The United States has long struggled with the challenge of educating children experiencing extreme disadvantage, including the poor, ethnic and racial minorities, English language learners, and foster children. In this article, we argue that solutions to this problem lie not to the east or west, but to the south. Specifically, we offer the…

This scheduling plan features three quarters of 12 weeks and a school day divided into three blocks: morning and afternoon instructional blocks of two and one-half hours each and a midday period of one and one-third hours that includes lunch time, tutorial time, and unstructured student time. (Author/IRT)

Guided Design, as created and used in the engineering school of West Virginia University, is a procedure in which the teacher models professional reasoning, and shows students how the subject matter they study can be used to make better decisions. (IRT)

Describes a program in which a medical school and several school districts are working together to develop self-instructional materials on cardiovascular disease. (IRT)

El Paso-Juarez is the world's largest international border community. An independent consortium of educators created the Border Music Project, a radically different approach to classroom music instruction based on various local musical genres, including Tejano pop and other border-influenced styles. Introducing students to music and musicians aids…

In rural America, community members are working together to reform education, revitalize communities, and improve the quality of life. This article describes long-term efforts, such as Alabama's PACERS program, Georgia's REAL Enterprises project, and Minnesota's Center for School Change. Smaller-scale efforts in Nebraska, Mississippi, and South…

Since 1970, 12 states (California, Oregon, Minnesota, Nevada, Iowa, Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, Wyoming, West Virginia, North Dakota, and Hawaii) have created autonomous boards directly accountable to legislatures to control standards and practices for education professionals. These boards are establishing rigorous academic and professional…

Shows applications of the Talent Identification and Development in Education (TIDE) model in two suburban Midwestern school districts. In both large and small districts, TIDE changes the way school communities view gifted and talented education. A broader understanding emerges that recognizes nurturing of strengths, interests, and talents in every…

The Science/Technology/Society approach to teaching science has been researched and practiced for over 20 years. This model uses current issues in students' lives and society as the foundation of study. Teaching STS science requires nothing more than a shifting emphasis and willingness to empower students. (MLH)

Deinstitutionalizing the mentally ill failed because proper implementation required large-scale societal changes. Dumping disabled kids into regular education without appropriate supports could mirror that fiasco. Inclusion can help create a sense of community through promoting acceptance and respect among classmates. The Social Awareness-Social…

Describes the evolution of the University of Illinois' collaborative Project on High Performance Learning Communities, established in 1989 in response to policymakers' and practitioners' need for a more fully developed, practical knowledge base on educational reform. The university/research partners' role is to synthesize the most current,…

The program described involves the city school district, the university, the local community, and the teachers association. (IRT)

To circumvent typical public schooling restrictions, an upstate New York middle school established a Lab School that functions outside the regular program. Lab School aims to provide practice in intellectual inquiry, delve into complex, demanding topics, create an interdisciplinary, problem-oriented curriculum, and experiment with assessment…

Describes the School Enrichment Model (SEM), a systematic set of strategies for increasing student effort, enjoyment, and performance and for integrating varied advanced learning experiences and higher-order thinking skills into existing curriculum or school organization patterns. SEM enhances three key school-improvement dimensions: the act of…