Spring 2000 Issue

The Way I See It

Dear NCA colleagues,

We are pleased to bring you the first issue of the new NCA COS journal--the Journal of School Improvement. The NCA Quarterly has been discontinued, and it is our intent to create a journal that is more contemporary and more reader-friendly. Each issue of the Journal will be thematic in nature and will provide a blend of practical and creative ideas that educators can implement in their classrooms and schools. Our editorial board prefers articles that demonstrate the practical applications of research and that provide specific classroom examples.

Readers will notice more articles written by practitioners. One of the benefits of printing a journal—in addition to sharing ideas—is that technology facilitates our ability to communicate with the author(s). Many articles in this issue include an email address so that readers may contact the author(s) directly. NCA has a rich resource of experienced educators that have implemented many school and classroom interventions. There is much to be learned from one another. I encourage you to submit an article and share your school improvement trials and your successes. The theme for our Fall 2000 issue is problem solving. See the Call for Manuscripts.

We also invite your comments. Do you like the new format of the journal? Is it more readable? What would you like to see changed? Use the tear-off postcard to return your comments to the Journal of School Improvement (JSI) editor.

Improving Student Writing

The improvement of student writing is one of the most common target areas developed in NCA schools, and this issue features articles filled with ideas that can positively impact student achievement. Included in this issue is an article on writing with special needs students (Warmuth); a description of how writing has been integrated into arts education (Jager); and an analogy between teaching writing and coaching football (Holt).

Danielson, has written a review of the literature on improving student writing for this issue. Her focus is on writing as a learning process, the systemic nature of writing instruction, and how the mechanics of writing might best be approached. The lead feature in the Journal is an article entitled "Connections," in which Liz Shockey effectively makes the point that writing is "connecting" with others.

Look for Robert Armstrong's more general review of the literature. We believe our readers will appreciate Armstrong's diligence in finding articles of interest.

In each issue, the reader will find articles that address the implementation of school improvement. A special emphasis will be placed on questions such as: How do you implement school improvement? and Do your efforts make a difference? See Robert Armstrong's articles on student achievement in outcomes-endorsed schools and Susan Paul's article, "By Us, For Us: One School's Efforts to Improve Student Writing," in which she describes her staff's participation in the school improvement process.

There are many tools available to help educators undertake school improvement; one frustration often felt by educators is simply not being aware of the many sources of information. John Woodward, Director of COS Research and Development, describes the Expert Database, a free online resource of target area goals, interventions, and assessments in an article. The Expert Database is located on the NCA COS web page at http://www.nca.asu.edu/.

Another regular feature of the Journal of School Improvement is our Reviewer’s Corner, which will include print, video and software reviews. See and nominate a book or video for review.

Once in awhile our editorial staff comes across a school improvement article that is so well-grounded in research, so well-written, and so readable that we are willing to reprint it. Such is the case with "Data-Driven School Improvement" (an ERIC Digest reprint).

There is a great deal of information between these covers. It is our hope that you will use it to enhance your school improvement efforts and to prepare your students to be even more successful learners.

With warm regards,

Kenneth F. Gose

Executive Director