The significant stages in the development of understanding of the concept of electric charge are discussed. The history is outlined with references to certain important experiments, and suggestions are made for relevant school demonstrations and experiments. (KR)

Connecticut is trying to correct inequities resulting from de facto segregation in urban areas such as Bridgeport, with a high percentage of minority students. Citizens groups are bringing children together across district lines. Since 1988, 14 southwestern Connecticut districts have used cooperative grants to develop regional programs. These…

As Minnesota's experience shows, school choice is not the panacea that John Chubb and Terry Moe have proclaimed. However, introducing a marketplace into public education helps create the accountability that school reformers have sought, even as it diminishes the necessity for prescriptive mandates. When students choose their schools, they…

Unlike traditional instruction, which emphasizes basic skills mastery as a gateway to more challenging coursework, the interdisciplinary, thematic, team-based humanitas program at Los Angeles Unified School District stresses that all students can learn from a conceptual approach. The key is teacher collaboration. Attendance rates have improved…

Investigated elementary students' interracial interaction preferences in four desegregated, urban magnet schools. Data from a sociogram of students' working, playing, and sitting choices indicated that black students were less willing than white students to interact. Racial considerations were more pronounced among girls. There was no trend toward…

This case study reflects block scheduling's effects on advanced-placement mathematics courses of one veteran teacher tracking personal progress since 1989. Block scheduling began in 1994, creating problems for the teacher, whose resistance to the reform was based on declining advanced-placement scores. Teacher attitude and insufficient…

North Carolina boasts a growing network of global-studies magnet schools, a prominent university center that sponsors training on international issues and study trips abroad for thousands of teachers, an innovative recruitment program to attract teachers from around the globe, and a popular former governor who has championed the cause of …

Often lost in the discourse regarding educational policy-making and implementation are the micropolitical experiences of the individuals who are most affected by policy: students. Policymakers often develop policy under the guise of making schools better, but in effect they often lose sight of insuring that all students receive a good education…

This report describes the characteristics of the 100 largest public elementary and secondary school districts in the United States and its jurisdictions. These districts are defined as the 100 largest according to the size of their student population. The information in this report was provided by state education agency officials to the National…

Addressing the many complex issues associated with culture, race, and diversity is tough under any circumstances. But such issues become even more complex in school settings where large numbers of students speak different languages and reflect diverse ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. In this article, the author describes how the faculty…

Since the 1970s, both authors have been involved in the school reform movement, sharing a passion for improving public education, particularly urban public education. Their experiences as teacher and professor in an urban magnet laboratory school reinforced their belief in the ability of all children to learn. They state that, within the magnet…

This paper examines whether the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a magnet school in its second year of operation, has improved equity of opportunities for Maine students to participate in advanced mathematics and science courses. Data on per pupil expenditures, state aid to school districts, and course offerings were obtained from the…

Public school-choice programs are diverse and offer within- and outside-district flexibility in meeting student needs. This bulletin examined data available from the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), to answer questions about regional differences in choice programs,…

This book is based on the premise that students apply thinking skills to learning science concepts by doing through firsthand experiences in an interactive, open atmosphere; constructing by building knowledge through guided inquiry; and connecting by relating learning to the world around them. The contents of this book have been designed to…

Many American Indian youth confront a choice of forfeiting their cultural heritage in favor of academic achievement. The newly established American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul (Minnesota) addresses this issue by integrating American Indian methodology and ideology across all curriculum areas through effective teaching and sensitivity to…