A firm grounding in change theory can provide educational leaders with an opportunity to orchestrate meaningful organizational improvements. This article provides an opportunity for practicing leaders to review four major theories of organizational change--continuous improvement, two approaches to organizational learning, and appreciative inquiry.…

Although much has been written recently about gaps in the achievement of different groups of students, the problem has been with us for many years. This manuscript presents a historical perspective of the problem, viewing it as one of reducing variation in students' achievement. Specifically, it reviews the work of renowned educator Benjamin S.…

Outlines the importance of testing in the Mastery Learning process. Points out that as students demonstrate mastery, the amount of paperwork lessens for teachers. (MD)

Based on empirical evidence that nearly all students can learn most of what they are taught, mastery learning is recommended as a teaching strategy with the goal of maximum development of student learning potential. The implementation of mastery learning at one junior high is analyzed. (MLJ)

Liberty (Missouri) Senior High School's Teacher Improvement Project required identifying effective teaching behaviors, having teachers select 15 behaviors for implementation, creating a process for assessing progress and providing feedback, and making resource personnel available. The article lists 21 effective teaching behaviors and identifies…

The supervision model adopted by the Minot (North Dakota) Public School District Board of Education provided the skeletal foundation for the Magic City Campus instructional growth plan. By enhancing this framework with both an instructional model and indepth coaching, teacher growth and effectiveness naturally evolved. Principals striving to be…

To address deficiencies in basic skills, a Florida middle school is piloting a program that immerses 75 students in a mastery-learning curriculum centered around reading, writing, basic language arts, and functional math. The program covers science and social studies thematically and has a social/personal skill development unit. The principal's…

To bring students up to internationally benchmarked standards, high schools must abandon the ineffective general curriculum and focus resources on a narrower, academic curriculum. Professional and vocational education should be provided in postsecondary settings after students receive certificates of initial mastery. A 12-point school redesign…

Maine's gubernatorially appointed Commission on Secondary Education produced eight overarching observations and six core principles governing learning climate, teacher expectations, differentiated instruction, assessment, democratic engagement, and program coherency. This new vision challenges schools and communities to rethink how they assess,…