The American system of schooling has been remarkably resistant to change, with most changes coming in the form of tinkering around the edges. Large-scale reform that alters what David Tyack and Larry Cuban (1995) referred to as the "grammar of schooling" has tended to fizzle out. David Labaree suggests that the practices that are most…

The move toward assessments that measure student growth, rather than just proficiency, has been perceived as an improvement in state accountability systems. However, Michael Watson explains that, for many students, these measures present an incomplete picture. Because they are based on grade-level assessments, any growth achieved by students who…

In this article, the author makes a distinction between two kinds of change: tinkering change and systemic change. Tinkering change includes reforms intended to address a specific deficiency or practice. Such tinkering change can be contrasted to what Shakespeare termed "sea change" in "The Tempest" ("a sea change into something rich and strange")…

Since 2002, 38 states have developed or revised their mathematics curriculum standards, some of which are intended to serve as "models" for local districts, while others are mandatory and specify the mathematics all students in the state are expected to learn at particular grades. The state curriculum standards serve as guidelines for shaping each…

An English elementary-level administrator discusses what his county system does in the way of teaching basic skills, implementing accountability, teaching the gifted, organizing grades, and providing for staff development in in-service programs for teachers. (IRT)

Argues that no solid basis exists in the research literature for developing, placing, and aligning educational standards in school curricula or for placing subject-matter content at specific grade levels (scope and sequence). Welcomes input from readers who have information regarding educational standards and their development, placement, and…

A 1988 Johns Hopkins University survey of 1,753 principals from public schools serving seventh graders describes middle grade education in the United States. The 5 articles in this special section are intended to encourage discussion about ways to improve middle level educational practices and disclose new research directions. (MLH)

To shed light on appropriate grouping practices for early adolescents, this article presents current data on using between-class grouping and regrouping in American schools serving this population, based on the 1988 Johns Hopkins University middle school survey. Findings show that learning opportunities in the middle grades remain highly…

A 1988 Johns Hopkins University survey gathered data on organizational variations among schools containing grade seven to study how grade span affects school programs, teaching practices, and student progress. This article reports selected results on the relation of grade span to school size, grade level enrollment, school goals, report card…

Describes size, contents, organization, and social psychological function of teachers' rooms in Japanese junior high schools, which serve as centers of daily educational activities and interactions among teachers, between teachers and students, and among students themselves. (PKP)