Thanks to two enterprising teachers, a basement greenhouse has energized an inner-city elementary school in Brooklyn, New York. Though the basement jungle is the most visible part of the science program, students tend outdoor plants and integrate horticulture into all curriculum areas. (MLH)

Attributes success as first-year elementary teacher in inner-city school to her own stubbornness and the kindness of strangers--meaning the mentoring she received from experienced teachers. (PKP)

An urban elementary school's transformation from chaos to harmony began when the principal and staff replaced their disciplinary policy of rules and regulations with the "10 commandments" of behavior. The James P. B. Duffy School No. 11 in Rochester (New York) is now honored as a model American school. (MLF)

To achieve fairness and excellence in education, an elementary school should teach a body of shared knowledge, grade by grade. The Core Knowledge Foundation offers some principles and guidelines for developing such programs. As one South Bronx inner-city school shows, core knowledge works because it acknowledges human learning limitations,…

Describes a New York City art teacher's successful efforts to encourage interracial harmony by having students transform the mayor's "human mosaic" campaign rhetoric into physical reality. Participation in the project begins with classroom discussions on ethnic groups and ends with a unity-through-diversity mosaic of 250 student-painted…

An independent study of Baltimore City's Tesseract schools analyzes why the privately managed program failed. Results showed no gains on Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills scores. Baltimore was paying about 11% more per student than in comparison schools. EAI has succeeded in establishing the supremacy of Wednesday afternoons for staff development…

The Paideia School Model was inspired by philosopher Mortimer Adler's belief in a high-quality, single-track, liberal arts education to prepare students for work, citizenship, and lifelong learning. This article describes how Chattanooga (Tennessee) parents and educators worked to develop and implement a holistic, rigorous Paideia curriculum. (MLH)

At a Kansas City (Missouri) elementary school, teachers expect students to spend half their learning time on a computer. The racially mixed school has one computer for every two students, two computer labs, and work stations from which teachers can monitor students' progress and generate lessons using software like "Icon Arthur" and…

Three Chicago schools have adopted the Junior Great Books Program, allowing students and teachers to mine a wide range of literature on themes of fairness, justice, cleverness, greed, love, friendship, and respect. Program success hinged on engagement, shared leadership, professional development, and a multiyear adoption plan. (MLH)

The Paterson, New Jersey, schools developed the Cognitive Instruction Project (CIP) to improve academic achievement among the urban poor in the early elementary grades. Provides a detailed description of the design and implementation of the project. Includes references. (MD)

Although Fort Pitt Elementary School used to be the lowest achieving school in the Pittsburgh area, reading scores and discipline are dramatically improving, thanks to the Independent Research Project for fourth- and fifth-grade students. (MLH)

By providing immediate intensive interventions when learning problems occur, the Success for All program has improved the achievement of students at an innercity Baltimore elementary school. (TE)

Describes how a Seattle principal confronted familiar urban school challenges and brought parents, teachers, and students together to focus on children' needs. The school's strategic plan included goals for behavior improvement, a quest for equity, an emphasis on parent involvement, and an ever-evolving child-centeredness. (MLH)

Describes a year-long project involving four British inner-city elementary schools that linked children's and teachers' learning and significantly changed classroom practices through staff development. Reformers should start with modest goals, convince teachers of benefits, hold regular review sessions, create opportunities for teacher…