Submitted in fuIfilment ofthe requirement for the degree Master of EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2005. / The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of an effective school. School effectiveness means that the school satisfied external criteria such as the demands of the community, parents and learners, and does well against comparable institutions in areas such as examination results. From the literature study it became clear that an effective school is one that can demonstrate quality in its aims, in overseeing of learners, in curriculum design, in standards of teaching and academic achievements and in its link to the local community. The literature supplied a vast amount of evidence to support the common notion that the characteristics of an individual school can make a difference in the learners' overall progress. What all successful schools have in common is effective leadership and a climate conducive to growth. An effective school is characterised by learner performance, educator competence, a culture of mutually reinforcing expectations, trust, staff interaction and participation in the development of instructional goals, curriculum and classroom practice. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire for educators was utilised. The data obtained from the completed questionnaires was processed and analysed by means of descriptive statistics. The findings from the empirical study confirmed that the effective functioning of a school largely depends on the leadership, management expertise and skills, the functioning of the management team, educators' commitment and accountable parental involvement. In conclusion a summary of the study was presented and based on the findings of the literature and empirical study, the following recommendations were made: > Training and guidance, in the form of workshops and/or seminars, should be given to principals on the effective running of schools. > Programmes should be implemented by schools to empower parents in matters concerning their involvement in schools. > Further research ought to be conducted concerning ways to improve the effectiveness of schools.

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The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate identified variables satisfaction from select stakeholders to improve academic performance in a charter school. The researcher sought to understand the qualities of successful schools by examining the following variables: communication, curriculum, governance process, governance structure, instructional resources, maintenance of facility, school culture, school life, and quality of instruction. School administrators, teachers, parents, and community members were interviewed. A survey by AdvancED was used to determine satisfaction level of school practices. Standardized testing data were analyzed to inquire information on academic performance. The qualitative approach is one in which the investigator explores a bounded system (a case), or multiple bounded systems (cases), over time, through detailed,in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information (e.g., observations, interviews, audiovisual material, and documents and reports), and reports a case description and case-based-theme (Creswell, 2009). The results in the study yielded successful practices and procedures schools can employ to increase academic achievement and reduce the likelihood of school closings based on academic performance. The research focused on a charter school that has been consistently exceeding district and state standardized test scores. The findings of the research can be used by school leaders, principals, school board members, and school districts to improve overall school effectiveness. The findings also provided a framework of research-based practices to meet the needs of all students. The school used in the study serves K through eighth-grade students and is a startup charter school. The school has 744 students and over 250 students on its waiting list. Nearby schools are all Title-1 schools with a high percentage of children from low-income families. The school demographics included a 99% African-American population. The findings of this study certainly added supporting research to the effective schools’ movement and replication for future charter schools. The results of the study produced themes that were apparent through the interviews, survey, and document analysis. High expectations, consistent communication, parental involvement, supportive environment, and purposeful engagement were the common themes that supported variables that affected the level of satisfaction of stakeholders in improving academic achievement.

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The intention of this study was to examine parental perceptions in one Canadian and one Ukrainian high school as to what parents view as an effective school and also to compare the views of parents of both countries. A secondary purpose was to ascertain the characteristics that parents view as important for school choice. This study tried to answer the following research questions:<br> 1. What factors do parents of one Canadian and one Ukrainian school define as elements of an effective school?<br> 2. What school characteristics determine parents choice of schools in both countries?<p> Data collection consisted of surveying one hundred parents of Grade 9-10 students in one school in Saskatoon, Canada and one hundred parents in a school in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire which was developed based on the ten characteristics which Renihan and Sackney (2001) identified as elements of effective schools. Parents were also asked to indicate to what extent their choice of school was influenced by the suggested 17 factors, which were identified based on the findings in research literature. Also, they were asked to list three to five important reasons for their choice of school. These findings were analysed and the most frequently mentioned reasons were identified. In this study, both the Canadian and Ukrainian parents agreed that the following characteristics identified in the literature are elements of effective schools, including school vision and purpose, leadership, a positive climate, academic emphasis,professional community, instructional expectations, feedback, parental involvement, student involvement, and physical environment and resources.<p>Additional themes related to school effectiveness were identified by the participating parents, such as promoting/ preparation for postsecondary education and career information. This suggests that parents of students as early as in Grade 9 and 10 are concerned about their childrens future and want their children to be prepared by the school for lifelong learning. The majority of the Ukrainian parents perceived physical environment and resources, including medical services, to be a very important element of effective schools. With respect to the second research question, examination of the data revealed that the majority of both Canadian and Ukrainian parents identified the same factors as highly influencing the choice of school. These factors included opportunities for higher education, child(ren)s happiness, high expectations for learning, academic standards, quality of teaching and reputation. Reputation was the most mentioned reason for school choice by both Canadian and Ukrainian parents. Parents in both schools commonly identified positive atmosphere as a factor in school choice. Canadian parents employed situational and family-related factors, whereas Ukrainian parents based their choice of school on key qualities of the school and preparation for university.

