July/August 1998

Issue Abstracts

Full-Service Schools Respond to Families' Needs
Quality of collaborations is a major factor in their success

by Peggy Farber

Abstract: To many, the rise of full-service schools means there is a safe place for students to go after school to extend what they've learned during the day. But in fact they do much more than that: school-based human services programs across the country are helping poor and middle-class families deal with an array of social problems. The key to the success of these programs, says researcher Joy Dryfoos in this article, is to involved the school community--especially parents--in determining how the school's services can best serve those they aim to help. Further, integrating social services into overall reform efforts can lead to better results.

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Discussing Student Work Gives Teachers New Perspective
Project Zero's "Rounds" adapts a medical tradition for teachers

by Nancy Walser

Abstract: Once a month, teachers from around the country are coming together to discuss student work in a process called "Rounds"- a concept borrowed from the medical tradition. These discussions, which are sponsored by Harvard University's Project Zero, give teachers a chance to present student work to their colleagues, and then to get their impressions, reactions, and other feedback. The idea is to give teachers a fresh perspective on work they have previously evaluated, and to find new ways to approach their students' problems and strengths based on their colleagues' comments. HEL's Nancy Walser, who sat in on Rounds last April, gives an inside look at the process in this article.

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