Vermont's town meeting tradition is flourishing and will help determine the future of curriculum development for the state's half-million residents. The Vermont Common Core, a compact with rigorous expectations for educational planners, faces two challenges: remaining open to new ideas and reigniting grass-roots involvement. (MLH)

Much confusion exists today among board of education members and superintendents about governance roles, especially when a district is low performing and the public is demanding bold reform. Part of the confusion comes from the definition of reform. To many Americans, school reform means fine-tuning what education historian David B. Tyack calls…

In August 2004, Mobile County Public School System (MCPSS) in Alabama launched a bold new effort to transform its lowest achieving schools. The changes at George Hall Elementary testify to how the commitment of a district to aggressively address issues of systemic educational inequity can turn schools around. This report tells the story of the…

Lesson study, the dominant form of professional development for teachers in Japan, has spread rapidly in the U.S. since 1999. In this article, the authors discuss the growth and success of lesson study at Highlands Elementary School in California's San Mateo-Foster City School District and identify conditions needed for scale-up. They also discuss…

Despite the blizzard of reform activity since 1983, neither state legislation nor state education department mandates have diminished the failure rates of at-risk youngsters. One-third of all elementary students are at risk of failing academically. This paper reviews past state department of education reform efforts and suggests innovative ways…

A school board's proposal to require secondary school students to repeat all required courses in which they received grades of D or F would probably result in significant, unintended increases in enrollment, overcrowding of facilities, and a need to hire many additional staff members. Analysis of the district's current procedures, which deny…

Article considered the establishment of industrial education in Canada and the close relationship between educational change and broader social reform. (Editor/RK)

Author evaluated the role of trustees in colleges and suggested ways to overcome the abuses of accrediting agencies. (RK)

This model is proposed as an instrument for describing the process of change in school systems. It is a composite of ideas derived from the findings of researchers in the fields of agriculture and education, and from authors' observations of the change process in five Wisconsin school districts. The model describes the flow of the change process…

In this address some of the possible consequences of voucher plan adoption are considered. Areas of concern are (1) the degree of change from the present system, (2) the lack of incentive for new entrepreneurs to provide alternatives, (3) the effects on the concepts of the comprehensive school and heterogeneity, and (4) the changed roles of the…

Current agendas of the California State Department of Education, the California State Board of Education, and the California State Legislature are examined. Some part of each agenda has potential for impact on the social studies area of instruction. (RM)

Posits several ways of interpreting the finding that, nine months to one year after its publication, "A Nation at Risk" had had no direct impact on policies in public school districts in Louisiana. Questions the function of national commissions and whether their work can produce any lasting changes. (RDN)

"Education officials need to furnish leadership in school elections.... An unsuccessful election reduces educational opportunities for students" (Kimbrough and Nunnery, 1971, p. 4). Who can argue with this simple statement? Providing effective leadership, however, is not that easy. Research and practice have yet to yield an election formula that…

School jurisdiction plans and reports align with and build on Alberta Education's vision, mission, goals and outcomes for the basic education system. They help ensure that the entire learning system is focused on key priorities that meet the educational needs of Alberta students. At the same time, jurisdiction plans and reports incorporate local…