Describes Boston Arts Academy's efforts to use the various art forms (music, dance, theater, and visual arts) and academics to teach students to understand and tolerate cultural differences throughout the world. (PKP)

Describes efforts to include the teaching about religion in state and national education standards, shortcomings in teaching about religion in schools, how schools should teach about religion, and teacher training issues. (PKP)

A major premise of the Peer-Assisted Leadership (PAL) program is that administrators, especially school principals, can become more reflective about their practice through peer coaching. First, participants learn shadowing (an observational strategy) and reflective interviewing; then they practice these strategies with a partner. Various phases…

The skills acquired in a Job-Alike Workshop can go a long way toward reducing the "I don't get no respect" syndrome compounded by high student/supervisor ratios. When support personnel learn student management strategies, their daily tasks are easier, and the positive effects are noticeable throughout the entire school. (MLH)

Lists 10 basic texts, manuals, and lesson planning guides on cooperative learning, including works by E. Aronson, S. Ellis, D.W. and R.T. Johnson, S. Kagan, and R.E. Slavin. (MLH)

A new national PTA kit, "Math Matters; Kids Are Counting on You," can help all parents make a difference in their children's education. Suggested home activities include doubling cookie recipes, surveying and graphing family ice cream flavor preferences, filling in football "stat" charts, and other tasks easily performed on a…

The summary writer must decide what to include and exclude, how to reword or reorganize information, and how to remain true to the original's meaning. This article discusses simple precepts teachers can use to help students learn to select important ideas and condense text. Includes 19 references. (MLH)

The World Future Society, an association to study alternative futures and a leading source of futures information, is a nonprofit educational and scientific organization that acts as an impartial clearinghouse for a variety of viewpoints. The society publishes three periodicals, "The Futurist,""Future Survey," and "Futures…

Like other technologies, the Internet is vulnerable to misuse by hostile individuals (flamers), sexual predators, and pornographers. Schools can shield students from these negative influences by using LinQ, a new product that restricts access to certain inappropriate Internet areas. Technology codes of conduct and staff development are alternative…

The answer to financing technology projects may lie in developing grant proposals to submit to federal, state, and/or private organizations. The first step is to identify a need stemming from goals and objectives established in the school or district technology plan. Providing a well-researched rationale for purchasing and using technology is…

Creating higher, uniformly applied standards for students and teachers without creating clearly understood standards for schools or communities will simply result in another round of blaming the victim. The creation of standard-bearer schools, in partnership with the Center for Leadership in School Reform, attempts to assess the school…

Organization stability can be deeply affected when leadership changes. Frequent leadership turnover is to be expected, though it interferes with project timetables and can drastically disrupt progress. This article offers practical advice for managing leadership transitions effectively. (three references) (MLH)

George Wilkinson, who has managed planning for United Way of America since 1980, observes that local planners using strategic planning raise more money and solve more community problems than those without such a process. Marketing is identical to strategic planning; both involve looking at an organization, doing and analysis, examining the future,…

Educators can improve their grant-proposal writing by having a fundable idea, following guidelines precisely, seeking out funding sources, carefully crafting the proposal, and critiquing it before sending it. Only the best-written proposals get funded. Resources are listed. (MLH)

A two-year study of professional development recommended that schools build professional development into school life via flexible scheduling and extended time blocks; help teachers assume responsibility for their own professional development; find common ground with the community via resource sharing; and find revenues to support professional…