The purpose of the present review of literature and research is to examine the benefits the arts provide as enhancements for teaching and learning provided for both educators and students in PK-12 school settings. The relationship between exposure to the arts and student achievement within the academic disciplines such as mathematics,…

Although constructivism is a concept that has been embraced by many teachers over the past 15 years, the meanings that are attached to this term are varied and often inadequately understood. Teachers need to have a sound understanding of what constructivism means to evaluate its promise and to use it knowledgeably and effectively. This paper…

Understanding the post-storm landscape of education in New Orleans and the metro area requires a grasp of some of the pre-storm realities of New Orleans public schools. This article will provide a brief overview of three arenas important to understanding the educational landscape of New Orleans--parish governance, desegregation and private…

Compares and contrasts the role of the school principal in American and British schools, focusing on the author's personal experiences in observing and dealing with principals. Also considers administrator-teacher relationships and organizational patterns within school systems, suggesting that students (not principals/superintendents) be at the…

Gives an overview of creativity by defining it, characterizing the creative person, and identifying ways in which to encourage its development, such as providing creative role models, maintaining a safe and secure environment, avoiding criticism, communicating, and remaining flexible. (DC)

After a state take-over of most local schools, the fate of public education in New Orleans has been clouded by uncertainty. However, many problems are already clear. The community has expressed outrage on numerous occasions about the management, conditions, policies, and practices of the RSD schools. One fundamental concern has been about the lack…

Explores empirical literature related to the antecedents, associated personal characteristics, and consequences of depressive reactions among school-aged individuals. Includes eight specific guidelines for the classroom-based treatment of these depressive reactions. (Author/JN)

At a time when the population of school-aged children becomes more culturally diverse and the need for a more highly educated populace to function in this informational, technological and global community more pressing, it is important that all students be actively engaged in an educative process that legitimizes diverse perspectives. One way to…

Factors which cause stress in foreign students attending American schools are identified and discussed (language, social mores, sex roles, religion, class consciousness, education background, family nativism). Warning signs of stress and preventive measures are also addressed. (DC)

Issues and responsibilities related to academic freedom in secondary schools are addressed, indicating that the issues are as diverse as the institutions and individuals involved. Legislation limiting academic freedom, parental control, comparisons between academic freedom in secondary and higher education, as well as specific cases are among the…

Argues that secondary moral education programs must be taught in the context of human relationships (interactions between and among people) and discusses techniques and issues related to the implementation of such a program, including self-disclosure, dialog, value encounter relationship, teacher qualifications, classroom environment, and grading.…

The author describes a modern one-room schoolhouse in Ocracoke, North Carolina--an open plan building in which six teachers instruct students aged 6 through 17. He extols the school's individualized learning environment, flexibility, and humanistic philosophy. (SJL)

School rules in Japan are consequential in prescribing socially accepted patterns of students' lifestyles both within and outside schools. This article discusses how school rules were interpreted as a social problem in the 1980s and the 1990s. Social constructionist perspectives of social problems call for sensitivity to the plurality of people's…

The following article examines the physical formation and ideological justification of alternative education for at-risk students. It then considers the implications for urban students, in particular Chicano and Chicana students, who already face a significant number of barriers to educational equity. The study is situated with an urban…