The intention of this study was to examine parental perceptions in one Canadian and one Ukrainian high school as to what parents view as an effective school and also to compare the views of parents of both countries. A secondary purpose was to ascertain the characteristics that parents view as important for school choice. This study tried to answer the following research questions:<br> 1. What factors do parents of one Canadian and one Ukrainian school define as elements of an effective school?<br> 2. What school characteristics determine parents choice of schools in both countries?<p> Data collection consisted of surveying one hundred parents of Grade 9-10 students in one school in Saskatoon, Canada and one hundred parents in a school in Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire which was developed based on the ten characteristics which Renihan and Sackney (2001) identified as elements of effective schools. Parents were also asked to indicate to what extent their choice of school was influenced by the suggested 17 factors, which were identified based on the findings in research literature. Also, they were asked to list three to five important reasons for their choice of school. These findings were analysed and the most frequently mentioned reasons were identified. In this study, both the Canadian and Ukrainian parents agreed that the following characteristics identified in the literature are elements of effective schools, including school vision and purpose, leadership, a positive climate, academic emphasis,professional community, instructional expectations, feedback, parental involvement, student involvement, and physical environment and resources.<p>Additional themes related to school effectiveness were identified by the participating parents, such as promoting/ preparation for postsecondary education and career information. This suggests that parents of students as early as in Grade 9 and 10 are concerned about their childrens future and want their children to be prepared by the school for lifelong learning. The majority of the Ukrainian parents perceived physical environment and resources, including medical services, to be a very important element of effective schools. With respect to the second research question, examination of the data revealed that the majority of both Canadian and Ukrainian parents identified the same factors as highly influencing the choice of school. These factors included opportunities for higher education, child(ren)s happiness, high expectations for learning, academic standards, quality of teaching and reputation. Reputation was the most mentioned reason for school choice by both Canadian and Ukrainian parents. Parents in both schools commonly identified positive atmosphere as a factor in school choice. Canadian parents employed situational and family-related factors, whereas Ukrainian parents based their choice of school on key qualities of the school and preparation for university.

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A Study on the Relationship between the Professional Leadership of Principal and the School Effectiveness in Primary School Abstract The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of professional leadership of primary school principal as well as analyze their impact on the school effectiveness.So that educational entity, primary school principals and teachers can enhance the school performance and effectiveness.First of all, based on theoretical literature and empirical research on related subjects, an assessment tool is developed:Questionnaire-¡§The relationships between professional leadership of principals and school effectiveness in primary school¡¨ and content validity is constructed by professionals. Pilot test is conducted at Stage 2 to construct the reliability and validity of questionnaire via statistical measurements such as item analysis and factor analysis. In the questionnaire, regarding the Item ¡§Leadership of principal¡¨, the overall Cronbach £\ value obtained is .9655, the total explained variances are 70.549%¡Fregarding the Item ¡§School Effectiveness¡¨, the overall Cronbach £\ value is .9584, the total explained variances are 70.549%. Then, formal test is proceeded on education staff members at Stage 3.Among a total of 705 copies of questionnaire being issued, 668 copies are collected, the usability is 94.8%.Descriptive statistics,variances analysis, product-moment correlation, Stepwise regression analysis are applied for statistics and analysis of assumptions proposed in this study. We come to the following conclusions based on the results of statistics and analysis: 1. The results of overall sampling has a positive recognition on the relationship of professional leadership of principal and effectiveness of school management. 2. The higher the professional leadership principal exerts, the higher the school effectiveness would be achieved.The effectiveness of school administration can be promoted and enhanced through the professional leadership of the principal in primary school. 3. Educators, who are aged and appointed principal, have a more positive viewpoint towards the ¡§Professional development¡¨ and ¡§Administrative leadership¡¨ of principal. 4. Educators, who are aged, graduated from graduate school and assumed the principal of a school sized from 25 to 48 classes, have a better recognition on the ¡§Learning performance¡¨ of school effectiveness. 5. There are close relationships between the professional leadership of principal and the school effectiveness, i.e. the better the principal exercises the professional leadership, the better the school effectiveness is. 6. The school effectiveness can be effectively predicted through the professional leadership of principal.Among them, the teaching leadership is most predicable. Based on the above conclusions, the writer would propose concrete recommendations on administrative entity of education, primary principal, school and follow-up researches to be referred as a basis to promote the school effectiveness.

Abstract The purpose of this study aims to analyze the relationship among school-based management, organizational climate and school effectiveness in elementary schools, so as to provide reference for carrying out school-based management, improving organizational climate, and promoting school effectiveness to the education authorities and elementary schools. The purposes of this study are as follows a) to understand current status of school-based management, organizational climate and school effectiveness in elementary schools in Kaohsiung City,b) to discuss the discrepancy of school-based management, organizational climate and school effectiveness through examining the backgrounds of each school,c) to investigate the relationship among school-based management, organizational climate and school effectiveness, and d) to offer suggestions for schools, principals and teachers. Questionnaire survey was adopted as the research method of this study. The samples are 915 elementary school teachers in Kaohsiung City. Data were analyzed by item analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. The findings of this study are as follows: 1.The elementary school teachers in Kaohsiung City have high appreciation of school-based management. 2.The elementary school teachers have positive perception of school organizational climate, of which ¡§the open climate¡¨ comprises 34.38¢Mand ¡§the closed climate¡¨ comprises 30.75¢M. 3.The teachers¡¦ perception of school effectiveness in elementary schools is good now. 4.Teachers¡¦ perception of school-based management is affected by gender, work experience, posts, school locations and school ages, but not by levels of education they have received or school size. 5.There were significant differences in the teachers¡¦ perception of organizational climate with gender, work experience, administrative posts, school sizes, levels of education, school locations and school history. 6.There were significant differences in the teachers¡¦ perception of school effectiveness with gender, work experience, posts, school sizes, school locations and school history, but no difference with levels of education. 7.There is a positive relationship between school-based management and school effectiveness. 8.The more open the school¡¦s organizational climate is, the higher school effectiveness the school has. 9.The higher the school-based management is, the better the school has organizational climate. 10.The school organizational climate has better prediction of school effectiveness than the school-based management. The most significant prediction is the principal¡¦s supportive behavior. Based on the results of the study, suggestions for educational authorities, principals, teachers and future research are proposed. keywords¡GSchool-Based Management, Organizational Climate , School Effectiveness