What can educators do to help students care about their learning and become more invested in their own success? Chase Nordengren describes how a school district created a goal-setting culture in all classrooms at all grade levels. The district began with a complex, research-based, prescriptive program that teachers found did not work well with…

So what if we just turned every course in our Superintendent's Program into a form of practicum? This question was asked by two former superintendents in response to nationwide calls to reform school leadership training and who found themselves leading a university executive leadership program. It triggered a comprehensive redesign of their…

In 2008, the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation began the social studies textbook adoption process. Concurrently, the Indiana State Board of Education wrote a memo encouraging schools to look at digital resources; BCSC did not hesitate. This article describes why BCSC chose to move to a digital format at the secondary level, the process…

Describes the development and implementation of Pasadena's minimum essentials program in English. (IRT)

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, influential in middle-grades policy, advocates a three tiered approach envisioning high-performing schools as academically rigorous, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable. This report discusses pioneering programs, critics' concerns, exemplary Michigan programs, and urban schools'…

Because today's families tend to be scattered geographically, children are less likely to interact with grandparents and other older adults. A volunteer coordinator describes the enriching experiences stimulated by a senior pen- pal program in Staten Island (New York) schools involving third graders and senior citizens. (MLH)

Describes the evolution of the University of Illinois' collaborative Project on High Performance Learning Communities, established in 1989 in response to policymakers' and practitioners' need for a more fully developed, practical knowledge base on educational reform. The university/research partners' role is to synthesize the most current,…

The Essential Learning Skills Television Project is developing 60 15-minute programs and related print materials designed to blend and review math and language skills while focusing on the reasoning process. (Author/IRT)

Since 1988, the Jose Valdes Summer Math Institutes have helped some 4,800 (mostly minority) students get a running start on their high school careers. The program consists of four main elements: intensive math instruction for students, training for teachers, parent education, and a student support program. (MLH)

Discusses Jesse Jackson and his program to inspire self-help in urban education. (IRT)