Teacher-led inquiry cycles--in which small groups of teachers study and address a promise--hold promise as a method of professional development, but only if they receive enough support. In particular, they need access to outside expertise that can help them meaningfully change instructional practices--often a difficult step for teachers working on…

As the mother of two sons who went through adolescence and a practicing neurologist, Frances E. Jensen offers a valuable perspective on teenage behavior. Dr. Jensen explored the neurological research--including insights gained from recent advances in functional magnetic resonance imaging--and found that the adolescent brain is both more powerful…

"It's always been a promising time for teacher leadership. It's just never been a successful time," writes noted educator Roland Barth. Why? Barth points to five obstacles: administrator resistance, the taboo in teaching against elevating oneself higher than one's peers, the fact that teachers' plates are full, the…

Six high-performing/high-poverty schools provide insights into what it takes to make a dramatic turnaround. School leaders had to make tough calls--and many of those decisions were about how to use resources. The budget in a high-performing, high-poverty school is a moral document, reflective of the school's beliefs about the conditions necessary…

Discusses the need to include teachers in the development of educational reform. (MD)

People need to learn what choosing and acting morally involves and how to do it. Educational programs, well conceived, pedagogically sound, and morally carried on, are basic to attaining personal and social well-being. (Author)

Beland maintains that high school students will need a high level of skill in the social and emotional arena to be ready for competitive employment in the 21st century. In a 2006 survey, human resource professionals said five skills were most crucial to high school graduates' success: professionalism/work ethic; teamwork; oral communications;…

Teachers will be more willing to accept responsibility for results if they have a part in determining the environment in which they practice. (Author)

Article stresses the need for a new look at curriculum negotiation, and for more thought to be given to young people when professionals are dealing with curriculum efforts. (ML)

The ability to be unique in decision- or judgment-making depends on both developmental factors and the social environment. Education of judgment for decision-making may involve clarification of individual values and facilitation of personal development, but it must also distinguish and utilize the positive basic social values that now exist.…

Feasible uses of the computer in curriculum management are in the areas of curriculum planning, curriculum implementation, and curriculum evaluation. (Author/CB)

Outlines the two opposing views of PPBS. (MB)

The curriculum council provides a vehicle for wide constituent participation which taps all available resources. (Author/MB)