Many areas in education need better balance. These include balancing phonics and whole language approaches in teaching reading, balancing approaches in teaching spelling, and balancing curriculum content so that art, music, and drama are included. (SLD)

Along with the restructuring of educational programs must come the restructuring of resources. Schools should review all resources, including the ones for teacher development, to focus on serving students optimally. Under the new Title I schoolwide programs of the Improving America's Schools Act, this is easier and more logical than before. (SLD)

Argues that it is time to go beyond mutually agreeing that parents need to get involved in their children's education and start making the school and family partnership a component of all schools. It provides tips on making this transition particularly in schools with high concentrations of poverty and high rates of student mobility. (GR)

As educators work to pull together the various components of the Improving America's Schools Act, they must not lose sight of its central purpose, increasing children's learning. Guidance and assistance for low-achieving students must accompany a mind-set of higher expectations for achievement. (SLD)

Describes the new directions, or paradigm shift, that schools must learn to deal with under the 1994 Improving America's Schools Act as subsumed under five headings: (1) standards; (2) focus on teaching and learning with an accelerated curriculum; (3) flexibility for local initiative; (4) links among schools, parents, and communities; and (5)…