Recent pressures for school accountability and effectiveness herald a new public critique of schools and require that principals educate the public about the problems and goals of schools. (JW)

Standardized tests are not sufficient to measure the full area of school effectiveness because they encourage the rating of students on a narrow range of capabilities, the emphasis of only one set of educational goals, and the use of a uniform set of teaching methods. (JW)

After an analysis of the dimensions that they believe indicate quality, the authors suggest actions that principals can take to pursue excellence in their schools. (JW)

Previews the findings of "A Study of High Schools," cosponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Commission on Educational Issues. Offers overall impressions of field visits to high schools and suggests eight principles by which high schools should be restructured. (JW)

Urges accurate assessment of program implementation and the determination of student performance in areas not measured by achievement tests. Offers indicators of hard-to-measure levels of achievement in teachers and students, as they have been developed in the Johnson City, New York, Public Schools' mastery learning approach. (JW)

Reviews the findings of studies conducted on students' time on task in school, noting especially the factors influencing students' total time in school and their time engaged in learning. Draws implications for schools' use of instructional time. (JW)

The Quality Circle--an approach to problem solving and quality control now used in industry--can be used as well in educational situations. (JW)

Examines three collaborative action research projects on school effectiveness--one each in Texas, Iowa, and Florida--to show how university and secondary school personnel can cooperate to implement research findings in schools. (JW)

Describes the successful use of the Delphi Dialog Technique (a goal-setting process) at East High School, Anchorage, Alaska, where it was used to obtain consensus among staff members about school-growth targets. (JW)

Surveys teachers, administrators, superintendents, and school board members for opinions on whether each of 18 major characteristics commonly associated with effective schools could actually be included in the local school programs. Suggests courses of action for superintendents. (JW)

Presents in checklist form 11 characteristics of an effective school, including student relations, school climate, parent relations, and regular evaluations of curriculum and students. (JW)

Sketches the Ohio Department of Education strategy for making effective schools, that is, by defining school effectiveness and by citing the general factors influencing the conduct of effective programs. (JW)

Thirty-five secondary school teachers who had been assigned a student teacher were surveyed before and after the experience to compare how much time they anticipated spending in supervision to the time they actually spent. (JW)

The author reviews the advantages and disadvantages of the quarter system and summarizes the conclusions of recent studies comparing the semester system to the quarter system. (JW)

Describes the operation of the Vice Principal's Advisory Council (VPAC) at Montgomery High School, Skillman, New Jersey, which is used to provide a team approach to intervention in student problems. (JW)