The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation of 2001 has brought great public and professional pressure upon U.S. public schools. Perhaps trying to explain its requirements and possible consequences is the most daunting task for school leaders. This article provides an overview of its legal context followed by thoughts about effective public…

The current wave of educational reform includes an emphasis on family and community involvement as a strategy for school improvement. Yet, to effectively engage families and communities in the educational process, educators need assistance and support. In 1996, the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) was established to build the…

We analyze a two-year Faculty Fellows Program designed to enhance the service-learning pedagogy and scholarship at a regional comprehensive university. The impact of the program was analyzed using initial questionnaires, meeting notes, final reports, and faculty reflective essays. Participation in a faculty fellows cohort program provided a sense…

For decades, the instructional field trip has been viewed as a strategy to enhance students' learning experiences. Yet what happens when an award-winning teacher is accused of choking a student while on a field trip? Tempers flare among community members, parents contact the police, and the principal is assigned the daunting task of investigating…

For several years, the author has been working with colleagues in the Northern California Writing Centers Association (NCWCA) and the Stanford Writing Center to build bridges between college and high school writing centers. The writing center at Stanford defines one of its central goals as "celebrating a culture of writing" for all…

Widely viewed today by many taxpayers, business leaders, and elected officials as inefficient, ineffective, bureaucratic, public education is losing its once-noble brand position as the cornerstone of American democracy. According to Laura Ries, a marketing guru, the first problem is the name, it is called public education. It is because the…

As teachers, they strive to implement imaginative, creative lessons to connect their students with the dynamic mystery of science. To help infuse curricular programs with the philosophy of learning by doing, the staff of Emerson Junior-Senior High School designed and implemented an authentic interdisciplinary project called…

Involving families in their children's education is not only a legal requirement in special education, it also predicts academic achievement, social and emotional development, and a variety of other positive school outcomes for all children. Unfortunately, school-home relationships often have been ignored or underdeveloped. Disconnections between…

This article describes a project involving teachers, parents, and university researchers in collaborations to support multilingual children's development and use of language. Strategies for fostering an inclusive climate included building on the interests and resources of the local community, involving community members in curriculum development,…

In 2004 the Missouri Professors of Educational Administration (NPEA) identified principals who had guided their schools to improved student achievement and/or maintained high levels of achievement.

Designed for district- and school-level character education committees, "Character Education by Design: A Blueprint for Successful District and School Initiatives" is a how-to guide for developing an effective character education initiative, one that will not only enhance the climate of the school and social behavior of the students, but…

School counselors can play a powerful role in closing the achievement gap when they incorporate the principles of social justice into their practice. In this much-needed resource for preservice and inservice counselors, the author addresses factors (such as racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism) that can contribute to academic failure, and…

This essay addresses how to cope with several potential barriers to implementing effective service-learning projects. The discussion builds on experiences of developing and refining service-learning in upper-division communication courses. Difficulties arise in three areas: the institutional and physical setting, student attitudes, and community…

Accountability for student learning is the key focus of New Mexico's system of school improvement. The Public Education Department's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in the steps taken to refine the 2007-2008 School Improvement Framework to reflect No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. The School Improvement Framework was…

Distance education is rapidly becoming the global trend for lifelong learning. This book emphasizes the importance of conceptual understanding of online distance learning and focuses on theoretical and practical challenges of online teaching and learning. It illustrates lifelong learning strategies and how technology can support the course…