In England, the traditional 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. school day, with generous lunch, morning, and afternoon breaks, is yielding to alternative arrangements to accommodate the extra workload arising from numerous government-mandated reform initiatives. This article documents the reasons, discussions, and processes involved in one secondary school's…

The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business has endorsed new accrediting standards to be phased in over two years. Revisions combine mandatory requirements for all business schools and flexible standards based on self-defined mission, reflecting the view that quality and diversity are compatible and desirable. (MSE)

Ten years ago, founders of the Key School, in Indianapolis, Indiana, studied Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and applied it to curricula for gifted and talented students. Present school benefits wide range of students and boasts seven classroom generalists and numerous full-time specialists. The model stresses all seven…

Argues that Chicago's northwest and southwest public schools should enroll all students in a common core curriculum to reap benefits similar to those seen in Catholic schools: high standards, smaller gaps in minority achievement, and a strong sense of community. Considers that traditional academic education is appropriate for all students. (SK)

The El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence is a communitywide initiative to help teachers and principals bring students to higher standards. High-school principals can help establish K-16 standards by gathering community leaders, bridging lower and upper grades, helping teachers translate standards into practice, and aligning standards with…

Neither standards/high-stakes testing nor privatization/charter-school improvement approaches will live up to proponents' ambitious claims. Standardized tests cannot uphold new performance goals. Charter schools serve limited numbers of students, siphoning off pedagogical reform energies that would benefit kids left behind. Rigor and innovation…

Updates a survey of entrance requirements of journalism and mass communication (JMC) programs conducted in 1977. Finds that nearly the same percentage of JMC programs require a language skills exam for majors (27% in 1977, 31% in 1997) but that the use of a grade-point-average requirement grew 10-fold in popularity during the same period. (RS)

Analyzes the consent decree settling the dispute between the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Department of Justice relating to the eligibility of students with learning disabilities for participation in college freshman athletics. Potential problems in the settlement are identified, as are such issues as NCAA's denial that it is…

A discussion of costs for students attending higher education institutions in nine European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom) looks at average expenditures of American students, sources and conditions of public support for foreign students, requirements for student academic…

Standards are important within school improvement. Today's issue has moved beyond setting standards to knowing what to do with them. Measurement is the most useful part of the exercise. This paper describes standards and their measurement, explains constructive comparisons, presents an imperative for U.S. schools, and notes the importance of…

Discusses ways in which college instructors can incorporate both SCANS (Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) competencies and academic content in classroom teaching, focusing on increased student participation in classroom-management issues, as well as on students' taking more responsibility for their own learning. (MSE)

Maintains that, despite common criticisms of the American school system from politicians and business, schools are generally serving constituents' needs well. Suggests that attacks on the school system appear excessive and maintains that motivations beyond enhancing achievement must drive the enthusiasm for raising standards in American schools.…

The Empire State Partnership connects a school district and museum in implementing a constructivist, interdisciplinary curriculum that addresses state standards through the arts. Formal and informal assessments document students' intellectual growth as well as achievement on the New York State Regents' examinations. (SK)

Recommends that inner city students (and essentially all high school students) be required to take physics. Lists some problems with teaching physics in inner city schools. (WRM)

Presents the story of one award-winning elementary school which shows that effective reading instruction demands a fine sense of balance. The school uses both phonics and whole language in order to teach to all children's needs. It also incorporates a balance of other techniques. After 3 years, the school's standards-based reading program is…