Small, rural school districts face a special challenge when implementing the next generation of academic standards known as the Common Core State Standards. This is the task facing the instructional consultants with the Tulare County Office of Education. The county, located in central California with its dominant agricultural economy, has 45…

International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are turning up in a diverse mix of school districts, an attempt to add rigor and depth. For rich and for poor, for big schools and small ones, IB has become a way to add rigor and depth to public school curricula. But each school district has adapted IB for its own needs. Some use it in all schools for all…

A recent Google search for information regarding performance pay in education produced 6.1 million results. This number should come as no surprise given the current level of interest in incentives as a popular reform option in public education. Supporters believe pay-for-performance programs encourage less effective teachers to improve and will…

Walking today through Somerville, Massachusetts's Winter Hill Community School during school hours differs markedly compared to just a few years ago. Gone are the greasy potato chips and chocolate-chip cookies from the a la carte offerings in the cafeteria. Missing are the late morning fundraisers when children would fill up on cupcakes and other…

Researchers and practitioners agree that learning styles stem from a nature/nurture combination; students of all styles can be successful learners; students are more successful when using their style strengths; and diverse teaching styles are essential. This article discusses implementation issues, cultural factors, alternative teaching styles,…

Describes how 16 superintendents spurred district reform efforts by creating a positive environment through a four-step process: establishing trust, planning the district's future, communicating their vision effectively, and following through. An inset provides advice to other change-oriented superintendents. (MLH)

The Improving America's Schools Act (the new Title I) is changing the way public school performance is evaluated. The IASA clearly places responsibility for standards and assessments with states. Standards-based assessment assesses students against high, specific standards, determines adequate yearly progress, and demands an accurate…

A decentralized teacher-coaching model has been adopted by several Los Angeles-area school districts through an initiative called Design for Excellence Linking Teaching and Achievement (DELTA). DELTA encourages coaches and beginning teachers to develop a personalized support plan, and stresses one-on-one relationships and support, not evaluation.…

Discouraged by their existing administrator evaluation system, a task force of principals reviewed the literature and crafted a more effective process geared to developing leadership capacity that accepts full responsibility for student growth. The process increased interactions with colleagues, gave participants support and assistance in tackling…

Based on his experience with the Copernican block scheduling plan used in British Columbia secondary schools, a principal identifies administrative challenges (abuse of tutorial time, uneven distribution of teacher-preparation time, teacher fatigue, pedagogical changes, and unrealistic expectations) and suggests ways to address them. Involving…

Concerned about low reading achievement scores, the superintendent of an impoverished, rural Tennessee school district adopted Marie Carbo's reading styles program as a vehicle for a five-year learning improvement plan. The district aimed to improve classroom instruction through long-term staff development that inspired teachers to abandon…

Murfreesboro (Tennessee) City Schools extended the school day and year with no additional cost to taxpayers. Implementation was arduous and faced great resistance. Eventual solution made better use of the school system's capital assets and human resources, rearranged Chapter 1 money, required additional business support and parents' willingness to…

A Yuma (Arizona) elementary school district discovered that year-round schooling is doable, if the community is ready. Before proceeding, superintendents should do their homework, involve the community, form a support group to solidify acceptance, rally colleagues, develop a multiyear implementation plan, collect data on issues raised in the…

Despite serving growing numbers of at-risk students, Pasco (Washington) School District has been transformed through outcome-based education into a district widely recognized for quality. Pascoe's OBE process demanded a school vision and mission statement; intensive teacher retraining; implementation of mastery learning, reality therapy, and…

Shortly after implementing a mandatory school uniform policy, the Long Beach (California) Public Schools can boast 99% compliance and a substantial reduction in school crime. The uniforms can't be confused with gang colors, save parents money, and help identify outsiders. A sidebar lists ingredients for a mandatory uniform policy. (MLH)