Secondary school students in the 21st-century are faced with political, economic, and social trends that often pose crises such as performing below levels of proficiency on state mandated assessments. Restructuring school cultures within various schools and districts were noted through the establishment of professional learning communities (PLCs).…

As the population of students from linguistically diverse backgrounds in American schools increases, teacher educators must critically examine their own knowledge and practice in order to prepare pre-service teachers to be linguistically responsive educators. LaBoskey's (2004) self-study framework and critical, social constructivist, and social…

Orff Schulwerk is defined by its practitioners as an approach to teaching music to children through the Orff media: speech, singing, movement, and playing instruments. The approach is often best known for use of the "Orff instruments," and some music educators criticize Orff-based instruction, claiming that singing is overlooked or…

The Native American Community Academy (NACA) is demonstrating an example of Indigenous philosophies and practices in education through its holistic, student-centered approach to education. NACA was one school in a large statewide study on Indian education in New Mexico. Focus groups with students, teachers, and community members illustrate the…

This study probes more deeply on defining the "reform agenda" and answering the question, "How do coaches balance pushing the reform agenda and meeting the immediate needs of school staff?" This study first teases apart what coaches mean by "reform agenda" and "immediate needs." The term "reform…