In May 1998, a student opened fire in the cafeteria, killing or wounding 24 students at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon. Lessons learned from the incident are detailed to assist other schools in planning for unexpected tragedies. Steps recommended actions before, during, and after a crisis. (CDS)

Federal legislation passed in 1994 and the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program (CSRD) encourage high-poverty Title I schools to adopt prepackaged research-based models of schoolwide reform. The nine components of CSRD and key ingredients for its implementation are discussed. Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School (Vancouver, Washington)…

Daniel A. Grout School in southeast Portland, Oregon, built a unified literacy program that sparked change across the school. The "literacy block" program, which focuses on teacher collaboration, early intervention, and higher-order thinking skills, began in 1996 as a Title I Schoolwide program. In 1998, Grout staff received "early…

For one year, four Fairbanks (Alaska) teachers struggled through the process of laying the foundations of Chinook Charter School, a K-8 school serving 75 students. The school's philosophy respects children as learners, supports individualized student-centered instruction, and encourages substantial parent involvement. (SV)

David Nufer, Alaska's National Distinguished Principal for 1999, uses collaboration to create a family atmosphere at Finger Lake (Alaska) Elementary School. He turned the scheduling process over to teachers, involved teachers and parents in implementing a two-track system of mixed and single-age classrooms, brought in senior citizens to supplement…

A study by a charter school advocacy group found the most common reason for charter school closure was mismanagement, followed by financial difficulties, inability to find a suitable facility, and failure to meet the academic goals of their charter. Vignettes of charter schools in Alaska and Oregon illustrate these problems and offer advice for…

Vancouver (Washington) is rebuilding its entire educational infrastructure. Community involvement in the planning process for each school has created a sense of ownership, created spaces that implement good educational ideas and accommodate community activities, and given each school its own "signature." An emphasis on efficiency has…

A seminar in Idaho on creating assessment and accountability plans for charter schools presented attributes of assessments that build children's confidence and give insights into how they can improve; offered criteria for using portfolio assessments; and described how to develop objectives that are measurable. A sidebar presents a six-step plan…

Thumbnail sketches of four schools in Edmonds School District (Washington) illustrate ways they have built strong parent and community relationships: parent volunteers in a parent-cooperative school; a family-oriented neighborhood school; a school offering school-based health and social services; and a Cyberschool that provides resources to…

In this interview, Alaska's statewide trainer in project-based learning recommends that teachers plan projects by identifying the desired results, determining acceptable evidence, then planning the learning experience. Project-based learning encourages teacher collaboration and engages students so that learning becomes relevant. Teachers should…

An educator and an architect discuss school design considerations that include developing a strong learning plan, a strong concept of community, and architecture that supports both. Involving the community and students in planning instills a sense of ownership and pride that is more conducive to learning and school safety than tough standards and…