A state legislator who played a key role in enacting the nation's first charter school law in Minnesota tells the story of shaping the ideas and the bill. She now looks for ways that charter schools can coexist with traditional public schools to deliver a better education for all children.

The authors argue that the prospect of performance can motivate students to learn. He uses a study of the Above and Beyond program at a K-5 school, where students appeared to be more interested in their subjects and learn more effectively when given the opportunity to display or perform in front of an audience.

The author, an elementary teacher, used an online message board and wikis to engage students in literature discussions and to deepen their understanding of and interest in the books they were reading. Her students were much more motivated to read and discuss books using the online tools.

Nearly every country suffers from dynamic inequality, since certain features of virtually all societies are responsible: variation in family background; variation in the quality of schooling; sometimes sharp differences in the treatment of boys and girls, or of racial and ethnic minorities, or of urban and rural residents. In addition, many…

When it comes to homework, the commonsense approach is doubly vulnerable, since homework is often a hot-button issue for parents, school boards, and the students themselves, while its long-term consequences extend well beyond the immediate school setting. One might hope for less heat and more light from the experts--perhaps even a nuanced…

Who says learning always has to be drudgery? Sarah Butzin, the founder of the Institute for School Innovation, proposes "triangulated learning" as a way to give children time to play and develop, even as they pursue high standards. Triangulation is a metaphor for strength. A triangulated learning system taps the power of three to meet higher…

Teachers seeking ways to motivate their students and to make the curriculum more relevant have found an answer in the Paideia Coached Project. When students know that their project or performance will be presented to an audience outside the classroom, they are inspired to produce work of the highest quality. This article discuses the origin of the…

Analyzes Georgia high-stakes testing case involving administrative law judge's recommendation (subsequently approved) that fifth-grade science teacher's teaching certificate be suspended for giving his students pretest copies of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Suggests No Child Left Behind Act will spawn similar litigation in the future. (PKP)

Discusses four complementary interventions required for principals to improve classroom visits: Provide clear, grade-specific curriculum proficiency targets; develop results-oriented, teacher team-planned curriculum units; adopt Japanese lesson study approach to teaching; and use data to improve teaching and learning. (PKP)

Describes positive aspects of Denmark's "class teacher" system wherein the same group of students, evenly divided by sex, remain together with the same teacher from grades 1 through 9. Includes description of testing, school and classroom discipline, and group work. Compares Danish schools with American schools. (PKP)

A fun logic game to introduce several classes of sixth-graders to advanced mathematical thinking allows even students who previously fared poorly in math to arrive at the destination with their peers. (Author/MLF)

The reform mathematics curricula present students with problems that cannot be solved using routine methods. Addresses questions about problem solving by considering one seventh-grade teacher's first-person description of an attempt to teach algebra problem solving. (Author/MLF)

Instead of teaching his fifth-graders a formula, a teacher leads them to discover an important mathematical concept on their own. Learning through discovery is probably the very essence of meaningful understanding and retention. (Author/MLF)

The new technology coordinator at a Chicago elementary school in a low-income Latino community created a computer course for parents and a neighborhood computer club. The course and club created a means for collaboration between the school and community and for parent involvement in their children's education. (MLF)

A teacher shares the memories of and the lessons learned from a group of students he taught for 3 years more than 25 years ago. From transcripts of the students' comments at the reunion, five factors emerged as critical to teaching and learning: enthusiasm, engagement, equality, expectations, and encouragement. (Author/MLF)