Describes difficulties Lawrence (Massachusetts) Public Schools teachers faced in accommodating the addition of two superintendent-mandated test-preparation programs to the curriculum after school district ranked last on Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) for the third year in a row. (PKP)

Compares "associationist" instructional theory and standards with constructivist instructional theory and standards. Argues that constructivist standards should be used to help create a culture of high quality based on high expectations in urban schools. Provides two examples: Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS) and the Philadelphia's…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) provides additional funding for supplemental services including after-school tutoring. Presents information to help parents choose qualified tutors for their children. Includes a list of specific questions parents can ask in screening potential tutors or tutoring programs. (See also "Parents Guide to…

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)

Student teacher and former investment banker working in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, describes his experience and reflects on the strength of human spirit and collective action. (PKP)

Describes how veteran and beginning teachers work together in a mutually beneficial nurturing relationship. (PKP)

Discusses use and misuse of the graphic representation of statistical data. Provides examples of misleading graphs. (PKP)

Analyzes New Jersey case involving the jailing of striking teachers who refused to comply with a judge's return-to-work order. (PKP)

Describes several projects that have enabled teachers to leave the isolation of their own classrooms and think together about student work in the broader contexts of school improvement and professional development. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/MLF)

Teaching students for mathematical understanding is crucial. However, the current mathematics standards fall short in the guidance they offer to teachers who lack the experience and confidence to teach in a way that they themselves were not taught. (Contains 35 references and 3 figures.) (Author/MLF)

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)

Drawing lessons from the rise and fall of Philadelphia's reform efforts offers the benefit of hindsight to other cities. The engagement of stakeholders from different sectors of the community is crucial to the success of a reform. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/MLF)

Presents a litany of flaws in the No Child Left Behind Act that adversely affect low-income and minority students. Urges a new federal law that truly promotes high-quality schooling supported by fair assessments and accountability. (Contains 24 references.) (MLF)