Maryland was one of 11 states, plus the District of Columbia, to win an award through the Race to the Top competition, a $4 billion grant program--backed by the Obama administration and funded by the 2009 economic-stimulus package--that was meant to foster school improvement and innovation. Along with 44 other states and the District of Columbia,…

This article reports on a simulation training program for school leaders at Syracuse University. The project is creating a series of parent, teacher, student, and community-member roles to help principals and teachers learn how to handle tricky conversations. Supported by a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of…

This article describes the experiences of teachers who participated in a program run by Outward Bound that helps them examine their beliefs and biases. The participants in this "urban expedition" come from schools that have contracted with Outward Bound to convert to its expeditionary model. Driving all Outward Bound ventures is the notion that…