To assess satisfactory job performance of superintendents on the basis of school districts' high-stakes testing outcomes, existing teacher models were reviewed and critiqued as potential options for retrofit. For these models, specific problems were identified relative to the choice of referent groups. An alternate referent group (statewide…

This mixed methods study examined the relationship between school districts' principal evaluation practices and their impact on student achievement in mathematics and reading. School achievement data were collected from a sample of 41 campuses representing 27 Texas school districts. Data were also solicited from a convenience sample of campus…

A correlational research design was used to examine the influence of superintendent tenure on student achievement in rural Appalachian Kentucky school districts. Superintendent tenure was compared to aggregated student achievement scores for 2011 and to changes in students' learning outcomes over the course of the superintendents' tenure. The…

This article presents a quantitative study utilizing HLM to analyze classroom walkthrough data completed by principals within 87 secondary mathematics classrooms across 9 public schools in Texas. This research is based on the theoretical framework of learner engagement as established by Argryis & Schon (1996), and refined by Marks (2000). It is…

The purpose for this research was to determine the accuracy of the perceptions of school administrators and community leaders regarding education finance information. School administrators and community leaders in this research project included members of three groups: public school administrators, other public school leaders, and leaders in the…

Interest in multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) as a process for school system reform is gaining momentum nationwide. Confusion exists as to what MTSS is and how response to intervention (RtI) and professional learning communities (PLCs) are related to its implementation. This article seeks to reconcile these differences through a descriptive…

The strength and direction of relationships between NJ School Report Card Variables (NJ SRC) and 2008-2009 NJ ASK 5 Math and Language Arts Literacy (LAL) student test scores were explored in this non-experimental, quantitative, explanatory study. Variables found to have an influence on standardized test scores in the extant literature were…

This paper examines teachers' preexisting notion of the "weak" academic student, and the characteristics implicit in that stereotype. Extant literature demonstrates how the teacher's dichotomous conceptions of "strong" and "weak" academic students are predictive of scholastic success. The goal of this study was to demonstrate how teachers'…

How can institutions of higher education, local education agencies, and departments of education partner to build capacity for 21st-Century school leadership? The model (IMPACT V) we describe utilizes a systems-wide partnership approach to cultivate shared leadership within influenced middle and high schools statewide to leverage technology as a…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative continues to move forward. As of October 2010, 37 states and territories made the CCSS the legal law of their land in terms of the mathematics and language arts curricula used in their public schools. Over 170 organizations, education-related and corporations alike, have pledged their support to…

Studies illustrate that achievement gaps between poor and non-poor children already exist at kindergarten (Lee & Burkham, 2002). The larger the gap at the time children enter school, the harder it is to close the gap. This article reviews a case study of one Midwest school district and their attempt at reducing the achievement gap through the…

Adoption of technology for teaching and learning is not as significant as the adoption and use of software that is used as a pedagogical extension of a teacher's approach to classroom instruction. It is the dynamic and integrated use of software that extends the pedagogical role of the teacher beyond the traditional lecture and discussion format.…