Teacher shortages and declining test scores and enrollments characterize the science education crisis. Teachers are blamed for the decline yet are underpaid; must be computer competent; and must teach increasingly complicated, relevant courses. Student science competitions, one-year teaching certification internships at full pay, better salaries,…

"A Nation at Risk" sounded the call for school improvement and offered recommendations for bringing it about. "No Child Left Behind" was even more prescriptive in its approach to raising student achievement. However, as the author of this article points out, for all their recommendations and strategies, both reform efforts neglect the essential…

This article presents an interview with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In this interview, Duncan talks about the goal for his work leading American schools and how merit pay, charter schools, and mayoral control would improve student learning.

The director of the National School Safety Center describes the operations of the center and joins three co-authors to discuss the relationship between school climate and school discipline. The authors define six conditions essential to positive climate and explore methods for involving local agencies in achieving these conditions. (PGD)

Introduces four articles based on an Education Commission of the States study that identified political and demographic elements interacting to improve schools and the states' role in the change process. Discusses several conditions critical to developing successful improvement programs, including political, monetary, and technical support. (MLH)

"Training" certainly fit the factory model of education. To others, the word conjured images of what one does to animals, getting them to sit, roll over, and play dead. Few educators now describe their learning experiences as training. The word "development" may be an improvement, but just a small one. It evokes images of what someone does to…

When "A Nation at Risk" appeared in 1983, everyone saw school reform through a lens of preconceived ideas about teaching and learning, and every part of the land of education reacted differently to the report. Some saw the problem as "bad teachers," which immediately raised the question of "bad schools of education" where they were trained.…

In this response to Kevin St. Jarre's article "Reinventing Social Studies", the author agrees with St. Jarre that the social studies curriculum needs to change. However, he stresses that the improvement process will not be easy. Creating university social science and social studies courses that would prepare secondary teachers with the knowledge…

Quality versus quantity of information taught in the classroom is a controversial issue in these days of educational reform where academic achievement is measured by test scores. The author asserts that we try to teach too much, wasting time and undermining intellectual integrity. (MD)

Teaching should be thought of not as a science but as a performing art. Teachers should learn their craft through classroom apprenticeships in teaching studios/schools under the supervision of master teachers coupled with the study of pedagogical theory. Rewards should correspond to the quality of performance. (JBM)

Discusses seven potential benefits of the use of microcomputers in education, including more active learning, less mental drudgery, and learning nearer the speed of thought; also covers seven limitations, including the difficulty of using microcomputers, rapid changes in technology and lack of standardization, and a scarcity of good computer…

Believing that educational reforms are overdue, the author proposes three radical solutions: only validated instructional programs should be implemented, results of systematic public assessments of pupil achievements in learning should be published annually, and teachers should periodically submit evidence of learning achievement in their classes.…

Considers the sociocultural factors that discourage the appropriate teaching of reading and writing. Discusses how the lay community would have to be involved in an improved language arts curriculum that individualized learning tasks, encouraged developmental interaction among individuals, and integrated learning across subjects, media, and types…

Risk arises from foreign competitors and our educational mediocrity. Nevertheless, causes for optimism exist in the commission's recommendations on curriculum content, standards and expectations, school time, teaching, leadership, and fiscal support. Neglected themes of the commission's report include lifelong learning and compatibility of…

Excellence in undergraduate education became the first goal of SUNY President Shirley Strum Kenny's broadly-based five-year plan. Its capstone is the report "Reinventing Undergraduate Education." Kenny thinks freshman education can be improved by initiating block scheduling, interdisciplinarity, mentoring, and experiential and…