Comments on new Elementary Secondary Education Act, particularly the bill's national testing and school-choice provisions. (PKP)

Standardized tests cover acquired knowledge in reading, mathematics, and English. To avoid misuse of standardized tests school districts should use tests to diagnose individual learning needs and improve programs; and administer tests once a year in the fall semester so results help guide learning plans for students Contains a glossary of basic…

Discusses effectiveness of requiring students and parents to sign forms waiving schools' liability for students' sports injuries. Articulates rationale behind waivers and discusses recent cases in which courts invalidated waivers as violating public policy. Argues waivers are valid, enforceable contract against parents and do not violate public…

Describes how the budget can be used as a management tool (continuous-improvement plan) to help align district financial resources with school-reform efforts. Cites example of a continuous-improvement plan developed by the Ohio Department of Education. (PKP)

Describes an Illinois case involving the demotion of an elementary school principal with 5 years of experience to a classroom teacher. The former principal sued the district claiming that her state due-process rights were violated. The state court disagreed, entering a summary judgment for the district; later affirmed on appeal. Reviews other…

Argues that formal liberal education is being replaced, in high-risk sites like Ontario, by policies mandating teaching and learning activities that are aimed at serving the utilitarian needs of a corporate and globalized market place. Believes that "critical literacy" and "critical language awareness" offer Ontario education…

Offers a deconstructive commentary on the assumptions and paradigms found in community and leadership literature. (PKP)

Describes four-tier accountability system developed in the Dallas Independent School District through a districtwide planning process. Tier One focuses on the school level; Tier Two involves the district improvement plan; Tier Three relates to school-effectiveness indices; Tier Four involves the development of teacher-effectiveness indices.…

Discusses results of a study and report on the academic achievement of low-socioeconomic students. The study, conducted by Johns Hopkins University researchers Alexander, Entwisle, and Olson, appears in summer 2001 issue of "Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis." The report, "Raising Achievement and Reducing Gaps," by…

Describes problems related to two approaches to teacher-centered school reform: Wholesale restructuring and incremental modification. (PKP)

Describes anorexia and bulimia, two eating disorders that affect adolescent females more frequently than males. Discusses causes, effects, and treatments of these two eating disorders. Describes what teachers can do to identify students with these disorders and help those who suffer from them. (PKP)

Describes the design features of five schools and a performing arts center that received recognition from the TASB/TASA School Architecture Awards. Each entry contains photos, project information, and floor plans. (GR)

Discusses the effects on healing of attitude, positive thinking, and affirmations. Presents a mathematical example of hypothesis testing. Results point to the desirability of discussing such ideas with students to emphasize that the use of hypothesis testing is not simply a mechanical procedure. (ASK)

Discusses the importance of inquiry and discovery in science and mathematics education. Presents three science problems for students to develop their own solutions. Concludes that curriculum materials must engage and support teachers in the process of integrating mathematics and science. (ASK)

Teachers today must be much more aware of their students and what they bring into the classroom than teachers of a generation ago. This paper explains that to be a good teacher today, it is important to focus on relationships between people, and on hopes and dreams, rather than merely formulas and test scores. (SM)