A private secondary school in Portland, Oregon, sees arts and academics as equally important to education. The school integrates art throughout the curriculum; offers specialized classes in performing, visual, and media arts, taught by professionals; and offers field experiences and internships. Students progress through the performance-based…

A grade 6-12 Vancouver, Washington, magnet school blends arts education with interdisciplinary academics. To get in, students don't need talent or good grades, but a serious desire to study the arts. Academics are taught in the morning; afternoon arts classes are on three levels. Students are required to explore all the arts. Contains three…

Urban school districts in the Northwest are not immune to the challenges facing inner city schools such as poverty, teacher shortages, and low test scores. Strategies for turning obstacles into opportunities for urban youth include recruiting strong school administrators, building a stable source of committed capable teachers, closing achievement…

Dr. Ben Canada's unique blend of heartwarming personality and hardheaded management has been instrumental in turning around Portland (Oregon) Public Schools. As superintendent, Dr. Canada has raised the credibility of the district and gained community support as evidenced by the commitment of city council to pump $40 million into the school…

Millionaire Stuart Sloan pumps $1 million a year into the budget of T.T. Minor Elementary School, located in a predominantly Black, poor neighborhood in Seattle (Washington). Sloan's generosity helps provide an extended school year, before- and after-school programs, small class sizes, extra meals, uniforms, ongoing staff training, and an outreach…

A summit in Boise (Idaho) aimed to help 130 youth develop leadership skills and connect to service learning opportunities. Participants identified tolerance and substance abuse as issues of concern and generated action plans for addressing these problems. Profiles several participants and addresses the role of the community in developing healthy…

Profiles Mary Ellen Darling, an exceptional teacher at Clark Middle School in Anchorage (Alaska). Addresses the difficulties in recruiting qualified teachers for the Anchorage School District, where 20 percent of students speak 85 different languages. Describes successful efforts to recruit teachers and professional staff from states with similar…

Tony Hopson founded and directs Self Enhancement, Inc., a nonprofit program that helps inner-city youth in Portland (Oregon) improve academically and develop talents, skills, values, and attitudes needed to become positive, contributing members of society. The program's success is based on the relationship model, continuity of services,…

Volume 3 of "Northwest Education" contains four issues. Each issue has a theme title and typically consists of an opening review article on current trends and research related to the theme, followed by articles on exemplary schools or programs in the Northwest, promising practices, outstanding teachers, or suggestions for program implementation or…

This theme issue of the serial "Northwest Education" focuses on how teachers are using technology in diverse subjects, in addition to addressing the role of teachers in an environment of continuous change brought on by technological developments. The first article, "The Promise of Technology," argues that if technology is to become an agent for…

This theme issue presents an overview of alternative high schools that serve at-risk students. It opens with an essay on "Learning from the Margins," offering insights on the need for alternative schools, definitions of what constitutes an alternative school, how such schools succeed, and how alternative schools use new ideas to reach students.…

School-community collaborations are partnerships that can take different forms and serve many purposes. An overview of some partnership models is provided in this text. It shows how schools can play a central role in the revitalization of a community by serving as community centers and by fostering school-based enterprises. Ways in which students…

This issue presents eight essays all on the theme of how young children can become strong and successful lifelong readers. "Seeking Common Ground" (Lee Sherman) reviews the debate over how best to teach young children to read. "In the Beginning" (Catherine Paglin) suggests that by reading aloud to young children and filling their world with print,…

Describes the controversy over phonics versus whole-language reading instruction, and cites research concluding the necessity for combining the two methods to achieve comprehension. Gives examples of practitioner techniques of combining phonemics, phonics, and whole language in early reading instruction. Sidebars highlight key resource…

Early literacy involves daily reading aloud as well as writing or dictating activities. Preschoolers learn that reading is enjoyable, pictures provide story clues, and print goes from left to right and represents words and meaning. Listening, watching, and asking questions increase vocabulary and comprehension. Sidebars include tips, a book list,…