Describes a New Mexico high school's method of handling advanced-placement courses in a 2X4 block schedule that raises passing rates, compensates for loss of contact time, and gives most students opportunities to take desired AP courses. AP electives demand prerequisites and are scheduled only during spring semester. (MLH)

A Georgia high school got on the block-scheduling bandwagon after discovering that their students were having difficulties meeting new state graduation requirements and wanted more electives. After receiving extensive retraining and working on a block-scheduling plan for graduate credit, teachers successfully made the transition. (MLH)

Successful block scheduling depends on provision of initial and ongoing instructional training. Teaching strategies should vary and include cooperative learning, the case method, the socratic seminar, synectics, concept attainment, the inquiry method, and simulations. Recommendations for maximizing block scheduling are outlined. (Contains 52…

Appraises five major (nonchampioning) forces pressuring public education: the expanding role of business interests; uneven performance of education's own pressure groups; changing role of cultural conservatism; influence of new-breed information providers; and effects of shifting labels and definitions of political loyalty on needy schools. (MLH)

A study of 24 Friends high schools nationwide concluded that conflict is the cruciform spawning individual moral growth and the primary locus for moral growth in adolescents. Instead of avoiding conflict, educators must engage students in responses to conflict that are nonviolent, creative, and peace-promoting. (MLH)

As seen in a poem written by a disillusioned first-year teacher, novice teachers require a philosophical match with a school; meaningful support in time management, planning, technology use, instructional techniques, and classroom management; a collegial network; and balance between their professional and private lives. (MLH)

When the president of George Washington University challenged his education faculty to comment on the status of public schools and higher education, three faculty members (Sylvia Marotta, Sharon Lynch, and William Lynch) recommended expanding disciplinary boundaries, strengthening scholarship, and revamping teacher education. (MLH)

Let's Get Real, a competitive program in its 5th year, challenges teams of secondary students (in public, private, and home schools) to solve actual problems posed by corporate co- sponsors. Proposed solutions are presented at corporate headquarters and judged by corporate executives, scientists, and engineers. (MLH)

To adapt instruction to any learning style, teachers should plan lessons for the whole class; correlate plans with specific learners' needs; adapt lessons to specific learners based on nine perspectives (size, time, complexity, participation, environment, input, output, support, and goals); and observe how adaptations work when teaching. (MLH)

NetDay began in California as an idea developed by Michael Kaufman, of KQED, and John Gage, of Sun Microsystems. They proposed the "electronic barn raising" concept, drawing on community resources to wire schools and encourage citizens to cooperate. Other states and Australia now participate. (MLH)

Reporting how many people scored at a certain level or how many people passed a cut score is not the same thing as reporting the scores themselves. The newest (indefensible) cliche, derived from international test-score comparisons, says American kids get dumber the longer they stay in school. (MLH)

In an Oklahoma case, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that student grading of other students' work must be anonymous. By implication, the decision raises questions about other practices, such as displaying excellent student papers, awarding group grades, and publishing names of honor-roll students. (MLH)

A Canadian Institute of Child Health's report suggests that children are becoming increasing unsympathetic to others, are becoming more aggressive as they age, and are being bullied more often. More 8- to 11-year-olds seem hyperactive and/or anxious and exhibit problematic behavior. Health care is underfunded. (MLH)

Peeping software takes several forms and can be used on a network or to monitor a certain computer. E-Mail Plus, for example, hides inside a computer and sends exact copies of incoming or outgoing e-mail anywhere. School staff with monitored computers should demand e-mail privacy. (MLH)

In Texas, control of schooling has shifted from the public toward business-controlled management accountability systems--exemplified in the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills ("the Texas Accountability System"). TAAS adversely affects teaching and learning by mandating a "test-prep" noncurriculum, discriminating against minorities, and…