Professional study groups have been a dominant feature of the Richmond County (Georgia) Schools' educational improvement efforts since 1987. Study groups offer a structure that turns all individuals into learners eager to assume responsibility for their own learning and that of colleagues and students. The principal's active participation is a key…

Special education has effectively rescued many individual children, but its cost has drained resources required to improve classroom instruction for all children. Following the medical model of diagnosing the patient and prescribing remedies must yield to a systems approach to intervention design. Coteaching integrates children into regular…

Presents five definitions of "systemic change," ranging from "working with school districts or education departments to effect change" (vertical approach) to "working with every school in a system" or "working with every aspect of the school system (horizontal approaches). "Systemic" can also mean…

Teachers at a central California high school operate the school according to a strict, progressive set of principles. The Anzar communication guidelines specify teachers' commitment to communicating well, collective ownership of problems and problem solving, tolerance of differing ideas, individual accountability, dedication to helping and…

CREST (Collaborative Redesign of Educational Systems) is an intensive, year-long, field-based teacher preparation program that blends theory with practice. Each student teacher is taught at a specific school within the Arlington (Texas) Independent School District and joins an instructional leadership team comprised of a mentor teacher, university…

Developing cooperative structures such as cooperative learning in classrooms, collegial teacher support groups, and collegial administrative relationships within the district will contribute to school effectiveness. Necessary elements are positive interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability, social skills, and group…

Poorly organized and dominated by amateurs, hucksters, and marketeers, the net requires efficient navigating devices. Students at Bellingham (Washington) Public Schools tackle information overload by contributing to virtual museums on school Web sites, using annotated Web curriculum lists, and conducting research in cooperative teams stressing…

Principals help teachers become more reflective practitioners by providing a supportive environment, using specific facilitative behaviors (asking questions, informally critiquing, and questioning program irregularities), and enabling program implementation. Principals create a supportive environment by encouraging justification of practice,…

Prospective charter schools in California must address educational design, outcomes, assessment methods, governance, staffing qualifications, health and safety procedures, racial balance, admission requirements, retirement benefits, employees' rights, financial audit procedures, expulsion and suspension procedures, and attendance alternatives.…

As middle managers in the educational enterprise, principals are pressured by groups with goals at odds with their own. After attempting to resolve three thorny ethical dilemmas, one female principal realized that conflicts are more often caused by superiors and government agencies than by students, parents, and teachers. The question arises: is…

Policymakers sometimes view arts education and experiential learning as distractions from the goal of enabling all students to master rigorous content standards. The three school programs described in this article, however, demonstrate that content standards can be integrated into engaging, motivating curriculums based on the arts and authentic…

The Model U.N. is a popular experiential learning program that engages students through cooperative-learning techniques and multicultural education. Every year over 60,000 U.S. secondary and college students participate in role-play simulations of United Nations meetings. Students are challenged intellectually, enjoy stimulating group activities,…

In Monroe County (Indiana), an innovative new state program, Technology Preparation, ensures that high school students' coursework offers practical applications of academic concepts to real-life situations. The 4MAT model helped teachers build the Tech Prep program by sensitizing them to individual learning styles, including their own. (MLH)

Although many parents and educators hesitate to involve children in a regular course of drug therapy, Ritalin often proves beneficial to Attention Deficit Disorder sufferers. Diana, an intelligent, easily distracted middle schooler, was helped by a team approach using evaluation, remediation, behavioral therapy, medication, and a supportive…

One first-grade teacher integrated character education into the existing curriculum. She used a job chart to teach responsibility and teamwork, and helped the class develop a constitution. Her framework was based on the Character Counts! Coalition's crucial character traits: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and…