Background/Context: Most community colleges across the country use a placement test to determine students' readiness for college-level coursework, yet these tests are admittedly imperfect instruments. Researchers have documented significant problems stemming from overreliance on placement testing, including placement error and misdiagnosis of…

Background/Context: Despite calls for equity in education, the dominant mode of schooling reproduces hierarchies, positioning some students as bright, gifted, or fast learners and others as lazy, in need of remediation, or slow. A number of studies have shown that teachers' professional communities and networks can address this problem and enhance…

Background/Context: Despite calls for equity in education, the dominant mode of schooling reproduces hierarchies, positioning some students as bright, gifted, or fast learners and others as lazy, in need of remediation, or slow. A number of studies have shown that teachers' professional communities and networks can address this problem and enhance…

Background: In light of the growing complexity of schoolwork, it is important that faculty members move away from isolated learning toward a more collective type of thinking regarding teaching and learning issues. Purpose: Whereas collective learning has mostly been approached from a deficit-based orientation (finding/solving problems and…

Background/Context: This study builds upon research on teacher professional communities and high school restructuring reforms. It employs a conceptual framework that draws upon theories of "community of practice" and "community of learners." Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study analyzes how teachers' professional inquiry…

Background/Context: With the growth of the small-school movement, many urban districts have restructured large underperforming high schools into new, small high schools or schools-within-a-school designed to engage adolescents in rigorous and meaningful learning along with strong teacher-student relationships. In the case of this study, the…

Discusses increased demand for higher education among high school students and the consequences of this trend: growth of two-year institutions, an increase in dropout or "stopout" rates among college students, and a probable increase in remedial courses in colleges. (SM)

Universities can contribute significantly to the improvement of human welfare by directing academic resources toward solving problems. They need a radical mission-oriented focus devoted to using reason to improve the human condition and local public schools and school districts. The article describes programs that have succeeded to this end. (SM)