Presents a portrait of Japanese elementary schools--stressing close human connections, social and ethical development, and an indepth curriculum--that differs profoundly from the U.S. mainstream media's version. In Japanese elementary schools, learning is cooperative; success depends on setting and meeting rigorous personal goals and performing…

Considers the characteristics of large-scale spatial representations from three viewpoints and discusses a few implications of the existence of these representations for education. (Author/MLF)

After years of watching administrators bully children, teachers, and parents into reform, a Fairbanks (Alaska) elementary principal decided to be a facilitator, not a dictator. Assuming a "servant leadership" role, this principal garnered community support for transforming an old, unwanted school into a new math-science learning center…

Beginning and veteran teachers are experiencing gross professional neglect. Teachers have been passive far too long about their own professionalism. The National Education Association is currently working with seven teacher-preparation institutions to reinvent teacher education and professional development. As Columbus, Ohio's peer-review program…

School staff can lead, teach, and learn better by defining what has value within their educational organizations. Value-added work is effort leading directly to learning. Waste work is improperly completed effort not tied to learning. Necessary work consists of tasks that keep the school running, but do not directly affect learning. Meetings waste…

To meet ambitious goals, districts and schools must redefine priorities, decide how to meet them, and allocate resources appropriately. This means restructuring salaries to attract and retain superior teachers, redirecting spending from compliance to supporting performance goals, investing strategically in professional development, and reducing…

Classroom assessments fall into three categories--summative, diagnostic, and formative. Summative assessment occurs at the end of a unit or course of study and is therefore an insufficient tool to maximize student learning. Diagnostic and formative assessments, on the other hand, offer descriptive feedback along the way. In light of these…

This research report examines the effect of sexual orientation in reading material upon reading test scores of boys and girls. (MK)

Goal setting is an essential part of an effective supervisory model. Suggestions are offered that have been effective in improving goal-setting activities in a variety of school settings. (Author/MLF)

Under the guidance of a new superintendent, an underfunded and uninspired rural New England school district galvanized community support for school improvement and completely revitalized its program through collaborative decision making. Goal setting, used by individual classroom teachers, committees, and administrative teams, became part of the…

To fulfill expectations for history curriculum reform, schools must clarify essential instructional goals and objectives, provide increased instructional time for history, reintroduce history in elementary grades, obtain improved textbooks and materials, and provide appropriate teacher preparation and staff development programs. Includes 11…

California is field-testing a model to help new teachers become competent professionals via planning, teaching, reflecting, and applying. Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment/California Formative Assessment & Support System for Teachers acknowledges that teachers learn good practices gradually through consulting with colleagues and…

Georgia's plan to reward overall school improvement requires staff of participating schools to demonstrate attainment of four challenging goals: academic achievement gains, resource development, educational programming, and client involvement. This pay-for-performance program helped one elementary school achieve 90 percent of its goals the first…

A high school math teacher describes how U.S. schools unwittingly erode student learning by using assessments to emphasize the wrong goals. He claims that students have begun to see school as a "game" in which collecting the most points--seen as "capital" or wealth--leads them to success. Instead, he argues, assessment should…

In its 1982 long-range school improvement plan, the Muhlenberg (Pennsylvania) School District targeted mathematical computation skills, focusing on (1) developing a management information system to document student achievement; (2) redesigning the curriculum; (3) aligning regular and remedial mathematics programs; and (4) implementing a…