Drawing on ethnographic data collected in Azerbaijan, this article examines the civics education program that existed in Azerbaijan in the 1990s and the early 2000s, prior to its incorporation into a newly created "life skills" ("h[schwa]yat bilgisi" in Azerbaijani) course. It is argued that a disconnect between curriculum…

The major challenge with time is finding it. Current school-day schedules and school-year calendars are leaner than ever because of budget reductions. States and districts have implemented furlough days to balance lean-and-mean budgets that show no sign of improving. Few are willing to take the leap toward reducing instructional time to improve…

Is there a better education model for English learners (ELs) in the United States? The Internationals Network for Public Schools (the Network) now supports 21 schools and six academies in seven states as well as Washington, D.C. They are open only to immigrants who have been living in the United States for less than four years and who score in the…

Wiggins (2010) writes: "We tend to define teaching by measuring all the things a teacher is supposed to 'do' rather than all the things a teacher is supposed to 'accomplish'." When teachers think about what they need to do, they need to think about the expected results and how they can best support students in achieving those goals. As…

Describes how a college developmental reading program was changed from three to five semester hours of credit. Addresses changes in staffing, number of course offerings, scheduling, support services, curriculum, teaching methods, and motivational needs.(MG)

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

This review surveys recent documents previously announced in RIE that are concerned with flexible-modular scheduling. Benefits derived from innovative scheduling techniques range across the entire spectrum of the educational experience, frequently providing for substantial change in the roles of students, teachers, and administrators. Under such a…

Education Resource Strategies (ERS) works with school and district leaders to help them more strategically use resources--people, time, and money--to improve student performance. They have found that many school districts begin creating small high schools without a clear sense of how much they will spend or how to ensure that small schools…

A description is given of how the principal of a middle school introduced innovations in teachings methods and class scheduling to improve students' behavior and academic achievement. (JD)

This paper discusses the challenges and difficulties of adopting new "authentic" methods of instruction that help students not only learn but also develop habits that enable them to use their knowledge more effectively. "Authentic" methods of instruction are defined as those that require students to produce (not just reproduce) knowledge relevant…

Focusing on the argument that early childhood education plays a crucial role in children's future success, this guide provides information to educators about development-based education that leads to active and productive learning for children ages 4 through 6. The guide provides examples for planning and organizing classroom environments,…

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

This paper emphasizes that one of the main concerns in year-round education is the effect upon the social, emotional, physical, and psychological development of children. Alteration of the school calendar, and the curricular innovations that tend to piggy-back year-round programs, may well provide the impetus for individualizing and humanizing…

A recent California task force report on middle grade education, "Caught in the Middle," recommends that the master schedule provide for extended time blocks for core curriculum courses. Several goals of middle school education will be fulfilled by the program which is often called "core block" or "block time." The…

An examination of classroom behavior, teaching methods, materials, equipment, and administrative practices in a junior high school reading and speech improvement class, in a senior high school communication skills course for low achievers, and in an English class for high achievers revealed that (1) shifting populations result in transiency,…