Examines factors that contribute to changes in teachers over time and the meanings that teachers attach to such factors. Indicates, among other things, that students have a humanizing effect on teachers. Qualitative data are discussed in terms of Turner's theoretical discussion of self and symbolic interaction theory. (TRS)

Uses complaints leveled against English teachers in l912 to support three points about the crisis in literacy: (1) the "writing crisis" is not new, (2) teaching basics will not solve crisis, and (3) solution to problem should be based on what is known about history and theory of composition instruction and about successful and unsuccessful methods…

This study examined how the promotion of choice in three schools affected the structure of early adolescent peer culture. The very structure of the roles and incentive systems in the schools, by failing to address the social context of individualism, fostered an ethos of possessive individualism. (RM)

The rise of computer-assisted learning demands that schools reassess their reasons for being and emphasize the nurturing of children's feelings, the promotion of interpersonal skills and higher-level cognitive skills, and the development of creativity, imagination, and moral integrity. Teachers should serve as diagnosticians, curriculum makers,…

A restructuring of federal, state, and local relations is ceding considerably more control of education to the states. State mandates are now far more common than technical assistance and focus increasingly on the core of instructional policy, leading to a standardizing effect as local discretion declines. (DCS)

The first of two articles describes the efforts of retired University of Toronto alumni to provide volunteer assistance to their alma mater. The second article discusses a Social Studies Human Services Program that has led to improved school-community relations in Bangor, Michigan. (JBM)

This tool kit is designed for schools that want to help students recover from traumatic experiences such as natural disasters, exposure to violence, abuse or assault, terrorist incidents, and war and refugee experiences. It focuses on long-term recovery, as opposed to immediate disaster response. To help schools choose an approach that suits their…

Student mobility (students moving from one school to another for reasons other than being promoted to the next school level) is widespread in the United States. This Spanish-language Digest examines the research on the academic consequences of mobility for elementary school students and discusses what schools and parents can do to mitigate the…

One suggestion for educational improvement is the implementation of specialized schools that offer specific training with a focus. New York and a number of other cities have turned to this choice to offer specialized schools of mathematics and technology. The movement is coordinated on a national level by the National Consortium of Specialized…

Described are ways in which schools are including spaces for technologically advanced media centers, auditoriums that can accommodate professional performances, expansive recreation centers, and elaborate and functional common areas and multipurpose rooms. The text opens with a discussion of some of the challenges and opportunities inherent in the…

This book tells the story of the lives of 34 children who attend an urban elementary school, Lafayette Elementary School, highlighting how they do the best they can under trying life circumstances. The intention is to get underneath the stereotypes of at-risk children and adults in their lives by describing the variety and complexity of their…

This study investigated who preservice teachers considered responsible for the moral development of their students. The study involved a qualitative examination of the journal responses of 30 preservice teachers to two questions: the extent to which schools are moral environments and the extent to which it is the teacher's responsibility to foster…

This study investigated the effects of schools' academic and disciplinary climates on student disengagement and dropping out, noting whether these effects varied by race/ethnic group. Data came from the High School Effectiveness Study (HSES), which allows contextual analysis of urban youth in their high schools, and the Common Core of Data, from…

The longitudinal New Zealand project "Competent Children" has two objectives: to describe and analyze variations and changes in children's cognitive, social, communicative and problem-solving competencies from the time they begin school at the age of five; and to determine what impact children's early childhood education experiences,…

Current educational reforms can be described as top-down, heavy-handed, and test driven. But they are not based on research about how children learn best or how they become enthusiastic, competent, and independent thinkers for life. Such accepted practices as grading, grouping by age, and teaching to pass standardized tests are completely at odds…