Educational portfolios can happen, even within extremely incompatible organizational structures. When designed in accordance with four principles (opportunities for meaning-making, interactions with people who matter, assemblage over an extended period, and a supportive presentation context) these projects can be transformative and profoundly…

Slavin's research that "validated" his Success for All program's effectiveness drives the current push for schoolwide models and comprehensive reform. Other research shows achievement gains for K-1 students only. Concentrating knowledge generation in just a few groups stifles innovative thinking and limits development of alternative approaches.…

ZApME! Corporation provides computer labs and Internet access to K-12 schools in return for advertising or promotional access to students and their families. The free software and hardware may not be appropriate for realizing a school's instructional goals. Educational plans should not be shaped by corporations' business objectives. (Contains 25…

Hugh Price has dedicated his career to achieving racial equality. The president of the National Urban League stresses each child's right to a high-quality preschool education, highly qualified teachers with high expectations, access to challenging courses of study, and organization of communities for learning, not just maintaining order. (MLH)

Teachers and the public agree on reasons for choosing a public school, but differ sharply concerning "B" ratings, school safety concerns, parental involvement, and pay-for-performance proposals. More teachers favor academics as schools' main emphasis and class-size reduction as the best use of federal funds. (MLH)

Candidates at schools of education accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) will be expected to show mastery of their fields' content knowledge and demonstrate that they can teach effectively. Administrators will have to demonstrate skill in creating an effective learning environment. (MLH)

Long-term, successful marriages, like that between dependent schools and the National Writing Project, do not always go smoothly. In 1997, DoDDS students performed well on a worldwide assessment of eight different writing modes. Good partnerships avoid shortcuts, use proven models, and reject uniform approaches. (MLH)

An assistant professor approaches students' unconventional research topics (like crystal healing) as ordinary research endeavors, asking students if they want their work to be credible, what academic discipline they plan to use, what research question should be asked, and what resources are necessary to understand the topic. (MLH)

U.S. taxpayers score lower on the "Forbes" Misery Index than taxpayers of other industrialized nations. A recent report concludes that public-school students challenge their schools more than private-school counterparts. Low birth weight and demographic factors (gender, poverty, and race) affect Florida's burgeoning special-education placements.…

In a suit involving an assaulted Native American middle school student, a federal court judge granted the Philadelphia Public Schools' motion for summary judgment. Even in this post-Columbine era, senseless on-campus, student-to-student violence is generally not considered a civil-rights issue. Exceptions are noted. (MLH)

Supplements a previous column's laundry list of bad technology ideas with further provisos: fixating on processor speed; relying on user support; developing non-visionary long-range technology plans; leaving people out of long-range planning; and concentrating technology at the center of a network. (MLH)

Effectiveness cannot be found in the mediocrity arising from programs that require lessons, teaching strategies, and precisely executed materials to ensure integrity. Expensive, scripted programs like Success for All are designed not to improve teaching, but to render the art of teaching unnecessary. (MLH)

Short-term fixes may boost test scores without improving learning. Schools focused on higher standards and instructional reform should reorganize and condense state, district, and national standards; adopt a "less is more" approach; support collaborative improvement efforts; and link assessment to a high-quality learning environment. (Contains 22…

In the 2000 presidential campaigns, both Vice-President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush want to enlarge the federal role in education. In separate essays, Bush and Gore explain their plans to invest more federal dollars in improving poor children's educational progress and opportunities. (MLH)

Little empirical evidence suggests a causal link between standards and enhanced student learning. This article defines types of standards, presents five theories of action, discusses reforms in Maine and Philadelphia, and summarizes two small case studies suggesting how standards can affect everyday student learning. (Contains 25 references.) (MLH)