In 1973, the founding administrator of a Long Island high school proposed adoption of a student advisory system, team teaching in the humanities, and no academic department chairs. Convinced that having chairs diminished teachers' stature, this principal successfully encouraged teachers to work together to develop curriculum, prepare budgets, hire…

Profiles James Comer's success at directing the Yale Child Study Center and implementing the School Development Project in predominantly black, low-income school districts. Today, a training program called the Comer Project for Change in Education is operating in more than 600 schools in 82 districts and 26 states. Comer's proudest achievement is…

Richard Sterling, executive director of nation's largest inservice training project, discusses his plans to enlarge the scope of the National Writing Project and place it at center of school reform. With 160 sites in 45 states and Puerto Rico, this 25-year-old project brings together expert teachers for extended summer training. Teachers…

Hirsch, author of "Cultural Literacy" (1987), wishes that progressive instructional methods were carefully monitored to see whether kids are actually learning. An "anti-subject-matter" orientation suits middle-class students better than kids from less educated families. Most elementary curricula stress "tool skills"…