In an education environment focused on high-stakes testing in reading and math, service learning may seem like an unnecessary frill. But well-planned service learning projects can enhance student engagement in school and give students opportunities to use academic skills and knowledge to make a difference in their communities. This article gives…

Presents a four-step process for staff members interested in designing their own mastery learning program. (Author/JM)

Faculty members of a St. Louis, Missouri, pre-K-6 school studied Harold Gardner's theories on multiple intelligences in "Frames of Mind" (1983) and developed a program based on 7 learning modalities. Although implementation varies by classroom, teachers are using all seven intelligences in designing instruction, and a faculty subgroup is…

Describes a research project in a third-grade classroom that explored a spontaneous, bottom-up approach to developing and testing performance measures. After establishing project goals for reading and math instruction, the 14 participating teachers worked with University of Colorado researchers to develop summarizing activities, open-ended math…

Describes a program of educational improvement wherein the community and teacher interacted to save precious time in the classroom and enhanced the relationship of parents and educators. (RK)