Describes the progress and problems educators in the National Coalition for Equality in Learning (NCEL), a grassroots effort for improving student learning, are experiencing as they improve school conditions so that unsuccessful and underachieving students become productive learners. The NCEL's goals and efforts in resolving the problem of…

Explores role of public education in democracy; addresses questions of who should be educated and which individuals have the right to a comprehensive education. Argues that every individual in a democratic society has the right to a comprehensive education, and that society itself will benefit from the contributions of well-educated citizenry.…

Describes and provides examples of educational change in two different schools and notes the following four common elements shared at both sites: (1) a shared vision; (2) a climate of collegiality; (3) positive conflict resolution; and (4) an environment that fosters professional growth. Each school setting is briefly described, and examples of…

Details the specific steps used in the National Coalition's study-team approach in identifying and solving learning problems. The article describes the study-team process used in the Spring Independent School District in Houston (Texas), provides examples of its activities, and evaluates its performance. Lessons learned from the experience are…

Discusses how study teams at one Texas elementary school function in helping the individual student, and provides an evaluation of this approach based on three examples: (1) the case study team; (2) the reading study team; and (3) the quality of life team. Lessons learned from this approach are explored. (GR)

Examines efforts to improve the educational environment for an ethnically and economically diverse student body which help to increase student learning. Using a middle school in San Francisco (California) as an example, the classroom, the structure of the educational program, and student support services are described as conditions for increasing…

Examines what it takes to build a "learning community" designed to help all children receive a quality education on equal terms. The characteristics of communities of learners are described, and barriers to developing democratic learning communities are shown in the areas of leadership, testing and grouping, parent participation, and the…

Describes the development of an educational community that was created for assisting alienated high school students. The article describes how the teachers and school administration moved through the conception, design, planning, and implementation phases of the study-team process. Concluding comments highlight how the program helped marginalized…

Provides one teacher's personal account of an ongoing learning process in a sixth-grade classroom, and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of allowing for diverse interpretations, perspectives, and points of view designed to aid student learning. The dynamic relationship between student initiative and unpredictability that can result in…

Addresses how Apple Valley High School (Minnesota) has been able to help marginal students succeed in school. The fundamental actions that contributed to the effectiveness of study-team efforts to help marginal students are discussed, and what has been learned through these efforts is considered. (GR)

Explores helping students of color, particularly African Americans, who for various reasons are underserved by urban schools. Twelve European American cultural practices are described that could create discontinuity for African American students or for any student who is culturally different. (GR)

Discusses student educational isolation due to social, economic, cultural, and generational factors, particularly as it applies to Latino adolescents where school setting, language, gender, poverty, and ethnic prejudice are marginalizing forces. Educational strategies that are consistent with a broadened view of marginality are suggested and a…

Addresses the crucial role of families in helping students learn, arguing that the success of schooling depends on the contributions of the home and school/home collaborations. Ways to better understand the everyday lives of children living in poverty are illustrated to help schools increase learning opportunities for all children, even when…

Describes efforts of the Spring Independent School District (Texas) to help teenage mothers remain in school, develop job skills, and improve parenting skills. The initiation of the teen parenting program and a typical program day are described. The involvement of the National Coalition for Equality in Learning and scholarships awarded to teen…

Critiques school reform evaluation and common misconceptions about it. The article warns against using evaluation to sort students in ways that hinder them from gaining quality education or force teachers into implementing school changes that are unresponsive to students' learning problems. Study findings involving school improvement efforts are…