Dissatisfied with their present parent-teacher conference format, an Iowa middle school perused the literature on student-led conferences and established three program implementation phases: initial preparations, conferences, and evaluations. Students selected portfolio items, decided what to discuss with parents, and rehearsed the conference…

A study of instructional change in three schools reveals that a change strategy should take advantage of existing communication networks. Where there is little interdependence among teachers, administrators need to encourage its growth and replace the egg crate form of organization with arrangements that increase teacher interaction. (MLF)

In the American Federation of Teachers' Thinking Mathematics collaboration, teachers have become equal partners with researchers to create staff development aimed at mathematics instruction. Researchers and 5 visiting practitioners have cooperated to create mathematics foundations materials conceptualized in 10 guiding principles for mathematics…

To gain appreciation for each others' perspectives, a Mississippi language arts consultant and a third-grade teacher from Iowa traded jobs for a year. As a consultant, the teacher found that classroom teachers were more interested in whole-language instruction practicalities than in theory. As a teacher, the consultant learned that classroom…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recently published two documents emphasizing solving nonroutine problems in meaningful contexts. "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics" (1989) describes what students should know and a framework for developing appropriate curricula. "Professional Standards for…

Describes one district's struggle to implement Maine's Common Core of Learning, model of education that blurred subject area lines and moved toward integrated framework for curriculum and instruction. Common Core presented a set of outcomes divided into four interdisciplinary categories: human record, reasoning and problem solving, communication,…

Although 360-degree feedback is no panacea for improving schools, it provides educational leaders with data to help them perceive, reflect, articulate, and analyze their own behavior, based on data from a full circle of constituents, including themselves. Face-to-face coaching is a mandatory component. (MLH)

Mount Holyoke College's discussion-based Lenses on Learning seminars consist of 3 10-hour sessions that invite administrators to consider new ideas about mathematics, learning, and teaching and applications for their practice-supervising teachers, supporting their professional development, suggesting assessment approaches, addressing…

Poised to help legally homeless parents become their children's best teachers, instructors in a Nevada literacy program found that human relationships took precedence over academics. Instructors learned the importance of renaming the program (to avoid association with prior academic failure) and blending literacy activities with hot meals, family…

Assessment for learning involves the frequent, continual use of both formal and informal classroom assessments. It can be as simple as requiring students to respond to a lesson-embedded, one-item quiz as a way of gauging student understanding of what is being taught. Ideally, this innovative approach to classroom assessment is based on a careful…

Change strategies must include informal school networks and norms. Implementation plans must involve teachers and principals prior to training. (Author/JM)

Although multiple intelligences, learning styles, and brain-based education have discrete theoretical constructs, research bases, and applications, they share similar outcomes in the practical classroom environment. There are several areas of overlap. Each theory is learning- and learner-centered, regards teachers and students as reflective…

Based on 5 years' experience, the Project Challenge coordinator for the Pittsford (New York) Central School District explains how to implement differentiated instruction. Teachers should find a buddy, align objectives, find out what students know, plan flexible grouping, encourage student responsibility, and provide choices. (MLH)

According to advocate Robert J. Marzano, standards are the only policy mandate that can significantly improve student achievement. The standards identification process was clumsy, but started a national conversation about desirable subject-area knowledge requirements. Standards content should be cut by two-thirds; teacher-made tests can be…

Researchers found that a Washington State fourth-grade teacher successfully met the demands of standards-based writing instruction without compromising her teaching stance or diverse students' learning. She instituted 15-minute class meetings to address student problems, read aloud from books with relevant characters, and used innovative,…