"In our daily work [at our schools] we barely have time to eat lunch, let alone have time to read the latest Harvard Educational Review. The Educational provides a much needed recharge," and offers access to research materials, says Segram.

Not Just SATs Any more

Segram says that before the Institute began he looked at effective schooling mostly in terms of standardized test scores, but he says his stay at Harvard had introduced him to the idea of "school culture."

He says he now believes that a school's effectiveness is linked to its overall environment, especially to the level of collegiality in the building and the extent of positive interaction between the staff, students and teachers.

Viola Jackson, an elementary school principal from Washington D.C., says this cultural approach to evaluating schools, introduced to the group by Sara Lawrence Lightfoot and several other scholars, has given her confidence in her own style of leadership.

"Staff participation in decision making has always been important to me, and now I see how important it is for building a good school culture," she says.

Often, participants agree, the theories forwarded by education experts at the Institute help confirm views on schooling they have long held, but had not felt totally comfortable with Organizers say this process is an essential part of the Institute's purpose.

"Once you've been out of a college setting for a number of years, you tend to respond to situations on a hunch. Here are findings that say that many of the hunches are correct ones," says one principals.

Burno M. Ponterio, a middle school principal from Rye Brook N.Y., says he will bring some ideas for tangible changes back to his suburban school, but also a commitment to enlisting support from his teaching staff before he implements any plans.

"The initiation for change has to come from teachers. We are there to make sure that problems are identified and to facilitate change," he says.

While not all of the theories are applicable to his particular situation, and some definitely seem more off-the-wall than others, "there seems to be something in the research for just about everyone," says O.D. Basinski, a middle school principal from Rehoboth Beach Deleware.

Sharing Ideas, Perspectives

As much as they've learned from the visiting scholars, participants in the Institute say they've learned from each other as well. But while they're learning that they face similar obstacles--outdated curriculums, incompetent teachers, and discipline problems--they are also learning that schools in geographically and economically diverse areas face very different kinds of problems as well.

Maime Johnson, a principal from East Harlem, N.Y., says her exposure to principals from weakhier schools has deepened her resolve to light for equality in education.

"My school has an average of 34 students per classroom, and we spend $3000 to $4000 per child. But I've met colleagues from affluent public schools where there are 18 students per teacher and $8000 is spent per child." She says.