The United States identifies a far larger percentage of students for special-education services than do other developed countries, including Israel, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, Japan, and Korea. Looming behind the U.S. figures are the possibility of lawsuits, mounting paperwork, student discipline problems, lower expectations for student…

High rates of student failure must be seen as unacceptable. Instructional specialists can work with teachers who fail large numbers of students and help the teacher be more successful. (MLF)

Program for Assessment and Support is an early intervention program for at-risk children in the Aurora (Colorado) Public Schools. PAS teachers work side-by-side with regular classroom teachers, concentrating on children needing extra background and support. Key elements are high expectations for students, a developmental curriculum, cooperation…

All students, except those who are fundamentally impaired, can achieve at high levels if teachers build students' confidence through positive expectations and a program that helps them develop intellectually and progress academically step by step. Cites some districts' efforts to put this belief into practice. (MLF)

Results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) illustrate the urgency of strengthening mathematics education. School leaders can determine whether more of Title I funds should be shifted to mathematics programs. Title I can be a key resource for raising expectations for students, professional development, and the use of…

A detailed discipline plan must be developed with the consensus of the school community. To be effective, the plan should have the following characteristics: (1) be understood by everyone; (2) be consistent in imposing sanctions; (3) specify good and bad behavior; (4) include instructions for emergencies and alternatives to out-of-school…

According to William Spady's "Beyond Counterfeit Reforms," politically driven, mechanistic "reforms" box educators into smaller, limiting ways of thinking and running schools. Donald McAdams's book "Fighting to Save Our Urban Schools...and Winning!" shows the salubrious effects of high expectations and community…

Interviews with parents, students, and staff members at a school of 850 seventh and eighth graders yielded a set of 8 fairly universal guidelines for creating and maintaining a safe learning environment. The high expectations the school had for its students was one response that was unanimous. (MLF)

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) shows U.S. 4th graders scoring above the international average in both math and science, 8th graders slipping in both subjects, and 12th graders scoring at or near the bottom. Research indicates high expectations, a focused curriculum, better-prepared teachers, and balanced instruction…

Homework is a battleground for many families. Increasingly, parents are asking their school boards to reconsider the amounts of homework assigned, and administrators are questioning homework quality. A New Jersey district has imposed strict limitations, allowing students more downtime and reading/informal learning opportunities. (MLH)

In 1996, a Winston-Salem principal closed a failing alternative school and developed a new program dedicated to helping at-risk kids succeed. The result was LEAP (Learning and Acceleration Program) Academy, a school that helps academically unstable middle-school students catch up to their peers by completing two years of academic course work in…

If schools were strongholds of intellect, the most academically able would be stars. Gifted kids often have trouble with school; academically uninterested kids enjoy cult-hero status; and the humanities are undervalued. Schools' purpose has been to train future employees and consumers, not create intellectual citizens. (MLH)