As Internet technology encroached on the public school classroom about a decade ago, Kim Ross, superintendent of the Houston School District in Houston, Minnesota, saw an opportunity. At first, he and his administrative team simply wanted to offer students in the district of 1,300 access to more classes via the web than what a district that size…

A decentralized teacher-coaching model has been adopted by several Los Angeles-area school districts through an initiative called Design for Excellence Linking Teaching and Achievement (DELTA). DELTA encourages coaches and beginning teachers to develop a personalized support plan, and stresses one-on-one relationships and support, not evaluation.…

Researchers and practitioners agree that learning styles stem from a nature/nurture combination; students of all styles can be successful learners; students are more successful when using their style strengths; and diverse teaching styles are essential. This article discusses implementation issues, cultural factors, alternative teaching styles,…

To find out about learning styles programs and instruments, educators can contact the Arizona State University's Educational Information System, perform an ERIC search, or request information from educational associations, organizations, and experts. This article advises on choosing learning style models, designing supportive environments,…

Despite their isolation and limited tax support, U.S. rural schools are finding collaboration with colleges and universities a cost-effective way to stimulate improvement. Large-scale partnerships often derive from tentative discussions between a few school and college faculty members. One sterling example is Dos Palos High School and California…

The key to successful junior high to middle school transitions is participatory planning that involves all school-community members. This article discusses essential questions, describes the Howard County (Maryland) Public Schools' model approach, and stresses the importance of securing teacher commitment and know-how and evaluating the planning…

School leaders should use the charter-school movement as an opportunity to involve all community members in designing all schools and changing schooling's managerial structure. The Advocacy Design Center process is a community-building strategy based on democratic values and research-based models. The idea is to create vital, inquiry-based schools…

The creator of the Policy Governance model explains a system whereby the superintendent/CEO is not responsible for governance. Under Policy Governance, the board is solely responsible for describing and fulfilling its own job (determining what the public purchases for the next generation), and the administrators run the schools. (MLH)