The number of women, Students of Color, and LGBTQIA+ students enrolled in institutions of higher education have increased significantly over the past several decades (Hanson, 2021; National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Though gaps in higher education degree completion have improved in recent years, gains for Students of Color have not…

In this article, the author offers the genealogy of his articulation of an emerging pedagogical praxis. He offers, through his discussion of "Nakem" Pedagogy, the profound realization that comes from one's story--a story in itself, not simply a story as a tool or medium, but a story as empirical evidence of one's ontological becoming--an…

The article examines the Going Out program for the 9-12 class at Montessori Greenhouse, in Garden Grove, CA. In this program, the sixth-year students plan outings into the community based on their interests and current studies. Teachers encourage students to be as independent as possible in both the planning and execution of their excursions; this…

This book tells the real-life story of Locke High School. Locke High--originally known for its excellence--became one of the toughest, most dysfunctional schools in the nation. Then in 2007 teachers voted to bring in an upstart charter school organization called "Green Dot" to try and restore the Locke Saints' past glory. It was a brave…

This article reports on a library renovation at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona which incurs complaints from professors and librarians about a shift from print to online materials. The $60-million project at Cal Poly is providing a difficult lesson in the challenges of library renovation, and in the changing role of one of the…

With his 10th book, Improving Test Scores: A Practical Approach for Teachers and Administrators, Scott Mandel outlines steps educators can take to boost achievement on standardized exams while maintaining the integrity of their day-to-day teaching. Mandel, who holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from USC, teaches history and English at…

An important topic of current brain research is "cognitive overload." It is about the capacity of a person's working memory and the strategies employed when that capacity is taxed. The most common strategy for coping with cognitive overload is shutting down, like that point in a conversation with a non-English speaker when everything one…

This article describes how California's Southwestern College's prized mariachi band captures the soul and the rhythm of Mexico. Four years old, the mariachi program has proved so successful that Mr. Jeff Nevin, who now directs three bands there, persuaded the two-year college in 2005 to set up what was until recently the only American college…

A sixth grade class is asked: "When should you start thinking about and planning for college?" Most students answer with "tenth or eleventh grade," but invariably some brave soul raises a hand and tentatively responds with more of a question than an answer: "Now?" Yes, now. In 1992, Sallie Mae, the nation's largest…