Identifies lack of raw intelligence, refusal to adopt reporter's role, fear of dropping ingrained writing habits, and reluctance to read newspapers as major student problems and urges particular instructor response to these problems. (CRH)

Reports on personal observations of students using computers and concludes that computers can, indeed, revolutionize learning in the classroom. (FL)

This article abstracts information from the report, "Problems in Using Pupil Outcomes for Teacher Evaluation" by Robert S. Soar and Ruth M. Soar. It also lists the reasons why the New Jersey Education Association considers "pupil progress" an unfair criterion for evaluating teachers. (SJL)

Schools can help adolescents strengthen their decision making skills and sense of responsibility by 1) providing them with a wide range of opportunities to exercise these abilities, 2) employing staff who are positive models of constructive decision making and personal responsibility, and 3) utilizing curriculum that focuses on these areas.…

It is argued that workshops for lecture improvement in higher education tend to concentrate on delivery techniques, whereas improvement programs should maintain a broad perspective on lecture useage, which might include consideration of the design of lecture courses, variation of teaching methods, and attention to student lecture learning skills.…

By requiring limited-English-proficient students and students with disabilities to meet the same targets at the same times as all other students, the NCLB imposes a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores the individual child. Challenges school leaders to take care not to blame the students and still hold themselves accountable for continual…

Discusses the use of the chalkboard as a surface for creating art and enabling young students to express their creativity. Explores different ways that art teachers can use chalkboards, such as for taking attendance, for use during a child's time-out, or a place to rehearse an artwork. (CMK)

Reports America's concern with the quality of today's schools. Discusses the three aspects of quality assurance: accountability to the government (stewardship), community (responsiveness), and profession (professionalism). Argues that all are needed to balance the needs for school quality. Describes two challenges for regional accreditation. (AJL)

Focuses on ways to develop student creative thinking, improvisation, and composition skills in instrumental classes. Provides suggestions, such as the importance of offering students creative opportunities, supplying examples, giving control to students, and encouraging expressive integrity. Includes a bibliography of resources for developing…

Recommendations are offered for change in every area of the educational matrix, to create school environments that will raise achievement levels of students with deafness, including minority students. Recommendations focus on changing the organization, new approaches to curriculum and instruction, and evaluating the assessment strategies. (JDD)

Examines the consequences of assigning student grades using test-score averaging on course materials, tests, and learning. Proposes an alternative method of grading based on progressive improvement by the student that emphasizes the learning of concepts. (MDH)

This article chronicles the development of level systems designed for students with significant behavior problems, to foster student improvement through self-management and positive reinforcement. The article examines assumptions underlying level systems' concepts and components and offers recommendations to guide future research into the design…

Explains why the national standards effort in education failed, discusses the existence and diffusion of current standards, and describes how credible national level standards might be developed. Development recommendations include brevity; concentration on skills required for student advancement; the need for review, revision, and field testing;…

Responds to the article "Rethinking the Graduate Seminar." Argues that the two key assumptions of the article are not grounded in empirical realities that attend higher education in the 1990s. Discusses the use of student-to-student writing critiques in the graduate seminar to facilitate student growth. (CMK)

There are almost 3,000 charter schools operating in the United States. In Arizona about 500 charters enroll about 74,000 students. The question of whether charter schools "work" is, therefore, of considerable interest to policymakers and the public nationally and in Arizona. To charter school proponents, the fact that charters exist is…