This study aimed to explore the characteristics of successful primary schools in the province of Izmir. In this study, qualitative research technique is employed through the perspective of multiple case studies. It was conducted in 9 distinguishingly effective primary public schools located in various districts of Izmir. The participants of the investigation were school administrators and teachers of the investigated schools. Reviewing the relevant literature of the field, a model of school effectiveness characteristics (consisting of five factors) was exploited in order for conceptualizing the research. This frame of effectiveness characteristics were identified as achievement &ndash / oriented policy, orderly and secure climate, strong educational leadership, maintaining parental support and thorough monitoring of pupil progress. Throughout the study, multiple case study method was adopted, and semi-structured interview technique was employed as the main data collection instrument. Content analysis technique was utilized to unfurl the data gathered through the interviews. The results of the research revealed that achievement orientation, strong educational leadership, school climate, monitoring students&rsquo / progress, parental support, and supportive physical environment are among the identified characteristics for school effectiveness.

This study aimed at exploring the school effectiveness characteristics of two high schools, one with high (School A) and one with low (School B) levels of placement ratio in &Ouml / SS for their graduates, to observe their characteristics as perceived by their stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, school administrative staff and managers). In this study, a comparative pre-structured case study method was employed. The study was conducted in two private high schools in the province of Ankara, Turkey. The participants were 10 students, 10 teachers, 10 parents, 2 non-academic staff and 3 administrators from School A, and 10 students, 10 teachers, 7 parents, 3 non-academic staff and 2 administrators from School B. A framework drawn by the researcher as a result of review of relevant literature was used to conceptualize the study and to guide the interview schedules to collect data. According to this framework, six general areas in effective school literature were explored. These areas were academic emphasis, organization and administration, school climate, home-school relations, teaching staff, and physical and financial resources. The data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using content analysis technique. The findings revealed that two case schools had major differences almost in all areas explored. The only major similarity between two schools was in the leadership and leader qualities under organization and administration area. The effective school characteristics of the school with high levels of placement ratio in &Ouml / SS, in all six areas explored were added to the conceptual framework drawn at the beginning of the study.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between effective school characteristics and norm referenced standardized test scores in American-style international schools. In contrast to schools in traditional effective schools research, international schools typically have middle to high SES families, and display average to above average achievement. Eleven effective school characteristics were identified and correlated with standardized test scores for grades 4, 6, and 8 and high school SAT scores. Data was gathered from an online teacher questionnaire designed for this study. All eleven characteristics were present in high performing international schools while frequent analysis of student progress, high academic expectations and positive school environment were more prominent. Positive school environment, high academic expectations, strong instructional leadership and cultural diversity were chosen as important characteristics of an effective international school. Learning time is maximized was the only characteristic that was significantly correlated with achievement and only in grades 4, 6 and 8. There was no statistically significant relationship found between norm referenced test scores and the aggregate effective school characteristics score.