Florida's Broward County Public Schools and the University of Chicago engaged in a Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) to scale teacher practices that support students' critical thinking. As part of the RPP, Jeanne Century's research team conducted research to determine what barriers might limit the spread of these practices. The findings show…

Everyone wants to use programs that have been proven effective. But when programs are used by large numbers of schools, the effects are often inconsistent. A three-year study by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education at the University of Pennsylvania examined how programs are adapted by schools. The researchers found that the…

Purpose-centered education model identifies broad purpose at each learning stage enabling students to apply their academic learning to meet external challenges. The purpose should involve a socially useful outcome and focus on a substantive knowledge area that is developmentally enriching. Teaching should involve five dimensions of knowledge and…

Comparing teaching to medicine, this article argues that thoughtful practitioners intelligently evaluate educational research, reconcile that research with practical knowledge, and use artistry in considering the context. Researchers must, in turn, communicate to teachers their respect for the wisdom needed in their practice. (MLH)

Challenges abstract mathematics requirements in U.S. high schools. Refutes various philosophical and psychological assumptions underlying math instruction, particularly the correlation between simple numbers and the physical world, the math/logical thinking connection, and frequency of use arguments. Suggests that high schools require only one…

If caring is to inform policy and practice, educators and researchers must examine unresolved questions concerning the nature of caring, the connection between youngsters' caring competence and empathic concern for others, the effects of being cared for on becoming a caring adult and parlaying risk-prone influences, and ways to demonstrate…

Little empirical evidence suggests a causal link between standards and enhanced student learning. This article defines types of standards, presents five theories of action, discusses reforms in Maine and Philadelphia, and summarizes two small case studies suggesting how standards can affect everyday student learning. (Contains 25 references.) (MLH)

A conservative view of education and character formation holds that there are no "value-free" schools, but there are "good" and "bad" values intrinsically embedded in our institutions. Good character education is comprised of three elements: example, study, and practice. Schools serving a heterogeneous population are…

According to a recent survey, many veteran education faculty are unhappy about their work in its institutional context. Teacher educators possess low status within a reward system increasingly centered on research and publication. The challenge is to develop good teacher preparation programs while ignoring the glories of the research institution.…

High quality teaching is hard to obtain without giving teachers greater independence. Meaningful school reform will be stalled until teachers emerge from their marginal positions in the research community and become full partners in the conception and conduct of educational inquiry. Includes 12 references. (MLH)

Carrying out a useful research agenda requires faculty's willingness to relinquish class time for collecting data, to convene student teachers, to audiotape supervisory conferences, to require student teachers to videotape and evaluate their teaching, and to recruit experienced teachers for experiments. Unfortunately many faculty disdain…

Criticizes Marie Carbo's article, "Debunking the Great Phonics Myth" (in Kappan's November 1988 issue), for waging a relentless debate against phonics and falsely attributing low U.S. reading achievement scores to a phonics emphasis. Clears up confusions and inaccuracies in Carbo's article concerning first and second editions of the…

Teachers are largely responsible for bringing the substance and spirit of science to each new generation. When appropriately linked with and supported by university and industrial scientists, teachers will better represent the culture of science and technology and respond to society's ever-changing needs. Includes five references. (MLH)

Highlighting Success for All, this article argues that federal funds are being used to support the promulgation and biased evaluation of failed programs. Educators need to beware of conflicts of interest and developers' misleading claims about publicly and privately developed programs. Independent evaluators are needed. (MLH)

Constructivism assumes that people create knowledge from the interaction of their existing knowledge or beliefs and the new ideas or situations they encounter. While constructivism is emancipating and empowering, classroom application is neither widespread nor systematic. Teachers should construct feasible, well-conceived implementation plans and…