Standardized testing is a top priority in schools, with conversations around teaching and learning reduced to raising student test scores. Often any other conversations about how schools should serve students are eliminated or pushed to the periphery. The central questions raised here are the following: how are student-teacher relationships…

Schools are a reflection of culture and national character and should transmit these ideas through the teaching of history and government. Generally considered "civic" instruction, this subject is sorely neglected--an opinion shared by both sides of the partisan divide. A new initiative called Educating for American Democracy (EAD) wants…

In the early years of the twentieth century, the great structural, social and cultural changes in American society included a growing number of immigrants arriving from the poorest regions of Europe. For the first time, the issues of immigration, assimilation and social integration became the most important problems facing American society. In the…

The purpose of the study was to explore the current perceptions of adults who were enrolled in the gifted program of the St. Louis Public Schools in the fall of 1959 or spring of 1960. At this time in history the Cold War was a reality and the U.S. enacted the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) to find talented young people and give them the…

The author recounts and analyzes her experiences to incorporate a liberatory practice into a public school setting. The article is comprised of excerpts from a seminar paper she wrote in December of 2001, at the conclusion of her first semester of teaching, interspersed with commentary written from her present perspective. In the sections from the…

This paper reports the overall findings of research on effective teaching practices in Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS). It is a cross-case analysis of five earlier studies (Biology, Algebra I, U.S. History, middle school Algebra I, and English I). Despite subject implementation differences, four common themes were found: (1) high academic…

In cities across the United States, working-class communities of color find themselves struggling against inequities deepened by state disinvestment. Students at the Center--a writing initiative based in several public high schools in New Orleans over the last decade--has been a part of this struggle and embraces a pedagogy rooted in the voices,…

Current demographic trends are contributing to a rapid increase in religious, racial, and ethnic diversity in the United States. This article provides a rationale for teaching about religious diversity, particularly Islam, in public schools and the vital role religion has played in American history. The article provides readers with important…

Reviews the development of the Louisville, Kentucky, public school music program from its establishment in 1844 to its suspension in 1879. Examines rationales for introducing music into the curriculum; debates over teaching methods; and choices of music curricula. Uses primary sources, including minutes and annual reports of the Louisville school…

This article presents a conversation with James Loewen. Loewen is an author, historian, and professor. In a recent conversation with the author, he shared his views on how American Indian topics and events are traditionally taught and offered his insights into what teachers can do to accommodate multiple perspectives in their examination of…

A research study was undertaken to determine how U.S. history is taught and what is learned in Indiana public high schools. The objectives of the study included: (1) to ascertain the status of U.S. history in Indiana public schools; (2) to compare results of data with national literature; (3) to identify what is actually taught; (4) to ascertain…

Questions of what to teach and what ought to be taught in the public schools are explored. Before addressing the current controversy about content in education, it is important to know as precisely as possible what has actually been taught and whether the teachings have been effective. The content of school history, literature, and language is…

Contends that a common concern of college faculty is the unpreparedness of incoming freshmen for the demands of college scholarship. Asserts that the public schools have sacrificed educational quality for public relations and the personal advancement of teachers and administrators. (CFR)

America's leading historian of education recounts a lifetime in the cause of responsible school reform. Diane Ravitch's blow-by-blow description of run-ins with Afrocentrist firebrand Leonard Jeffries, misguided feminists at the AAUW, the language sensitivity police, and others offers a fascinating perspective on how the education establishment…

Asserts that intended audience size for academic historians and other historians is a major barrier between the two groups. Concludes that cooperation between precollege teachers and historians is necessary and that teachers should have more voice in curriculum development. (CFR)