Chapter 4: Academic Emphasis Of Urban Elementary Schools And Student Achievement In Reading And Mathematics: A Multilevel Analysis

A major challenge for those who study schools and school administration is to learn how organizations contribute to students’ academic success. Whereas teachers are directly responsible for teaching and learning in the classroom, school administrators are charged with the development of organizations that facilitate teaching and learning (Murphy & Louis, 1999; Rowan, 1995). As states move toward models that embrace systems of student assessment and minimum standards for advancement, public awareness of differences between schools in student achievement is heightening. Indeed, as educators look for means to improve school performance in response to this policy development, the time is ripe for consideration of school organizational features that facilitate teaching and learning and improve student achievement.