Early 21st-century jobs will be predominantly in the service area; only 20% will require high-level cognitive skills. Curriculum goals and standards should not serve the job market, but should foster humanistic ends and involve students in compelling social, political, environmental, and artistic issues. Higher standards are unattainable without…

To hear many educators tell it, their biggest problem these days is America's high expectations of school performance. The media keep repeating how the global economy soon will require nearly all young Americans to be fully prepared for post-secondary education. Legislators keep ratcheting up state-imposed and No Child Left Behind thresholds and…

Used alone, mandated standards and tests provide a dangerously narrow approach to accountability. Superintendents' proper response is layering and realignment-working to improve standards' validity and contribution to school improvement. Superintendents should provide leadership that increases schools' adaptability and spurs environmental changes.…

Led by Chicago Public Schools, many districts have adopted strict retention and promotion policies, often abandoning social-promotion programs that pushed students ahead with their peers regardless of achievement. Research shows that grade repetition is a strong predictor for dropping out. Summer, weekend, and transitional programs are partly…