In this article, the author describes the benefits of a program where he has taught for many years. It is a program that emphasizes personal narratives drawn from memory--and that also celebrates the personal essay, which usually incorporates narrative content. The article begins by addressing concerns expressed about this form of writing. It then…

As a coauthor (with psychologists Michael Thompson and Lawrence Cohen) of "Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children," Catherine O'Neill Grace has spent much of the past few years researching the lives of children in the microcosm of schools. Lately, she has been wondering if the same social cruelty,…

In this article, Bob Macioci, dean of student affairs at Cushing Academy in Massachusetts, describes the effort to elevate and align character education curriculum with the school's larger mission by the establishment of the Virtue Project, a program that challenges a select group of student leaders to promote and encourage both the intrinsic…

The search for solutions to protect the rainforest, while offering local farmers a sustainable means of making a living, started at The Forman School as a search to fully engage its students in learning. The Forman School is an independent college preparatory school for students with language-based learning differences (LD). This article discusses…

In an era of unprecedented volatility, ambiguity, impassioned conflict, and intractable problems that affect the basic living conditions and prosperity of many, education has never been more important or more in need of purpose, meaning, and applicability. The solutions to the dilemmas that define our world will be created and implemented in the…

It was 2007, and a candidate for head of school had a question for the faculty: "What do you want as a school?" A veteran teacher raised his hand. "We want a faculty and staff evaluation program." Hearing this response, the candidate decided, "This is a place I want to work." Within a year, newly installed McDonogh…

This author contends that there are four key ingredients to a growth mindset in schools: observation, dialog, feedback, and investment. In addition, teachers and supervisors need to be jointly invested in the growth mindset of the school. The author suggests that if a school is considering a new faculty evaluation system, it is crucial that…

Multi-school and multi-country programs greatly enhance leadership development and global awareness in students and teachers, while creating better problem solvers, stronger relationships, and wider community impact than any single-school program. That's why Global Youth Leadership Institute (GYLI) and National Association of Independent Schools…

At a Virginia private school, a student-led organization inspired by the National Coalition Building Institute works to end minority groups' mistreatment. In a comfortable, small-group setting, participants examine information and misinformation about themselves and others. Sharing a universally painful human experience is the starting point. (MLH)

Cranbrook School's Horizons-Upward Bound program, seeded by the Ford Foundation, was one private boys' school's response to challenges of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. In 1965, efforts focused on three Detroit city schools. This HUB program thrived, as girls and a university partnership were later added. (MLH)

Institutions are going to have to rely more on their own resources in responding appropriately to changes in their own educational environments. Describes models evolved by three independent schools for increasing their capacity to respond intelligently and imaginatively to new challanges and opportunities. (Author/RK)

History is created, not born, as a group of students discovered three summers ago when preparing for the Francis W. Parker School's celebration of its 75th anniversary. Describes the search for the school's history and the experience of students learning about their school's past. (Author/RK)

Describes a historical approach to English that concentrates on early American literature and historical fiction culminating in a writing project based on incidents taken from local history. (Author/RK)

To create a feeling of school unity and to reinforce the concept of human interdependence, the teachers of Friends' Central School planned Project Terra, a six-week school-wide activity. With the school viewed as a mythical planet, classes designed their own cultures and interacted as nations. (SJL)

Three areas of social change which impact on American private schools are considered: increasing governmental intervention; the changing American family; and the cycles of educational reform, which currently emphasize basic skills. Activities of the Commission on Educational Issues of the National Association of Independent Schools are also…