Research Archive

American School Board Journal Contributing Editor Susan Black writes regularly on topics of interest to educators and education policy makers. Black, an education research consultant in Hammondsport, N.Y., has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Michigan State University and has taught at Trinity College, Vt., the University of Maine, and elsewhere.

Qualities of Effective Principals
More than a head disciplinarian or a glorified schedule-maker, the principal of today’s schools is a leader. Principals are second only to teachers in their impact on student achievement. Policymakers who focus on supporting the principal’s role as instructional leader will be supporting what’s best for students as well.
May 2012

Credit Recovery Explained
Credit recovery programs—described by some as “summer school after school”—are designed to help struggling students graduate. Using many different strategies, often involving online class work, the programs give students who have fallen behind the chance to “recover” credits that otherwise would be lost. No credit recovery definition exists.
April 2012

It's About Time
Although the data shows that U.S. students do not receive fewer hours of instruction than students in other high-performing nations, it does not necessarily mean that time is unimportant. Research has shown that adding time can be a very effective tool to improve student achievement, particularly for disadvantaged students.
March 2012

Make Decisions With Data
Effective school leaders are leading through analysis to closely examine how their resources are currently being used, identify where the need is the greatest, and target those resources to where they will produce the greatest return on investment. Data can highlight the right questions to ask and lead schools to the right answers.
February 2012

Knowing the Labor Market
There are places in the country that can’t find enough workers – not because there aren’t enough people, but because the people available don’t have the right skills. As a school board member, what do you need to do so that your high school graduates have the skills they need in order to get good jobs?
January 2012