The thesis of this book is that effective education for the next century should focus on the connections between schools and society, relating education more closely to the challenges of adulthood. There are two crucial tests of an effective education system: how well students can apply what they learn in situations beyond the bounds of their formal educational experience, and how well prepared they are to continue learning and solving problems throughout the rest of their lives. The book reviews projects from Great Britain and other countries that represent the seeds of an active learning approach. It explains how such an approach can be used to address some of the most pressing challenges for education: promoting active citizenship, developing employability, and tackling chronic underachievement. The vision of a new landscape of learning that is presented sees schools as the hubs of learning networks, brokering learning opportunities in the wider community. Students would be jointly responsible for planning and assessing their learning. Hallmarks of the new landscape include the following: rich and coherent data on attainment, active learning partnerships, information technology as an environment and a tool, learning to be an intelligent agent, neighborhood learning centers, common standards, and learning to think. Contains 98 references. (KC)