Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are approaches to help us to understand and improve the world. Therefore, as a country, we need to develop more STEM literate citizens through exemplary STEM learning in schools. This report asks four questions that are answered through five case studies: (1) What is exemplary STEM learning?; (2)…

Sixty-six school districts and more than 150 schools in the state of Kansas are participating in the Kansans Can Redesign Project. In this article, we present a case study of using Design Thinking as a systemic process to structure continuous school improvement. The collage of real-life scenarios presented in our case shows the integration of…

Since 2002 the federal government has required states to have accountability systems that measure the quality of schools. When the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act ushered in the accountability era nationwide, it did so with the ambitious goal of ensuring that by 2014 "all children . . . reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state…

In the report, "Addressing Education Inequality with a Next Generation of Community Schools: A Blueprint for Mayors, States, and the Federal Government" (ED614128) the Brookings Institution's Task Force on Next Generation Community Schools recommends the transformation of U.S. schools into community schools. This executive summary of the…

During few times in America's history has leadership in education been more critical. Far too many communities continue to face the enduring impacts of systematic racism and generational poverty. The nation's schools have also been impacted by COVID-19 and, for many, the effects are staggering and could last for years. At the same time, as the…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines No Child Left Behind, focusing on innovation to better meet the needs of students. The questions addressed are: (1) What is your State, district, or school doing to implement innovative approaches to improve academic outcomes for students, particularly low-income and…

In the United States, people think of elementary and secondary education as fundamentally different from higher education. The first two levels are where students are expected to learn the building blocks for lifelong learning, while college is meant to confer higher-order thinking and more-specialized skills. How students are treated flows…

The gap between the levels of learning that education systems are providing and what children, communities and economies need, is growing. The breadth and depth of this learning crisis constitute the greatest global challenge to preparing children and adolescents for life, work and active citizenship. The lesson of the learning crisis is clear:…

This case study asks readers to consider what leadership actions might help to sustain success for immigrant students in a small urban high school when the leader leaves. Principal Michael Perez, the founding principal of Romero High School, has been recruited to become the superintendent of a first-ring suburban district with rapidly changing…

America's education system faces enormous challenges that need to be addressed urgently and systemically. Greater emphasis is now being placed on ensuring that every student, including low-income students and students of color, achieve their potential, but major challenges remain. Far too many public schools have not changed quickly enough to meet…

The purpose of this "Handbook" is to bolster the effective implementation of the intervention models and strategies outlined in the "2010 School Improvement Grant" (SIG) program--section 1003(g) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)--in order to achieve the program's clear goal--rapid improvement of persistently…

Congress has the opportunity to move forward on education reform by reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA, to ensure all children achieve their greatest potential. Unfortunately, it has yet to find the will to do so, to the detriment of American students and schools. ESEA is the largest and most significant federal…

An argument for institutional concentration on the student rather than on the search for institutional diversity. This concentration will require effective innovations in instructional methods. (PG)

The widespread feeling that college officials neglect and ignore student needs in the college curriculum, as well as a concern for the alternatives available to students in the area of general education precipitated the development of this program. The program's directions and goals are systematically elaborated in this report. The basic direction…

Describes how the question "What's driving you crazy?" is used by Hawaii middle-level educators to improve working conditions and meet students' needs by making schools more developmentally responsive. Focuses on the 6-step collaborative, inquiry-based innovation process at two private, multi-level schools embedded within K-8 or 6-12…