Dissatisfied with their present parent-teacher conference format, an Iowa middle school perused the literature on student-led conferences and established three program implementation phases: initial preparations, conferences, and evaluations. Students selected portfolio items, decided what to discuss with parents, and rehearsed the conference…

Portfolios provide students with opportunities to communicate the story of their learning to their parents. During one Illinois school's portfolio evenings, children use portfolio materials to demonstrate how their writing and understanding of numbers has changed since last year. Excerpts from a sample five-year student portfolio are presented.…

There is growing agreement from right to left concerning the role of religion in public schools. Under the First Amendment, public schools can neither inculcate nor inhibit religion. Neutrality means fairness. Students' religious liberty rights must be protected by school policies and practices. Also, religion must be treated fairly in the…

The California 3Rs project aims to prepare educators and community leaders to use First Amendment principles to address issues of religious liberty and religious/ethnic diversity and to help educators teach about religion and cultures in constitutionally and educationally sound ways. The project helped school officials and conservative Christians…

As four recent events in the Denver area show, parents' rights and society's needs sometimes collide, with battles often fought in public schools. This issue should be explicitly recognized in school policy. Policymakers should address disputed facts; develop guidelines for including parents in determining outcomes, solutions, and evaluation…

A parent deplores the overemphasis on socialization and collaboration in his son's seventh-grade classroom. He believes cooperative learning limits his son's educational opportunity, intellectual growth, and motivation to achieve. In the wake of corporate downsizing, there's even greater need for individual initiative and expertise. Social…

With class-size reduction (CSR) in California now a reality, some early evaluations of the program are now possible. A contribution to this early assessment is offered here. The paper describes teachers' and parents' renewed confidence in public education despite the challenges presented by the logistics of implementing the program in the nation's…

Successful schools are founded on quality teaching; high, universal academic standards; adequate books, materials, and supplies; safe, well-maintained facilities; and staff accountability. Successful superintendents and other leaders possess four traits: honesty and integrity, clear and simple vision, high expectations, and courage to make hard…

Explores the effects of California's Class Size Reduction Initiative on district leaders, examines initial district-level implementation efforts, investigates how district implementation proceeded, and analyzes leaders' perceptions of benefits and challenges. Districts that implemented the program smoothly operated at a businesslike speed,…

According to California's National Distinguished Principal, good leaders celebrate creativity and capitalize on others' creativity while building schools on foundations of trust, commitment, and fun. Successful leaders are optimistic, generate trust, reward innovation, create a safety net for risk-taking behavior, delegate authority, and lead…

Argues that individualized instruction does not always result in improved learning, and suggests that in such instances it should be abandoned in favor of more orthodox, simpler procedures. (JG)

Describes the basic components of the Individually Guided Education (IGE) system of individualized instruction, and reviews some evaluation studies that show IGE to be a success. (JG)

Presents four guidelines for improving individualized instruction, based on the author's experience with the "mastery learning" approach to instruction. (JG)

Argues that, under certain conditions, allowing students to select their own learning experiences results in optimum experiences for both instructors and students. Suggests that the optional approach to learning can be equally valuable for elementary students and college students. (JG)