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Description:
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School improvement has been an issue in "effective schools" research for several years . However , there has been a lack of information about procedures used to implement school improvement programs . This dissertation added to the body of knowledge by profiling the implementation of a mastery -learning , outcome -based education program .
The purposes of this study were : (1 ) to chronicle procedures used to implement an outcome -based education program in a rural school district in Texas , and (2 ) to describe the applied aspects of the management model being utilized by the school district in the school improvement initiatives and some of the results .
Qualitative research methodology , using a case study approach , based on an ethnographic (naturalistic ) perspective and personal interviews , was employed as the principal means of gathering data .
The review of the literature compares and contrasts related literature in three general areas : effective schools research , outcome -based implementation , and general business management .
The study suggested that school improvement efforts should be holistic and care should be given not to assume there is only one best way to implement school improvement efforts . The management model used by the district , the Outcomes -Driven Developmental Model (ODDM ) , was beneficial in focusing the district on both the holistic concept and at the same time guiding the district toward an outcome -based approach .
Recommendations for program improvement , program implementation , and for future studies were made . The recommendations for program improvement include a need to involve parents in the planning stages of a school improvement planning and to provide intensive training for teachers during the pre -entry stages of the school improvement program . Also , a word of caution was given to "labeling" a school improvement program with terminology that is subject to widely varying interpretations .
Recommendations for program implementation included developing a strategic plan , establishing a vision for student success , developing building -level commitment , empowering teachers , and establishing a succession program . A recommendation was made for a future study to determine the impact of mastery -learning , outcome -based education on students' learning over a longer period of time . |