After reading the 12 OERI-funded study summaries, an intelligent insider could not easily grasp why educational reform is needed. Academic achievement is hardly mentioned. These studies show that the standardization and bureaucratization associated with systems strangle the creativity, collaboration, and applied intelligence necessary for school…

The government-funded studies in this special "Kappan" section show that changing one aspect of the educational system is extraordinarily difficult. The system is allergic to change, teachers are inadequately prepared, and attitudes are key to the intractability problem. Cooperative and productive learning should be overarching concerns. Too many…

Built on 15 years of proven results, IMPACT II-The Teachers Network continues to trust classroom teachers, mobilize them to support school improvement, and refine and extend the teacher leadership agenda. Basically, the network finds good teachers with good ideas, awards them small grants, and connects them with other good teachers. Program…

Presents findings from a 4-year study of 225 cases involving students' sexual abuse by teachers or other professional staff, based on interviews with superintendents, school attorneys, parents, and teachers. Although 39% of accused teachers left the district and 15% were terminated, few lost teaching licenses. Districts need firm policies, staff…

Special education is under fire from within and without. Full inclusionists and detracking advocates want to abolish all "separatist" special education settings and "unjust" disability categories, tests, and placements; politicians and school administrators deplore special education's high costs. However, mainstreaming efficacy studies are biased.…

Describes innovative, inclusive models for providing special education services for learning-disabled students developed by three universities and funded by the Office of Special Education. The projects, involving considerable financial and professional resources, were implemented at six restructuring elementary schools. Findings suggest that…

Despite favorable outcomes resulting from a progressive 1972 special education law, many Massachusetts residents are concerned about Chapter 766 outcomes, costs, and the rising proportion of eligible students. Recently, the Massachusetts Legislature redefined the concept of a "special-needs child" and crafted a comprehensive Educational Reform Act…

Special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders has a substantial history. The most effective programs feature systematic, databased interventions, continuous assessment and monitoring of progress, specifically matched and multicomponent treatment, provision for guided practice of academic and social skills, programming for…

Despite widespread consensus that children's social, ethical, and intellectual development are equally important, many school-improvement efforts still fail to grapple with all three facets. This article describes how an award-driven science fair was redesigned to challenge and motivate students, encourage cooperation and problem solving, and…

The intent of charter schools is to become autonomous entities, free from the laws constraining public schools but accountable for student outcomes. This article describes the development of two very different charter schools in the Jefferson County (Colorado) School District. Although one is an "old-fashioned" alternative school and the other…

Computers may someday replace teachers at essay grading. In recent research, a blind test has demonstrated that a computer can simulate the judgment of a group of human judges on a brand-new set of essays. Moreover, the PEG (Project Essay Grade) program can do a better (and more cost-effective) job than the usual two human readers while providing…

Debunks nostalgic beliefs about traditional family life. Throughout most of U.S. history, families have been diverse and needed more than one breadwinner. Women and children have borne the brunt of poverty, and violence and abuse were once a normal part of maintaining family order. Today, many stable, intact families depend on illegal immigrants'…

Education is on the wrong track largely because of "solutions" that have isolated teachers and students from one another and from sensible ways of spending time. Assessment is a full-fledged disaster that discriminates, stigmatizes, and disempowers individuals for life. Education is not an orderly, rational system. Educators should target…

Staff development as a transferable package of bite-sized knowledge pieces is outdated. To implement reform plans, teachers must be able to discuss, think about, try out, and hone new practices. Teachers can learn by observing children, adopting new subject-matter approaches, using strategies for learning together, integrating assessment with…

Examines new institutional forms that support teachers' professional growth. Examines how existing arrangements can be redesigned to support reformers' visions and teachers' professional growth. Considers aspects of the larger education policy context that foster or impede teachers' incentives and ability to acquire new knowledge, skills, and…