Youth today in Roman Catholic schools are not experiencing the complete freedom of an identity that is unique and valued. They describe the Ontario Roman Catholic school system as if it is still an agent of colonial forces, maintaining imperial power through denominational religious elitism. Using a critical ethnographic methodology within a…

In this article I discuss the demographic shifts that have occurred in the United States, which have disrupted the traditional school environment. I contend that the changes have been so drastic that students who were once called traditional are now seldom seen in the school environment; whereas students once viewed nontraditional are becoming the…

When 16 finalists come to Washington next week to make their final pitches in the $4 billion Race to the Top competition, most can expect to go home empty-handed. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, in announcing the finalists last week, said that no more than $2 billion will be divided among "very few winners" when the awards are…

There is agreement that teaching practices should be responsive to the cultural identities of their students, but less clarity regarding both the specifics of culturally responsive pedagogies and effective strategies for implementing them in classrooms across the curriculum. A mixed-methods research approach evaluated the impact of teacher…

Instead of doing less with less during these fiscally challenging times, school districts can seize the moment to usher in school transformation that will leave the schools, families, and communities better off. They could follow the lead of districts such as Baltimore City, Syracuse, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg to think outside traditional cost…

This article underscores the need for a profound transformation in the training processes of future teachers, and thereby in teaching practices. The text first presents various grounds for this transformation, citing social, economic-political, teleological, axiological, epistemological, and psychological factors. It then focuses on teacher…

High school improvement initiatives often focus on specific intervention strategies, programs, or priority topics (e.g., dropout intervention, dual enrollment, freshman academies). However, research shows that systemic and sustainable improvement can be achieved only when initiatives are implemented with consideration for the broader education…

As required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), most school districts with low-performing schools offer public school choice and supplemental educational services. However, researchers found that, although the total number of students participating in both options has increased substantially since NCLB began, only a small proportion…

The process of allocating and reallocating resources is an ongoing one, with changes made regularly in the ways resources are deployed to meet changing demands. In many cases, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about reallocation is cutting a position or eliminating a program. However, a growing number of district and school leaders…

The Common Principles have been at the very center of the author's professional practice. When she first read Ted Sizer's writing and learned about the Coalition of Essential Schools, she felt as though he was talking directly to her. Not only did every word of the then nine Common Principles make sense, but after reading Sizer's work, her own…

Everybody seems to have a short memory, which is why people keep making mistakes. This is supposed to be why people study history. The history of the education reform movement from the 1960s through the 1990s seems to elude 21st century attempts at reform--tremendously sad, because there is so much to learn from the successes and failures of the…

The pressing need to improve achievement in American schools is widely recognized. In "Tests, Testing, and Genuine School Reform," Herbert J. Walberg draws on scientific studies of tests and their uses to inform citizens, educators, and policy makers about well-established principles of testing, current problems, and promising evidence-based…

Schools need sustainable reform to meet the challenges of rapid and constant change and higher community expectations. Sustainable school reform is best achieved when teachers and school leaders: (1) understand what is happening in the broader community and the implications this has for schools (being contextually literate); (2) run their schools…

Two persistent dilemmas haunt school reform: curriculum politics and classroom constancy. Both undermined the 1960s' new social studies, a dynamic reform movement centered on inquiry, issues, and social activism. Dramatic academic freedom controversies ended reform and led to a conservative restoration. On one side were teachers and curriculum…

School reform and leadership are important components of American's educational system. However, reform initiatives do not always coincide with National mandates for school districts. School leaders today are obligated by law to fulfill the mandates under the No Child Left Behind Act, but research indicates that the accountability system of No…