Advances in School Effectiveness Research and Practice presents a worldwide state-of-the-art summary of the rapidly growing field of school effectiveness research by an internationally renowned group of authors. Current knowledge in the field is reviewed to present an integrated and coherent, internationally valid perspective on school effectiveness and instructional effectiveness. The book creatively outlines some new directions in which the field should move if it is to fulfil its promise. These include the development of international studies and the generating and testing of school effectiveness theory.

What constitutes quality schooling? What are the implications for educational practice and administration? The text looks at these questions and examines international research evidence and reform initiatives with particular emphasis on North America, UK, Australasia and the Third World. It offers a synopsis of the Third World School Effects Research (SER). The authors claim that the challenges now facing educational leaders is to find a balance between SER and the other school movements and to ask more demanding questions of our educational systems.

Contents: The Problem, Theoretical Background, Review of the Related Literature, Research Procedure, Data Analyses and Results, Retrospects and Prospects.

This work sets out to answer questions such as, what have we learned after three decades of research into school effectiveness? What can we say with confidence about how schools improve? It reviews findings from seminal international work.

Education management and leadership is a key area of study in education. Educational Management: Major Themes in Education brings together the most important literature in the field, exploring the historical context, the training and development of leaders and their roles in leading people and managing resources in education. The collection provides a focus on the major issues which are current in educational management throughout the world. The four volumes are arranged thematically, as follows: Volume 1: Educational Values Values and Religion Emotions and Gender Politics and Micropolitics Volume 2: Educational Theory Theory School of Effectiveness and School Improvement Financial Management and LSM Further Education Volume 3: Educational Leadership Leadership and Headteachers Learning Leadership Middle Leadership Volume 4: Educational Change History and Research Strategy, Marketing, Change and Culture A new introduction by the editor provides an overview of the field and guides the reader through this wealth of material. Titles also available in this series include, Literacy (June 2004, 4 Volumes, £495), Special Educational Needs and Inclusive Education (August 2004, 4 Volumes, £495) and the forthcoming Early Years Education (2005, c.4 Volumes, c. £475)