Noting that the first decade of the new millennium is sure to see continuing efforts to reform curriculum and classroom practices by implementing the middle school concept, this booklet answers middle school teachers' most pressing questions about the cornerstone of the middle school concept, integrated curriculum. The 20 questions addressed…

This ConnectEd Guide for Developing a System of Linked Learning Pathways will introduce school district leaders and their community partners to Linked Learning and a system of quality pathways that can transform high schools, instructional practice, and the student experience. Not intended to be prescriptive, this document can and should be…

This Framework is built upon the foundation of the 2003 and 1997 "Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks." Based in research on effective practice, it represents the contributions of members of the History and Social Science Curriculum Framework Review Panel, scholars who served as Content Advisors, and the more…

This guide provides an overview of a more robust online guide and toolkit available through ConnectEd Studios. It supplies a glimpse of the sequence of steps involved in creating a new Linked Learning pathway. This publication can help coaches, district leadership, and pathway teams gain an understanding of the overall process of designing and…

"More High School Graduates" is a comprehensive guide for school leaders and government policymakers committed to boosting high school graduation rates. Drawing from his knowledge as an education official and professor, author Ben Levin presents a system to turn around secondary schools that is adaptable for local-, district-, and state-level…

Project WILD's new high school curriculum, "Science and Civics: Sustaining Wildlife", is designed to serve as a guide for involving students in environmental action projects aimed at benefitting the local wildlife found in a community. It involves young people in decisions affecting people, wildlife, and their shared habitat in the community. The…

This snapshot is a guide to the School District of Philadelphia's (the District's) 13 accelerated high schools in the 2010-11 school year. The accelerated high schools were the result of a partnership between the District and Project U-Turn, a city-wide coalition dedicated to reducing student drop-out and increasing graduation rates and readiness…

Preparing today's students for success and leadership in the global marketplace is the most important responsibility in education today. Providing them with guidance and opportunity at the most critical junctures along their educational journey can have a profound impact. Entrepreneurship Education is an important tool to achieving these…

High school improvement initiatives often focus on specific intervention strategies, programs, or priority topics (e.g., dropout intervention). However, research shows that systemic and sustainable improvement can only be achieved when initiatives are implemented with consideration for the broader education contexts in which they operate. The…

The Standards of Learning in this publication represent a major development in public education in Virginia. Adopted in February 2007 by the Virginia Board of Education, these standards emphasize the importance of foreign language instruction in the Commonwealth and, therefore, are an important part of Virginia's efforts to provide challenging…

Access to higher education remains a challenge for many students who face academic and informational barriers to college entry. This guide targets high schools and school districts, and focuses on effective practices that prepare students academically for college, assist them in completing the steps to college entry, and improve their likelihood…

To overcome the fragmentation of secondary school curricula, the authors argue for a core curriculum of cluster courses, allowing students to acquire required skills and pattern their options. They suggest clusters in languages, business, histroy, art, home economics, and industrial education, alternating through four years of the curriculum. (JW)

Noting that parents are vital partners in the educational system, this handbook provides parents with information about the senior high school (grades 10-12) curriculum in Alberta, Canada. Based on the Alberta Learning "Programs of Study: Senior High School," the handbook describes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes students in Alberta…

This publication sets forth quality criteria that describe a high-quality school in the following areas: (1) English/language arts; (2) mathematics; (3) science; (4) history-social science; (5) foreign language; (6) visual and performing arts; (7) vocational-technical education; (8) students' paths through high school; (9) integrated skills; (10)…

This document is a short summary of teenage suicide issues intended for use by teachers. Possible causes for teenage suicide are discussed, including: (1) chemical abuse; (2) unrealistic view of death; (3) the nuclear threat; (4) societal changes; (5) family changes; (6) lifestyle decisions; (7) academic pressures; and (8) the success code.…