California districts were forced to shift to distance learning models in the spring of 2020 and the transition to distance learning for students in the early grades--transitional kindergarten through third grade (TK-3)--has proved difficult for students, parents, and teachers alike. As distance learning persists, administrators and teachers can…

Advanced high-school courses, such as Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the United States, present a content selection conundrum of major proportions. Judicious content selection is necessary if students are to learn subject matter meaningfully, but the sheer breadth of tested material in these courses promotes nearly the opposite:…

In the face of a changing landscape of youth services, LIS education can push the field of librarianship forward by adopting research-based frameworks that are directly applicable to the profession. We combined the Connected Learning framework with Radical Change theory and Outcome-Based Planning and Evaluation (OBPE) to establish the structure…

The Birth-to-Three Equity Initiative launched in April 2015 as a multiyear systems change process to strengthen equitable access, services, and child and family outcomes in the "early intervention" system in Martin Luther King County, Washington. This article describes the training of agency leaders and "equity facilitators"…

"Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education" outlined five core concepts intended to guide undergraduate biology education: 1) evolution; 2) structure and function; 3) information flow, exchange, and storage; 4) pathways and transformations of energy and matter; and 5) systems. We have taken these general recommendations and…

This article describes how the physical educators at Tahoma High School, in a community in Washington state's Cascade Mountains, surveyed their students, reached out to the community, integrated physical education and academics, and established a school-wide focus on wellness. Tracy Krause writes that the three "Rs"--relationships,…

As states and districts begin the work of turning common academic standards into curriculum and instruction, educators searching for teaching resources are often finding that process frustrating and fruitless. Teachers and curriculum developers who are trying to craft road maps that reflect the Common Core State Standards can find themselves in a…

Universal design for instruction (UDI) is an approach to course design that seeks to create an appropriate learning environment for all students, including those with disabilities. This approach also helps other students to learn the course material in ways most appropriate to their individual learning needs. When done well, this approach has…

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) initiatives represent an extensive and expanding movement across American education. Nationally, funding for K-12 STEM programs increased from $700 million to almost $1 billion from 2005 to 2007 alone (US DOE, Report of the Academic Competitiveness Council, 2007, p. 51). Although there is a…

Superintendents and principals can have a positive and decisive impact on student achievement and higher graduation rates. Their essential leadership can illuminate the path to excellence for faculty and students. In upgrading curriculum and instruction, school leaders need to keep abreast of practices proven effective in other districts and…

Teachers educate. Architects design. Students learn. Each serves a specific, unique purpose. But what happens when the three collaborate to achieve a greater good? In the state of Washington, a school building that is, in itself, a learning tool for students, teachers and the community happened. A school building that inspires students and…

In 2007 and 2008, three science teachers participated in research "cruises" to the Juan de Fuca Ridge off the coast of Washington. This opportunity was made possible by a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant awarded to Daniela Di Iorio, an oceanographer at the University of Georgia in Athens. The cruises helped renew their…

The word "cyberbullying" didn't even exist a decade ago, yet the problem is pervasive today. Simply put, cyberbullying is the repeated use of technology to harass, humiliate, or threaten. When people take to the keyboard or cell phone and craft messages of hate or malice about a specific person, cyberbullying is emerging. And unlike…

One of the greatest challenges that community colleges face in their efforts to increase graduation rates is improving the success of students in their developmental, or remedial, education programs--the courses that students without adequate academic preparation must take before they can enroll in courses for college credit. Emphasizing results…

The Math Wars continue to rage. And now the back-to-basics faction seems to dominate the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, whose recommendations will have as much effect on curriculum and instruction as those of the National Reading Panel. Mr. O'Brien joins those who have urged the panel to support the reform curricula developed under the…