Restructuring jelled for Winona, Minnesota, schools while staff struggled to meet two major tenets: (1) all students can succeed; and (2) schools control the conditions of success. Instituting site-based management and a vision statement was not enough. Steps were taken to communicate the vision, develop successful pilot projects, and empower…

A junior high school English teacher explains how she managed to teach gifted and talented students in a mixed-ability classroom. She discovered the importance of taking "baby steps" (allowing independent study), varying learning activities, raising the bar for everyone, and discovering her students' passions. (MLH)