Learning happens through participation in formal community events and informal community activities. However, learning activities that take place in and out of school are often not mutually recognised. "Funds of knowledge" projects foster new ways of exchanging learning experiences in and out of school. "Funds of identity" can…

While feedback is a key factor for improving student learning, little is known about how students understand and experience feedback within the classroom. This study analysed 193 New Zealand primary and secondary students' survey responses alongside drawings of their understandings and experiences of feedback to examine how they experience,…

The Bloomington Project School (BPS) is a charter school that has successfully adopted and implemented several learner-centered educational strategies. This case study offers a glimpse into its student-centered, collaborative, and interdisciplinary learning and teaching processes; its mastery-based assessment process; and its successful technology…

California has embarked on a major new wave of curriculum reform with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the new English Language Development (ELD) standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The adoption of the CCSS builds a legacy of standards-based education reform in California that began with the…

A hallmark of the US education system is the opportunity afforded to students to pursue education and career paths of their own choosing. This flexibility and autonomy, however, has drawbacks. Students must navigate a series of complex and often disconnected environments, as well as numerous decision points, before they attain a fulfilling career.…

California has embarked on a major new wave of curriculum reform with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the new English Language Development (ELD) standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The adoption of the CCSS builds a legacy of standards-based education reform in California that began with the…

The goal of this study was to examine whether the leadership style of principals affects teacher and student performance. The study includes an elementary, middle, and high school principal along with two teachers from each school who worked at schools that were in good standing from 2007-2011. Each school made adequate yearly progress (AYP) each…

A framework for a curriculum based upon the five communication skills of literacy, oracy, numeracy, graphicacy, and physiognomacy is proposed. Some consideration is given to the relationship of educational psychology and of Gardner's "multiple intelligences" to the five forms of communication. The framework is intended for use in British…

This document is a chapter in "The Principles and Practice of Educational Management," which aims to provide a systematic and analytical introduction to the study of educational management. The structure of the book reflects the main substantive areas of educational leadership and management, and most of the major themes are covered in the…

Problems such as poor test performance and low student motivation require that those in the educational system seriously consider restructuring the way they teach. For many years, content has been taught in periods of isolated time units; however, this Carnegie unit is an anachronism that needs to be eliminated. The alternative to the Carnegie…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate The Student Genome Project, an experiment in web-based genetics education. Over a two-year period, a team from New York University worked with a biology teacher and 33 high school students (N=33), and a middle school science teacher and a class of students (N=21) to develop a World Wide Web site intended…

The categories of race used by school administrators to report student racial data assume racial purity. The omission of a category for mixed racial heritage is indicative of a deeper neglect on the part of society in recognizing this segment of its people. This mindset, which ignores the existence of biracial Americans, coupled with the implicit…

This collection of articles on the learner-centered classroom offers strategies that fall into the following five educational arenas: (1) integrated curricula; (2) thoughtful instruction; (3) active learning; (4) reflective transfer; and (5) authentic assessment. Section one presents an overview of natural, holistic, integrated curricula created…

This paper explores the use of sight word lists in the instruction of students with disabilities. A survey of 25 restaurants in a Midwestern U.S. city was conducted to examine the validity and efficacy of two widely accepted public school reading word lists. It was found that neither of the word lists contained more than 46 percent of the words…

The main objective of this paper is to examine the issue of matching the school curriculum with the needs of students, without the negative effects of testing. The paper next discusses curricular incompatibilities. It is only by carefully designing, implementing, and evaluating instructional programs that the negative effects of ability grouping,…