Trauma is just a word. It doesn't have to be a life sentence, argue education experts Kristin Souers and Pete Hall. They also explain what a "culture of safety" is in schools and how educators can create one for students living with trauma.

The authors discuss what data from several years of the Quaglia School Voice Student Survey reveal about whether students feel "known," accepted, and valued in school, and whether they feel there is a caring adult at school to whom they could go for help--all aspects of students having a "voice" in school. After sharing…

The overwhelming majority of disabilities (such as anxiety, depression, autism, learning disabilities, and autoimmune disorders) are not visually apparent. Despite the known risks of isolation, little attention has been paid to how students with "invisible disabilities" develop a sense of belonging in our schools, and what actions we, as…

Noting that teens are disengaged in school and increasingly dispirited by social problems, the authors argue that these students need learning environments that foster engagement, connection, and a greater sense of purpose. They make the case for deep learning--learning that helps students "make connections to the world, to think critically,…

In the past two years, schools have faced the herculean task of attending to students' physical and mental well-being while attempting to engage them in meaningful learning. An important aspect of improving and sustaining the well-being of an entire school community is to make changes at the system level. In times of chaos and uncertainty, people…

For the past two years, the Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment and Teaching Excellence at the University of California, San Diego, has designed and run Student-Created Research projects in eight racially diverse urban and low-income San Diego high schools. Students undertake research projects intended to guide school improvement…

When teachers can accept being angry at students for violating rules, then teachers will be free to create discipline techniques designed to inspire student growth and success rather than to reassert teachers' power. (MLF)

Suggests how disruptive students can be transformed into cooperative, contributing members of the school community. (JG)

Students who believe that the teachers and other adults in their school care about them as individuals are more likely to succeed academically making a case for the concept of school connectedness. A conference convened with a view to identifying the state of research-based knowledge relating to school connectedness formulated a set of core…

Discusses the current status of Summerhill school since the death of its founder, A. S. Neill, and concludes that little has changed. (JG)

Argues that schools and teachers need to change in order to help students change. (JG)

Argues that the middle school years are the most critical period for the individual to synthesize a rational, positive, personal value system and offers psychological insights that have implications for school organization, curriculum design, and staff preparation. (Author/JG)

Argues against the value of Ralph Tyler's rationale for curriculum development and presents an alternative approach that emphasizes learner participation. (JG)

Summarizes findings of a national survey that analyzed interviews of 1,025 students from 42 schools throughout the U.S. that were identified as "schools children like." (JG)

Three short articles discuss the needs of various groups of students that tend to become disaffected with school, focusing in turn on mentally retarded students, obese students, and gifted students. (JG)