This article features an interview with Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings. In this interview, Hastings relates that he told the "Wall Street Journal" in 2008 that he started looking at education--trying to figure out why our education is lagging when our technology is increasing at great rates and there's great innovation in so many other areas…

While Woocher's vision for the future of Jewish education is ambitious, the ability to deliver any plan successfully depends upon the strengths of professionals and the guidance and support provided for them. This author contends that unless people create opportunities for teachers/educators to explore common issues, seek possible solutions, and…

Around the world there is a preoccupation with improving the performance of schools and school systems. Comparisons made between countries through PISA and PERLs have led to a preoccupation, and in some cases, an obsession, with securing a high position in the international league tables. The minds of policy-makers and politicians alike are…

There is a paradox at the heart of the education debate on building the best generation of teachers. Ministers criticise teachers for not raising standards. Yet their answer is to change the governance structures of school. Why not address the real challenge--how to raise the status and quality of teaching in this country? It matters far more what…

Quality and standards in higher education is a tricky topic, but one that will not go away. Everyone has a view, but it is rarely informed by fact. The subject is particularly difficult for several reasons. Perhaps the most important of these is the lack of any generally agreed definition of what quality and standards are. In this article, the…

Thanks to its dedicated teachers and committed students, Massachusetts leads the nation in student achievement and classroom innovation. Massachusetts has made education its top priority because it's the path to a more fulfilling life, a more rewarding career and a richer society. The author has personally experienced the transformative power of…

Students, teachers, administrators, community members, and policymakers are collectively responsible for ensuring that the literacy learning required to earn a living and lead a well-rounded life is available to all. To meet that responsibility, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) urges legislators to practice civil discourse by…

Alternative schools enhance teacher, parent, and student involvement in programs, but face problems such as: (1) homogeneous student populations; (2) forced early specialization; (3) competitive recruitment; (4) struggles for program control; (5) too many goals; (6) evaluation; and (7) the need for truly innovative strategies. (Author/MJL)

Traces the evolution of a radical educational experiment, the Dalton Plan, in suburban Scarsdale, New York in the 1920s. The plan consisted of individualized instruction by contract. Although many problems had to be worked out, student scores and college achievement were excellent. (KC)

The author had been a high school English teacher for 15 years when her district transformed two traditional high schools into 10 small schools of choice. In this article, the author shares how the staff of one small school, with the help of professional development and a true sense of empowerment, created a small school culture and aligned the…

George Keller's criticism of the state of higher education research is discussed. An alternative model of the relationship between research and policy, some valuable contributions of higher education research, and steps for improving the quality and impact of that research are described. (MLW)

Discusses four complementary interventions required for principals to improve classroom visits: Provide clear, grade-specific curriculum proficiency targets; develop results-oriented, teacher team-planned curriculum units; adopt Japanese lesson study approach to teaching; and use data to improve teaching and learning. (PKP)

Slavin discusses cooperative learning and the "best evidence" approach to research synthesis. Critiques Benjamin Bloom's mastery learning, Madeline Hunter's program, and expert-novice studies. Introduces his current program called "Success for All," which targets early childhood education and stresses success the first time…

Core and other "soft" programs are vulnerable in the current educational and financial climate. Evaluation, communication, and involvement can help save them. (Author/MLF)

Argues that measurable change in student performance should be the standard for making judgments about effective instruction and that these data can serve as an important component in the evaluation of teacher-preparation programs. Describes assessment technologies that allow more direct measures of student learning. (Author/CR)