STEM Studio at Hofstra University is a clinical practice site that brings together public school pupils and preservice teachers in settings with three features that lead to enhanced learning of all participants: classroom structures using multidisciplinary STEM tasks as platforms for learning; design challenge templates for diverse student…

When New York state released the first results of the exams under the Common Core State Standards, many wrongly believed that the results showed dramatic declines in student achievement. A closer look at the results showed that student achievement may have increased. Another lesson from the exams is that states need to closely coordinate new data…

Implementation of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) into the Camelot Intermediate School curriculum in Brookings, South Dakota, has fostered the development of creative and critical thinking skills in 4th- and 5th-grade students. Making meaning together by observing carefully, deciphering patterns, speculating, clarifying, supporting opinions, and…

The author compared NCLB-prompted standards-based reforms with earlier reforms and found that earlier manifestations of standards-based reforms may have been more productive and constructive. NCLB, with its emphasis on accountability through high-stakes testing, has produced many perverse results alongside documented achievement gains, the author…

A teacher of a classroom of gifted kids tells the story of the adjustments she made and the learning she gained for and from a student with Asperger syndrome. She says five provisos will help educators with students who have Asperger syndrome: (1) Go visual; (2) Scaffold instruction with strengths in mind; (3) De-clutter the environment; (4) Be…

Little has been discussed about the factors that contribute to reading underachievement in black boys in early childhood and elementary grades, the subject taken up in this article. Black boys are unique in that they are members of two groups that have historically underachieved in reading--boys and blacks. Gender and racial/cultural issues affect…

Thirty exemplary 4th-grade teachers in six states were interviewed to determine the factors that influenced their development. The teachers cited three influences on their development: specific kinds of professional development, collegial support, and a sense of engaged autonomy. They valued professional development that provided a systematic way…

The special learning needs of students in grades 4-5 who are children of poverty have been misunderstood and therefore unaddressed. As a result, many students born into poverty start down a slippery slope of steady academic decline in grades 4 and 5. But specialized, counter-intuitive approaches. Specifically, accelerating the learning of these…

Although parents and teachers appreciate the value of reading aloud to early elementary children, they often forget that upper elementary children can still benefit from individual attention during reading. A small pilot study in a South Carolina elementary school demonstrates the value of pairing adults and children for regular reading time.…

Motivating elementary students in math can be a challenge. The authors describe an action research designed to determine the effects of differentiated instruction on 4th graders' academic achievement and motivation. Using a student self-assessment technique, the teacher had positive gains in both mathematics and motivation. The authors provide…

By the end of fourth grade, African American and Latino students, are two years behind their wealthier, predominantly white peers in reading and math. By eighth grade, they have slipped three years behind, and by 12th grade, the gap is full four years. These are just two examples of the most alarming figures that threaten the educational equity of…

Hamilton County, Tennessee, engaged in a multi-year effort to improve teaching in a group of eight central city elementary schools. This reform, known as the Benwood Initiative, was funded with $5 million from the Chattanooga-based Benwood Foundation. Student achievement improved dramatically as a result of this initiative. The Benwood successes…

Richmond Ballet's Mind in Motion program offers selected students an opportunity to take group dance lessons during 4th grade. Time taken away from academic instruction did not have a negative effect on standardized test scores and students reported feelings of greater success in school, more focus on school work, and greater ability to work with…

Sometimes it is important to put aside the research journals, political commentaries, and popular news about the state of education and stop long enough to listen to a voice of a 9-year-old. In this article, the author shares letters from her 9-year-old daughter Lina, who expresses her perspective on what matters most in a classroom. Lina's…

Teachers and principals don't always agree about the effects on education of accountability systems based on high-stakes testing. Mr. Jones and Mr. Egley look at the implications of these differing perceptions and suggest some strategies for creating a climate in which teachers and administrators can move forward on improving student learning.…