While Canadians tend to consider the American system to be overly litigious, they are catching up fast. Their own domestic set of plaintiffs is suing the agents of obesity and pollution, but actions pertaining to education seem to be spiking as well. A few of these cases are trivial. This morning's local newspaper reports that a judge has ruled…

In this article, the author discusses the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS). He compares and contrasts his ideas with another professional named Haggai Kupermintz of the University of Haifa. Kupermintz asks his questions in the Fall 2003 issue of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. As for the circularity, Kupermintz notes…

This case presents a costly lesson for teachers and for districts that include a liquidated, or stipulated, damages clause in their teacher employment contracts. Although the court enforced the clause in this case, in this well-reasoned recent decision and in most of the much older, canvassed case law from other jurisdictions, the answer to the…

Summertime is traditionally a time to relax, reflect on the school year past, plan for the coming year ahead, tune in or tune out the political rhetoric, and catch up on reading. To aid in the last effort, Anne C. Lewis, a national education policy writer, wanted to continue a little tradition she started a couple of years ago and suggest some…

Having data available is so important because it can improve upon our personal perceptions. Admittedly, statistics can sometimes be skewed to tell whatever story their handlers want them to tell, but by and large, high-quality data allow us to step back from personal perceptions and embark on an analysis with an eye toward identifying the root…

Although the terms typeface, typeface family, typeface classification, font, and font family are often misused, they do have different meanings. A typeface is a particular design of type. A typeface family is a group of typefaces that have a similar design heritage or style, say, from original work done by a particular Italian master designer. A…

This article discusses how standards-based accountability systems challenge American educators to accomplish something that has never been done in the nation's history: teaching all children to master a demanding set of skills. The challenge makes sense today because technological changes and outsourcing have left American workers who lack strong…

Governments have just a few policy levers they can pull to improve schooling. In this article, the authors show how British Columbia is making systematic use of one--information--to focus attention on improving student performance. Parents, students, educators, and elected officials all agree that the high-level performance of schools should be…

Teachers face at least two dilemmas in our work to meet the academic needs of our students. The first dilemma is how to prepare our students to pass state-mandated tests without driving them away, given that many already see school as a place where they fail. The traditional "drill and practice" approach to remediation for low-performing students…

Opponents of so-called high-stakes testing complain that such intense pressure causes teachers to devote virtually all classroom time and resources to preparing students for the standardized test. This phenomenon is called "teaching to the test." Proponents of high-stakes testing respond that that is exactly as it should be. They argue that the…

One of the main goals of recent education reform efforts, including NCLB, is to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their wealthier, white peers. In this article, the authors present data showing that closing those gaps once they have emerged is no easy task. (Contains 10 endnotes.)

Simply carving up a large comprehensive high school into several smaller schools does not guarantee improvement. In this article, the authors find that key lessons garnered from numerous small-school conversions can guide school leaders through the cultural changes that must accompany the structural ones if small schools are to fulfill their…

In this article, the author argues that small high schools offer the kinds of environments needed to try out some of newer ideas in school redesign. The author also argues that states and districts should pay attention to what these new institutions are making possible.

Imagine a school that offers its students a safe environment, a rigorous college-prep curriculum, high expectations for student responsibility, and individualized attention. In this article, the author describes such a school, but it is not an elite private school for the wealthy. It is the Street Academy in Oakland, California, which serves a…

In this article, the author, Roger Soder, discusses past books he has read throughout the year on his own and with his book club. He also makes suggestions for summer reading selections. He thanks valued and nearby colleagues and friends for blessing him with books of great wisdom throughout the year.