Presents a brief history of charter schools, summarizes important elements, discusses key lessons from the charter school movement, and explores some unanswered questions. Charter schools can positively affect student achievement, attendance, and attitude; often focus on low- and moderate-income youngsters; provide talented educators with…

Although seriously needing clarification and cleanup, California's charter legislation is demonstrating its capacity as an educational policy power tool. The legislation favors strong elements of the existing system, including dedicated, forward-thinking staff, boards, and union leaders. Weak elements--micromanaging boards, unsupportive central…

The Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching (FIRST) was created in 1988 to encourage and reward innovative educational projects. The subsidiary Family/School Partnership program awards federal grants to local education agencies promoting a better balance between home and school education practices. This article lists grant…

Students and teachers in Pierce School District in Arbuckle, California, re-enacted an 1840s wagon train. Staff and students dressed authentically, turning thrift-store outfits into period garb. The 4-day simulation instilled knowledge in students and helped them think more critically. True instructional innovation comes from the bottom up. (MLH)

Describes the pilot year of the Project for School Innovation, a Boston charter-school initiative to bring together charter and district schools to cultivate innovation in public education. A major goal of the project is to overcome the shortcomings in teacher professional development through professional empowerment, professional networks, and…

Perhaps what is needed for the entire educational system is to find and utilize a special group of people to operate nontraditionally at all levels within that system. Perhaps that group of people should have a special name -- what about teachers? (Author)

The Harambee schools make up 75 percent of all secondary schools in Kenya, but only 7 percent of students enrolled in the University of Nairobi have attended these schools. Describes a typical Harambee school in Uvumbi and discusses serious problems schools are experiencing throughout Kenya, despite correct recognition that education is major…

Describes a school that emphasizes short-term goals to help achieve self-confidence. The adolescent program includes four interconnecting parts: the academic classroom; home economics; industrial arts; and an evening program of art, music, guidance, and physical education. (Author/JF)

In all fairness, administrators who have implemented innovative" programs should provide candid, down-to-earth descriptions and analyses of these programs to other educators seeking panaceas for educational ills -- only after such programs have been tried and found worthwhile. (EA)

Describes deficiencies in the Ball-Bogatz evaluation of Sesame Street" and suggests that this program might increase rather than decrease the deficit for disadvantaged children. (JF)

Discusses need for development of higher education study programs that give due recognition to America's extensive black sub-culture and are designed to help Negro Americans realize their legitimate social goals of recognition and achievement. (JK)

Familiar high school problems include unprepared and apathetic students, inadequate teachers' salaries and benefits, and outmoded grade-level systems. Improvement requires new schooling models including clearer goals, advancement linked to skills mastery, promotion of thinking skills, less fragmented school time, elimination of age-grading, less…

Outlines the concepts in and the implications for educators of the Club of Rome's new study, "No Limits to Learning: Bridging the Human Gap," which asserts that the human learning system lies at the heart of the world's troubles and at the heart of the answer to those troubles. (Author/IRT)

When parents and educators are dismayed by the younger generation's declining skills, future orientation, and interest in success, they should direct their concern to the interplay between "video Valhalla," narcissistic consumerism, and open education in today's enculturative processes. (Author/IRT)