Engaging middle-school students in scientific inquiry is typically recognized as important, but difficult. Designed to foster learner engagement, this method used an online, problem-based, science inquiry that investigated the West Nile virus during four weeks of collaborative classroom sessions. The inquiry prototype was authored in WISE, the…

When examining what beginning teachers learn in teacher preparation programs, it can be beneficial to have conversations with successful veteran teachers. Beginning teachers face a myriad of challenges that are not always fully conceptualized while working through teacher education programs. Gaining the respect of colleagues, trying to connect…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Congress Moves Forward with Budget Plan for FY 2008: House and Senate Spending Blueprints Include Significant…

This study was conducted to examine the promising practice of using technology in teaching math and science in a charter high school in California. The research employed an in-depth qualitative case study method. The main participants were principals, lead teachers, teachers, and support staff. Interviews, observations, and archival documents were…

Introduction: A variety of studies has shown that the type of goal orientation determines students' cognitive and behavioral reactions as well as their educational performance (e.g. Ames 1992, Ames/Archer 1988, Valle et al. 2003). Contrary to many views, this study perceives goal orientation as a multidimensional construct with different…

Describes Schools Attuned, a professional development program to help elementary and secondary school teachers understand, recognize, and manage student learning differences in the regular classroom. Includes how the program started in California, program costs, and comments about the program from teachers and administrators. (PKP)

Identifies several impediments to achieving reading literacy for many in-city high school students in California, including lack of interest and motivation, inappropriate resources and absence of support, and insufficient reading experiences and background knowledge. Recommends ways to remove these barriers through the use of strategic reading and…

This article presents Alan Sitomer, an English teacher at Lynwood High School, and how he teaches his students classic literature through hip-hop. These at-risk students attend a severely overcrowded, low-performing school in East Los Angeles that's surrounded by what Sitomer describes as "gangs, guns, and drugs." Prostitutes work the…

The California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) is a graduation requirement that includes passing a two part exam: English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Students take the exam for the first time in 10th grade. In 2005-06, the passing rates were about 77% for ELA and 75% for math. This study uses student level data to focus on the…

Hoping to motivate more California students to finish high school and find future success, the James Irvine Foundation last week announced a new center aimed at expanding work-based learning programs that integrate high-level academics. Called ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career, the new project will seek to provide solutions…

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Education and the Ministry of Education in China entered into a bilateral partnership to develop a technology-driven approach to foreign language learning that integrated gaming, immersion, voice recognition, problem-based learning tasks, and other features that made it a significant research and development pilot…

Students in elementary classrooms are not receiving science instruction that is engaging and challenging. The review of the literature indicates that the way that the information is presented has more of an impact on the students than simply whether they comprehend the information. Studies show that hands-on science instruction allows success…

Even though Joel lived a continent away, many sixth-graders at a Title I school in California could easily identify with his life of poverty. Their empathy motivated them to launch an ambitious charitable project, which, Mr. Mitchell argues, had far greater educational value than the relentless test preparation that is standard fare in most…

During the 1973-74 school year, Pacific Union College Elementary School used a new form which was much different from the form previously used to report pupil progress. About a week before the end of the school year a questionnaire of twenty questions was prepared to survey parental attitudes toward the new report forms. The survey revealed that…

Reprinted from "INTERCOM in the San Mateo City Schools, newsletter of the San Mateo, California, City School System; illustrated. (Editor/RD)