Precious moments in life for an educator are taking time to reflect upon his or her teaching practices to evaluate effectiveness and overall impact. Often this reflection is a weekly if not a daily process for educators using a reflective practitioner model (SchÖn, 1983). For professors, many universities have opportunities for tenured faculty to…

Higher education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) faces a number of challenges. There are many calls for STEM education to make significant changes moving forward, including calls for competency-based learning and greater integration of the humanities. These efforts require systemic change. Systemic change has significant…

Higher education is ripe for innovation. While emerging technological developments such as digital courseware and mobiles apps have made it easier than ever for people to engage with learning resources, significant issues of access and equity persist among students from low-income, minority, single-parent families, and other disadvantaged groups.…

This article is the third of three case studies of successful implementation of experiential education at very different types of institutions. This case study discusses the use of David A. Kolb's Experiential Learning Model in the implementation of innovative graduation requirements in experiential education that began in 2008. Purdue University…

Superintendents and principals can have a positive and decisive impact on student achievement and higher graduation rates. Their essential leadership can illuminate the path to excellence for faculty and students. In upgrading curriculum and instruction, school leaders need to keep abreast of practices proven effective in other districts and…

Indiana's declining SAT scores prompted the publisher of a statewide magazine covering the literary, performing, and visual arts to take action and create a program to use the magazine as a supplemental resource for students. It was believed that such a supplemental resource could enhance critical thinking and writing skills and help raise SAT…

This publication describes efforts taken in Indiana to improve middle-grade education. The restructuring of the state's urban middle grades has been supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., which founded the Middle Grades Improvement Program (MGIP), 6 years ago. Despite the lack of an overall middle-grade theme in the state Department of Education and…

In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…

Describes a Michigan City, Indiana initiative called "Kaleidoscope," a multilayered school improvement plan encompassing four goals: (1) to infuse arts into language arts and math curricula; (2) to foster collaborations between classroom teachers, arts specialists, and the community; (3) to build greater multicultural connections and…

This manual is designed as a training tool for individuals who are implementing tech prep in Indiana. It is divided into three major divisions. Division I contains general information about tech prep and issues related to its implementation. Its nine chapters summarize relevant legislation, address leadership concerns, explain curriculum…