The controversial approach to online education is gaining traction at some colleges. Supporters see the self-paced model as a means to serve more students, since no one is turned away because of a full section, missed deadline, or canceled class. Others criticize go-it-alone learning as a second-rate system that leaves students in greater danger…

It's not news to most parents of adolescents that teenagers' sleep cycles operate in an alternate universe. A growing body of research shows that American teenagers are so at odds with conventional work and school schedules that they suffer from sleep deficits serious enough to affect their moods, health, and academic performance. Yet the vast…

The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identify 34% of American adults as obese and another 33% as overweight. Since children tend to mimic adult behavior, adults not only hurt themselves when they practice poor eating and exercise habits, they also hurt their children. With only one-third of adults modeling…

Proposals for school reform often focus on large and sometimes controversial systemic changes, such as charter schools, accountability standards, and changes to the way teachers are hired, fired, and compensated. Although these reforms may offer great opportunity to improve student outcomes, they may also be costly, face substantial implementation…

This spring, officials in Fairfax County, Virginia, like those in localities across the country during these economic hard times, were in a fiscal bind and looking for any way to close a projected $650 million budget shortfall. School officials began looking seriously at slashing one line item: the nearly $3 million the county spends to fund a…

In 2003, Dr. Freddie Thomas Middle School in Rochester, New York, was in serious trouble. In 2000, it had been labeled a "school under registration review" by the state's education department and was under a directive to make significant progress or face serious consequences. Three years later, only 3% of 8th-grade students met state standards in…

Summer usually has been the time for kids to get nearly three months off for the purpose of enjoying family vacation, attending camp, and just being lazy. However, the 75 or so lazy days of summer have now reached the point where they have dwindled down to about 50, as more and more schools have been finding themselves in the process of adopting…

Switching from multiple lunch periods to one lunch period for the nearly 2,000 students at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, has contributed more to a positive school climate than any other single factor in the eight years since the school opened. This article presents how Blake has come up with the single 50-minute lunch…

Throughout the United States, initiatives are being launched to extend the school day, increase homework, integrate technology, and require more high-stakes testing. The underlying assumption is that more time in school, more homework, more technology, and more high stakes testing will produce smarter, better-prepared students. Instead of…

Discusses the advantages of changing the length of the school year to meet the needs of the present. (GB)

In this article, the author discusses the controversial decision of the school board from the Broward County, Florida to start the school year on August 9. School boards across the country that are grappling with the idea of starting school earlier in the year are increasingly running up against strong opposition from parents. In many districts,…

Description of an island elementary school with one pupil. (SP)

Pressures to improve test scores and avoid lawsuits are causing many schools to cut back play time. According to the American Association for the Child's Right to play, nearly 40% of the nation's 16,000 school districts have either modified, deleted, or are considering deleting recess. Moreover, where playtime does still exist, it has become…

List of reports and surveys. (SP)

In this article, the author discusses how important kindergarten is and how important it is for the parents to choose a kindergarten program that will be appropriate for their child. Most parents understand the importance of education and its relationship to their child's success in later years. However, today is a confusing time to be raising a…