Educators can resolve the perennial conflict between those wanting to spare students the stigma of failure and those concerned with maintaining standards by adopting Carl Washburne's evaluation method. During the 1920s, Washburne proposed "adjusting the school to the child" by individualizing instruction and using evaluation to discover…

Reviews the portrayal of ethnic groups in American textbooks between 1970 and 1990. In the 1970s, African Americans received more thorough coverage than Hispanics, Asian Americans, and Euro-Americans. Whites are frequently villainized. Later texts provide more space, but no greater depth of coverage, and ignore white ethnic group distinctions and…

Secretary of Education from 1993-2001 under the Clinton Administration describes U.S. Department of Education efforts to increase academic standards in public schools, such as creating a workable accountability system, new pathways to college, and partnerships with state and local governments. Discusses the future of American education. (PKP)

Former Governor of North Carolina describes his efforts to improve the state's education system, to make it "First in America." Describes five educational goals related thereto: A smart start, excellent teaching, safe schools, high student performance, and business, community, and family support. Discusses implications of new federal…

When mayors take over education systems (as in Chicago, Boston, and Cleveland), school boards are big losers, and problems may persist. Mayoral takeovers happen for various reasons: bureaucratic dysfunction, diminishing faith in existing government structures, new demands on city governments, and perceived need for mayoral involvement. (Contains…

The student-centered learning practices associated with constructivism could benefit from the increased class time that block scheduling offers. But, in this article, the author observes, too often block scheduling is adopted as an end in itself, not as a tool to facilitate a specific pedagogical approach. The author expands on his observation in…

In this interview Harold G. Shane reminisces about the changes in education since the 1930s. He also speculates about developments that may influence the direction of education in the next century. (MD)

Past predictions of radical change in schools have failed to materialize. The reforms that do take root are limited, specific, and acceptable to those who implement them. Schools in the year 2000 may be similar to those of today but could be made more effective through incorporation of small changes. (PGD)

Describes the history of Alaska's extensive school construction project, which offers many of the state's 11,000-plus rural students their first opportunity to attend high school in their home villages. Geographic, technological, and cultural differences from the continental United States have made Alaska's system of secondary education unique.…

The second in a series, this article reviews the history and development of Nova High School in Ft. Lauderdale (Florida), one of the most widely hailed innovations of the 1960s. (Author/WD)

Sewall argues that Alan Singer's denial of religion signifies a crabbed, intolerant view of human nature. Wright reaffirms his observations about universal values like the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments. Lickona values religion's role in U.S. history, and Nord says religious viewpoints aid in understanding nature. (MLH)

Reviews the history of federal support for compensatory education from the conception of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1967 to its recasting as Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. Analyzes the reasons behind the the success of the federal effort. (PGD)

This essay criticizes as myths (1) a view of students as receptacles for information, (2) the assumption that new knowledge can be poured into an inelastic school year, and (3) the assurance that students are magically ready for work or college at 18. Instead, student motivation is offered as the key to reform. (MJL)