Districts are struggling to accelerate students' learning, support their health and wellness, and close the achievement gap. Labeled "worst" in 1987, by 2017 Chicago Public Schools was among the nation's most improved school systems. Chicago's story embeds many lessons about system change. Sharon Greenberg and Anthony S. Bryk illustrate…

Committed to being a charter school with a professional learning community that empowers teachers, New Mexico's South Valley Academy (SVA) staff transformed its state evaluation process into a practitioner action research process (Anderson, Herr, & Nihlen, 2007). While teachers self-diagnose growth needs and play active roles in improving…

Promise programs are place-based scholarships, generally tied to a city or school district, offering near-universal access to all living in the "place." While Promise programs share some characteristics with other scholarship programs, they're unique because they seek to change communities and schools. Underlying such promise programs is…

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,…

The authors propose and discuss their Playshop curricular model, which they developed with teachers. Their studies suggest a playful approach supports even more rigor than the Common Core State Standards require for preschool and early grade children. Children keep their attention longer when learning comes in the form of something they can play…

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)

Computer technology can be used in the classroom in three ways: as tools, integrated learning systems, simulations and games to motivate students. This article identifies eight major observations about schools that have adopted computers, discusses resistance to technology, and outlines guidelines for designing a self-improving school system.(39…

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)

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 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…

Educators in Springfield, Massachusetts, see connections between the current school reform agenda and their own program of Community Service Learning. Staff see the program as a way to increase student learning, enrich the curriculum, and foster the spirit of caring and lifetime service. (MLH)

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.…

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…

The National Education Association's approach to improving public education is founded on John Dewey's vision of democratic schooling and rational decision making, as the experience of Pinellas County, Florida, shows. This article describes the district's efforts to implement the Mastery in Learning project, a shared decision-making model.…