The physical, psychological, cultural, social, and organizational elements of a learning environment are as important as the learning opportunities themselves. The Apple Store blends retail and school into a new type of learning environment that lets the customer learn anything, at any time, at any level, from experts, expert practitioners, and…

Despite widespread consensus that children's social, ethical, and intellectual development are equally important, many school-improvement efforts still fail to grapple with all three facets. This article describes how an award-driven science fair was redesigned to challenge and motivate students, encourage cooperation and problem solving, and…

Describes the School Enrichment Model (SEM), a systematic set of strategies for increasing student effort, enjoyment, and performance and for integrating varied advanced learning experiences and higher-order thinking skills into existing curriculum or school organization patterns. SEM enhances three key school-improvement dimensions: the act of…