Moving teacher evaluation systems from measuring teachers' performance to improving their practice requires much greater attention to communication and support. In the fall of 2012, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) instituted a sweeping reform of its teacher evaluation system with the introduction of REACH Students (Recognizing Educators Advancing…

Discusses schools that have successfully accepted students with AIDS, describes recent court cases involving suits against schools refusing admittance to students with AIDS, and reviews school policies about AIDS cases in the schools. Includes discussion of the Center for Disease Control's AIDS guidelines as well as sidebars with the incidence of…

When the parents of school age children have significant relationships with their children's schoolmates, a particularly strong school-community relationship forms. Public schools in the United States are best organized to serve such functional, neighborhood communities, which are rapidly disappearing. School reorganization might renew community…

In developing criterion-referenced reading tests, staff in a Skokie (Illinois) school district answered parents' concerns about accountability, participated in a valuable inservice learning experience, and achieved coordination between elementary and junior high programs. (Author/WD)

Data from four case studies of schools committed to educational reform point to four attributes characterizing school leaders who are effective change agents. Such leaders are child-centered, collaborate with multiple constituencies, process a wide variety of information, and are expert communicators. Suggestions on transforming present-day…

Plenty of state policies have been noteworthy in 2004, but one that had major impact went into effect in Illinois, where the governance of education was significantly restructured. S.B. 3000 (the Education Reform and Accountability Act of 2004) gives the governor greater influence over education through his or her control of the state board of…

In 1987, the Illinois State Board of Education committed itself to adopt and expand policies, procedures, and programs addressing the problems of at-risk children and youth. To address issues involving early intervention, early childhood education, minority achievement, urban education, truancy prevention, and alternative education, the board…

Reviews precedents, at the state level, to the movement for education reform. Reports, by year and state, on first reactions to reform. Outlines topics touched by state reform efforts, summarizes unifying themes, and predicts the future of reform. Includes a table of states requiring testing for initial certification of teachers. (IW)