The authors examine how a public school culture that has resisted a number of promising reform initiatives could be transformed by a Millennium School model based on four basic principles: a multi-tiered career path for teachers; teaching in teams; performance-based accountability; and ongoing professional development.

Some staff development and organization development practices that can profoundly influence teacher attitudes and behaviors include having a clear school vision, establishing collegiality and experimentation norms, displaying a collaborative attitude, using staff development research, varying staff development format, encouraging faculty…

A reading specialist provides tips for developing a student publishing center aimed at improving writing skills and involving students in all publishing operations. Steps include assembling a planning team, considering various models, gaining financial assistance, furnishing the center, gathering needed supplies, and launching the program. (MLH)

The 21st-century integrated curriculum will be based not on themes, but on broad, unchanging concepts. The concept-based curriculum will require teaching of necessary language arts and other skills as needed for in-depth concept study. This approach offers common learning for all students by broadening specific objectives of many subject areas.…

The most important job description for educators is discovering and providing conditions fostering off-the-chart learning curves for children and adults. At-risk students and educators are those with little possibility of continued learning. Only when schools become communities for adult development, will they become hospitable to student…

Teachers and longitudinal researchers have observed that the long-term benefits of participating in a quality early childhood program are more social than academic. Early childhood is a unique stage of life, not an opportunity for intervention and remediation. Kindergarten and first-grade environments should be flexible, activity-oriented, and…

Recent research supports Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development" theory; children receiving peer assistance can stretch their learning beyond their individual accomplishment. A study of a multiage classroom revealed three strategies used by children working together to solve math problems--modeling, tutoring, and pairing/sharing…

Aspiring and entry-level principals desperately need encouragement, coaching, and help from veteran principals willing to be their mentors. According to a recent study of 377 elementary principals, most believe strongly in mentoring, and 90 percent would like to fill that role. Great commitment is necessary for preparing tomorrow's school leaders.…

Children's ideas strongly shape classroom life in Japanese elementary schools. Japanese children identify goals for self-improvement, work hard to achieve them, and then choose new goals. Events like the Yotsubashi Festival are not diversions from the curriculum, but designed to help children develop socially, emotionally, ethically, and…

A comprehensive thinking skills scope and sequence plan provides three types of information. It identifies the thinking skills and strategies to be learned throughout the curriculum, locates them in the subject areas where they are to be taught, and arranges them in the proper sequence. This article describes basic principles and guidelines for…

To reduce teacher isolation and encourage sharing of expertise, schools should consider brief workshops or 15-minute "micro-shops" on various topics ranging from making electrical circuit boards to setting up a salt-water aquarium. This article and accompanying sidebar discuss benefits and set-up strategies. (MLH)

Many classroom teachers and administrators ignore state education departments' curriculum guides and depend heavily on textbooks. Curriculum committees should devote considerable time to textbook review so that teachers have opportunity to examine books from many publishers or create their own units. Principals and supervisors must share…

All elementary schools should introduce five fundamental concepts to help students develop greater insight into human diversity. Students must comprehend the significance of individuality and group identity, learn the difference between subjective and objective culture, appreciate people's similarities and differences, understand multiple…

Student achievement gaps among racial and ethnic groups are large and persistent. They mirror gaps in life and school conditions that have been found to be closely related to cognitive development and school achievement. The road to parity begins with understanding the nature of the gaps and their trends. One way the size of the gap has been…

Principals can improve their approach to curriculum supervision by applying six supervisory processes (organizing, planning, coping with change, implementing, problem solving, and evaluating) to six curriculum levels (written, taught, resourced, experienced, tested, and ideal) and using three supervisory roles (as monitor, standard-bearer, and…