Reviews a research project of 15 years ago that investigated whether children were better or worse off when they attended preschools that emphasized adult-directed instruction and the basics of reading and math rather than preschools that focused on play and exploration. Now, the most effective early childhood classrooms nurture both children's…

Describes programs in several states that seek to ease students' transition to postsecondary education and careers by providing them with a range of learning options and ever-widening circles of experience that move them away from school. These programs tailor experiences and learning objectives to students' developmental levels and interests.…

Describes the curriculum and learning objectives at Academy X, a leadership and humanities school for 11th- and 12th-grade students at Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, California, the primary focus of which is a multiweek student internship divided into four components: the meaningful project, the essential question, the onsite…

In the last two years colleges and universities in 27 states have upgraded freshman admission criteria because of the inability of many high school graduates to do college work. However, the declining number of college-age students may contribute to the lowering of standards in the 1980s. (MLF)

The rift between academic and vocational education has been magnified by the physical isolation of vocational facilities. Vocational educators must abandon their apologetic soapboxes to help parents and students realize the vocational nature of almost all education. Dialogue is essential. Teachers must assume responsibility for educating all…

Although there are many gaps between schools and the workplace, encouraging changes include erosion of the walls separating academic and vocational programs; better information about necessary skills, knowledge, and habits of mind; and emerging systemic plans to address the school-to-work transition issue. Helping all students learn work-related…

Washington is one of several states adopting the Certificate of Initial Mastery, certifying that high school students have attained a high standard of achievement in core academic subjects and applied learning. The New Standards Partnership, comprising 17 member states and 6 school districts, has been developing the certificate system. State…

In a recent project involving two midwestern high schools, vocational and academic teachers participated in a project promoting interaction and mutual reinforcement. Innovative matches were found in agriculture and biology exchange classes, a technology outreach program, a study of world protein distribution, and a furniture marketing project. The…

High school is an inescapably vocational institution whose occupational focus is largely hidden. Integration of vocational and academic education through academies, occupationally focused schools, and occupational clusters may eliminate "shopping mall" course selections, improve teaching of all subjects, enhance student engagement with learning,…

Christian fundamentalists must cease their scapegoating of outcome-based education, since churches, like other organizations, are goal oriented, and OBE is neither public education's devil nor its savior. Since finances are limited, schools should focus on the cognitive/academic domain and embed affective outcomes within it. Making…

From fine-tuning muscular systems to integrating emotion and logic, the arts have important biological value. Motion and emotion are central to the arts and life itself. It is counterproductive to promote high performance standards while displacing skill development with computer technologies and reducing arts programs that move students from…

Although the traditionalists prefer a mandated curriculum and rigid top-down regulations, the outcome-based proponents are vague about the means for students to achieve compulsory end results. Neither approach is appropriate, since each is based on a coercive model. One Christian academy balances a traditionalist approach in the affective domain…

The "Passages" program is a curriculum that integrates heart, spirit, and community with strong academics. The program inspires feelings of connectedness in teenagers by addressing their unspoken needs: the search for meaning and purpose, longing for silence and solitude, urge for transcendence, hunger for joy and delight, creative…