The natural world and the scientific and mathematical tools we use to explore, measure, and understand it should fill us with awe and wonder, and light all kinds of inspirational fires in us. On a planet so desperately in need of scientific breakthroughs, engineering innovations, and newborn technologies, we should be thrilled by the excitement in…

What motivates families to consider an independent private school education and ultimately make the commitment to enroll their children? The Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB) surveyed 2,300 parents of private school-bound students in 2014 to answer this question. Based on the results of the survey, this brief article highlights five of…

A program geared toward high school students is described. It is independent of the curriculum, and goes beyond discussions of alcohol use to tackle the larger issues of life, death, and well-being. (Author/KC)

A teacher from England discusses democratization of Milton Academy, a private school in the United States, and describes how students participate in political activities and school affairs. He also compares the curriculum and life at Milton to that at a secondary school in England. (KC)

Adolescents, struggling to achieve a sense of autonomy and independence from their parents, peers, and teachers, can experience some measure of self-realization as they encounter ideas in their reading, work with them, and express them in writing. Gives a guide for writing papers and examines the problems and progress of individual students…

The mathematics department at the Dalton School in New York City, was well aware of the math anxiety among its students and so sponsored a Mind Over Math program for the students in three Algebra I classes. This series of five one-hour workshops, which met during one of the three regular class sessions, was designed to reduce and prevent negative…

The Minnesota Independent School Fund, Inc. (MISF) came into being in January 1976 and was created to promote corporate support of nonpublic secondary schools. Describes MISF's development including some key issues and proposed solutions which were discussed at its initial meeting. (Author/RK)

The postgraduate athlete is usually a graduate of a public high school who has chosen, for a variety of reasons, to spend a year at an independent school before going on to college. 13 independent schools were asked to describe and justify their policy regarding postgraduate athletes--four replied. Here are their explanations. (Author/RK)

Nearly three decades ago, the author started writing an American history textbook. He recently finished the revisions on the ninth edition and here he describes the struggles he had with his publisher, The Macmillan Publishing Company, in developing his history text. (Author/RK)

A course focusing on Biblical literature uses the Bible in three instructional approaches--"as" literature, "in" literature, "and" literature. While it familiarizes students with the Bible, it also improves their critical reading skills through close attention to "good" literature and helps them grow through the experience. (Author/RK)

Reviewing the historical basis for the American high school design, the author proposes a substantial restructuring of secondary education. Presented are eight principles by which new high schools can be structured. (MD)

Girls who reject boy-girl social relations as the central concern of adolescence are best served by girls' schools where they can develop a complex sense of self including both risk taking and caring qualities. A study confirming that single sex schools promote girls' intellectual and leadership development is cited. (MJL)

Examining seven major trends in current efforts to reform secondary education, the author outlines recommendations being issued in 1984 in three publications of the project known as A Study of High Schools and offers a set of eight suggestions for school heads to act on in the immediate future. (JBM)

Although high school art classes stress creativity, abstracting, analytical and evaluative skills, personal motivation, caring, and commitment to one one's own work, college admissions policies tend to undervalue them. To improve the quality of education, college admissions policies should take art as seriously as other "academic" subjects. (JBM)

The promise of education at a private Baltimore (Maryland) school rests in the idea that scholarship is the key to autonomy, self-determination, and self-fulfillment. The Park Heights Street Academy serves as a haven for the able adolescent who has been misplaced for social, political, economic, or academic reasons. (Author/MLF)