This paper shows that policymakers and researchers have changed their views about school improvement and the role of teachers in the process, suggesting that educational reform initiatives challenge classroom teachers to make sense of new policies, ideas, programs, and their own work. It examines calls for reform, highlighting: the 1957 launch of…

Using the photographic concept of zoom as a metaphor for the goals of leadership training as well as the personal transformation that occurs within individuals who engage in professional development to enhance their leadership capacity, this study took a focused look at 182 individuals participating in two models of early childhood leadership…

In some classrooms, student voices are barely heard while teachers monopolize classroom talk, and knowledge is treated as residing entirely with the teacher. This Digest explores different ways in which student voices can be heard in the classroom. Negotiating a curriculum is one means through which students share authority in the classroom.…

This paper discusses the struggle of African Americans for more educational options (a battle also faced by other racial and ethnic groups). The debate is about who should have the primary power to determine where low-income, mostly African American students should attend school. The fundamental problem is that parents without the power to make…

High quality education for all students is promoted nationwide. University teacher educators must deal with reality as they provide instruction for prospective teachers. If schools and teachers are to improve, then college faculty must also improve. This must be a unified effort in which higher education institutions work with existing and new…

This report presents a proposal to expand parental choice in Michigan education by amending the Michigan Constitution and establishing a Universal Tuition Tax Credit (UTTC). Section 1 reviews why parental choice is the most important systemic education reform and evaluates various ways to expand it. Section 2 examines Michigan's constitutional…

This study examined teachers' attraction to school council service and factors that impacted that attraction. Participants were randomly selected public school teachers enrolled in graduate education courses at three Kentucky state universities. They performed three tasks. First, they completed a biographical form that yielded descriptive…

Data from the Latino National Political Survey indicate that naturalized Latinos were less likely than native-born Latinos to participate in politics; the negative influence of naturalization was less than the positive influence on participation of increasing levels of education and age. Participation in schools was higher among Mexican American…

Discussion of the need for educational reform in elementary and secondary public schools focuses on a new masters degree program in Educational Change and Technology Innovation developed at Walden University (Minnesota) to help empower educators through distance education courses. Curriculum, courses, and admissions criteria are appended. (LRW)

Identifies specific needs of girls in the justice system. Through understanding the characteristics of young female offenders, it is possible to tailor programming to meet the needs of this at-risk population. The role of relationships and mentoring of young girls is emphasized. Identifies national model programs. (LSR)

Presents a model of four levels of experience in training adventure education leaders: direct instruction, student interaction in class, technical skill development, and internships. Internships allow students to think for themselves and solve real-world problems while experiencing teaching on their own. Utilizing all levels increases student…

The Purga Elders Centre in Queensland (Australia) is an Aboriginal-owned meeting place where Aboriginal culture and history are lived and passed on. Research conducted there is based on Indigenous Knowledge Research (IKR), which is grounded in Indigenous realities and approaches knowledge only through respect for Indigenous epistemologies. Twenty…

Assessed whether integrating classroom management and a Wednesday field experience would increase preservice teachers' knowledge and ability to connect theory with practice. Preservice elementary teachers wrote weekly reflections on topics they observed while in their assigned classrooms. The experience empowered most of them by helping them…

O'Farrell Community School, in San Diego, California, was built on the principles of restructuring, teacher and community empowerment, interagency collaboration, and interdisciplinary teaching. Supported by the Panasonic and Stuart Foundations, the school offers an enriched, untracked three-year academic program for grades six through eight. All…

From a constructivist perspective, the World Wide Web offers students an opportunity to be engaged in sense making, problem solving, and open investigation of the learning process. Students have access to a wide range of information, can develop in socially relevant ways, and are empowered. Selected Web sites (i.e. the White House home page) are…