On Thursday, April 27, 2011, one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Alabama struck in the form of ferocious tornadoes touching down in various parts of the state. The dollar amount of the property damage was in the billions. Lives were lost and thousands of survivors' lives were seriously and in many cases forever disrupted. A few…

Florence (AL) Middle School has mastered the art of turning obstacles into opportunities. After dealing with changing grade configurations, years of regrouping faculty and team members, a school name change, and a move to a converted high school building, the staff and students were then asked to change from a seven-period to an eight-period…

The authors argue that leadership networks when comprised of regional stakeholders including university faculty, school system administrators, and teacher leaders can begin to work together towards common reform goals. (Contains 1 figure.)

Elementary and high school students participating in a photography project of the PACERS Small Schools Cooperative in Alabama learn photography and photojournalist skills, work as a group in sharing equipment and assisting one another, and apply math and chemistry skills in the darkroom. Instructions for making a pinhole camera are included. (CDS)

In Fall 1996, Alabama Southern Community College formally created its Teaching/Learning Initiative. This was done by implementing bold new efforts that would lead ultimately to its focus to "customize learning" for every student based upon learning styles and preferences. The 1996 efforts included the following commitments: (1) To assess…

PACERS Small Schools Cooperative, a 29-school cooperative in rural Alabama, operates an innovative program in which student projects both serve the community and preserve community traditions. Describes how information technology enables the advantages of small schools to flower. Discusses addressing policies and mindsets that hinder development…

The Hale County (Alabama) school system and the University of Alabama formed a long-range collaborative relationship targeted at meeting staffing shortages and improving science instruction in the rural county. Statistically significant gains were achieved in the science teachers' mastery of content, teaching methodology, and attitudes toward…

The chapter prepared for inclusion in a handbook for school board members focused upon the important relationships of boards, as boards, and individual board members with external organizations and agencies. The handbook was produced by the Alabama Schools Boards Association for its membership and for its use in the orientation of new board…