Suppose that you read about a low-cost, evidence-based program that boosts overall school achievement by 11 percentile points while improving school climate, student behavior, and teacher satisfaction? You might be somewhat skeptical, but you'd likely be intrigued. Such an approach exists, writes school psychologist John E. Desrochers:…

While visiting school-to-work sites, the author observed numerous programs that teach students the "new basics" or "basics-plus" skills needed for success in today's economy. These skills include an ability to use technology, communicate ideas and information orally and in writing, work in groups, solve knotty problems,…

Suggests a child's overall development is what makes academic learning possible. Notes that intelligence, the capacity to gain and use knowledge to solve problems and promote well-being, is comprised of cognitive, affective, and expressive components. Asserts that children need relationships with caring adults. Notes the School Development Program…

Notes that teaching social and emotional skills can have a long-term positive effect on academic achievement. The University of Washington's Raising Healthy Children Project tries to reduce children's risk of developing problems in adolescence by providing interventions that bond students to family and school. The program features staff…

Discusses three essential components of successful cooperative education programs (commitment, pacing, and support) and offers practical suggestions to teachers, such as arranging groups efficiently, determining group size, deciding how long groups should stay together, and deciding when group learning is appropriate. Teaching social skills is…

Giangreco helps teachers answer one of the hardest questions in including students with disabilities in mainstream classes: How can teachers include students who function substantially below grade level? Giangreco describes a teacher who must help a boy working at kindergarten level participate in the academic work of her 5th grade class. He…

At a private high school in Providence, Rhode Island, students benefit from Big Brother and Sister programs, peer mediation, and lessons in emotional intelligence across the curriculum. These activities are part of a comprehensive social and emotional education program called "Success for Life." For nearly 20 years, seniors have been…

Storypath, which originated in Scotland, is a powerful tool for helping students acquire the knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions needed to become responsible citizens. Storypath uses basic story components (setting, characters, and plot) to organize the social-studies curriculum into meaningful, memorable learning experiences. Storypath…