Describes three social studies projects tackled by students at the Bronx High School of Science: an extracredit activity on doing business in Manhattan, a citizen-participation project on fixing the United States, and a cooperative activity to identify problems common to Tokyo and New York City. Using the Internet to solve real-world problems…

Manandhar and Leslie describe literacy innovations conducted in Nepal by Save the Children US. Taladhar discusses a project in which postliterate Nepalese women produced a video, challenging stereotypes about women and technology and the myth that only professionals can use video technology. (SK)

Campus-activities programs are encouraged to make special efforts to teach student volunteers basic business skills to guide their thinking and decision-making in program administration. The program, its staff, students, institution, and associate members all benefit. A model for training and empowering students is outlined. (MSE)

A study investigated how providing choice opportunities to children (ages 5-9) with autism impacted their performance during teacher-assigned homework activities. Results showed that providing the students with opportunities to make choices regarding the order to task completion and use of stimulus materials improved participants' accuracy,…

Responding to disruptive or troubled pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) remains a highly topical issue. The challenges these children present relate to wider issues of continuing political concern: the perceived declining discipline in schools; school and social exclusion; the limits to inclusion for children with special…

This article discusses perceptions on child participation and responsible citizenship in Zimbabwe's secondary schools. A brief outlook on Zimbabwe's values education is provided followed by a discussion of theoretical frameworks on citizenship and polyarchy and what these mean to the school. The article analyses teacher and student perceptions on…

The issues of teacher empowerment and decentralized management have been a part of the educational reform agenda for decades. Recent legislation has required that leadership teams have teacher, support staff, and parent representation, and possibly student representation. Principals receive specific instructions from their Boards of Education as…

Although school restructuring often calls for modifying the roles and responsibilities of teachers, students, and administrators, most restructuring efforts involve educators, not students. A team of university researchers trained high school sophomores as documenters of the school restructuring process. These documenters helped develop the…

Explains how community service learning (CSL) is political and how teachers may transform their curriculum by engaging students in issues of social and personal empowerment. It explores how youth leadership in CSL projects offers a means for students to build a new sense of themselves as purposive actors with a commitment to building better…

A student staff inquiry project in one university's department of health education assessed the motivation and satisfaction of student staff and peer educators. Students created interview tools, collected and analyzed data, and developed recommendations. Through this student-driven process, several themes emerged (the need for more department…

Interviews with 35 students who participated in student-led Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings confirmed that students were able to describe the purpose and benefits of an IEP, their disabilities, and their rights. Observation of student participation in IEP meetings for five students verified that all participated throughout their…

Describes Project Friends, a mixed-age classroom of kindergartners, first graders, and second graders, including its beginnings, significant features (such as use of integrated thematic curriculum and "clubs"), and outcomes. Asserts that the program has empowered children for learning and encouraged helping relationships among children.…

This article describes the involvement of students with emotional and/or behavior disorders on effective student advisory boards. Examples are given of student advisory board input in elementary school conflict mediation and mentor programs, a middle school composure room program, and a high school in-school factory program. Stressed is the…

This article discusses the advantages of student-led conferences for students with and without disabilities and their families, including increased student involvement, student goal-setting, student reflection, and student responsibility. It describes the steps and positive results from one school district that has adopted the student-led…

Argues that student ownership of drama/theatre work encourages an unparalleled level of commitment and collaboration. Discusses four criteria signifying student ownership; teacher reluctance towards student ownership; effective roles for the teacher; and student benefits from ownership in drama work. (SR)