Secondary school administrators are increasingly finding themselves in the position of implementing Response to Intervention (RTI). This system of providing progressively intensive levels of intervention for the purposes of preventing academic failure and identifying children with learning disability may be useful at the secondary level. However,…

This mixed methods study examines the impact of a freshmen transition program for at-risk students at a large urban high school. The overall experiences of the participants affirmed that transition programs for at-risk students must provide a sense of belonging, teachers must be able to build strong relationships with students, and life-skills…

In this article, the authors discuss the characteristics and outcomes of a secondary-postsecondary collaborative professional development project. This project was initiated to address the issue of students' difficulties transitioning from secondary mathematics to postsecondary courses. Key characteristics include a climate of mutual respect, the…

In the standards-based education reforms of today, an important question is how much it will cost for all--or almost all--students to reach state-determined proficiency levels? School finance adequacy seeks to determine that cost. Four models have been developed to estimate the costs of adequacy. Two of them--the professional judgment and the…

This article describes the influence of recently adopted high-stakes testing on the curriculum and instruction of 12 secondary science student teachers (or interns). The study, which used a postpositivist, qualitative method with researcher as participant as the university supervisor, focused on interns' abilities to implement hands-on,…

Educators should combine foreign language study with discovery of another culture. Several postsecondary institutions are adopting Language Across the Curriculum, which allows students to apply their second-language knowledge in various courses or integrate other disciplines into language courses. James Hammers' culture/geography pedagogy is…

At Montpelier (Vermont) High School, faculty members, in collaboration with University of Vermont colleagues, received a federal U.S. Department of Education grant to make personalized learning plans based on students' strengths and goals a reality for disabled and nondisabled students. The process empowered students and enhanced family…

In response to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments (1997), the Virginia Department of Education implemented a statewide mediation system that includes eight mediators to resolve parent-school conflicts involving special-education issues. An impartial third party helps disputants reach agreement in a nonthreatening atmosphere.…

To increase collegiality at a rural upstate New York high school, the principal scheduled informal sessions on various subjects (daily plans, objectives, clarity, and learning principles), based on Saphier and Gower's "The Skillful Teacher" (1993). He then discovered that teacher-led presentations worked even better. (MLH)

The startup of 465 federal 21st Century Community Learning Center Programs has propelled the idea of school/community collaboration onto national and local agendas. Collaborative action teams in the Southwest have identified three factors that encourage collaboration: the organizing group's commitment and diversity, administrative and campus…

In response to growing numbers of school-based and -linked integrated-service programs, university partnerships among schools of education, health, and social work are forming to prepare professionals with necessary skills, knowledge, and dispositions to work collaboratively in urban neighborhoods. An interdisciplinary training program at an…

When Thornton (Colorado) High School organized for site-based management, the structuring committee understood the importance of providing a professional-development fund for staff members. The school decided to restructure with one central umbrella committee for site-based governance and several subcommittees reporting to the main committee. (MLH)

A recent study conducted by the Mifflin (Pennsylvania) School District assessed effects of intensive (block) scheduling with students identified as gifted. Administrator and teacher respondents perceived that block scheduling can significantly improve services to secondary gifted students. However, program implementation does not automatically…

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the International Technology Education Association's Technology for All Americans Project is developing content standards. TfAAP's goal is to promote excellence in technology education by defining technology's domain, advocating technology study, and creating standards. The program's development,…

Hewlett Packard has led the telementoring field with its Telementor Program, begun in 1995. The program creates one-to-one mentor relationships between HP employees and grade 5-12 students. Via e-mail, employees currently motivate 1,500 students to excel in math and science and improve communication and problem-solving skills. (MLH)