North Carolina's education model is based on an agrarian calendar when it comes to time spent in school and on an industrial, factory model for the process of how students are educated. Educational models structured around the agrarian calendar and industrial model served the state well during a time period in the state's history, but that time…

Personalized learning models can give each student differentiated learning experiences based on their needs, interests, and strengths, including students with disabilities. Personalized learning can pinpoint specific gaps in student learning, identify where a student is on his or her learning pathway, and provide the appropriate interventions to…

A summer program in Whitesburg, Kentucky teaches local youths video and audio production, then sends them into the community to produce documentaries. The program teaches marketable skills and helps participants view their community in a positive light and become active, contributing members. The program's success has spawned an after-school…

This article examines learning opportunities for gifted and talented students. Districts and states have developed innovative programs that include mentorships, Saturday programs, after-school enrichment activities and summer internships. However, recent experiences suggest strongly that this attention has decreased in the years following the…

As the issue of older youth and out-of-school time is gaining new attention across the country in the context of the after-school movement, it is important to remember that there are many programs for teens that operate in the out-of-school hours. This issue of Forum Focus documents a range of promising developments for capitalizing on the…

During the 1986-1987 school year, 80 educationally and economically disadvantaged students from three counties in Virginia were recruited into a program that was designed to support their education and encourage them to stay in school. Students participated in after-school workshops to improve their decision-making and interpersonal skills, and…