March/April 2000

Abstracts

Successful School Reform Efforts Share Common Features
By Andreae Downs

Almost every public school teacher and administrator has had to grapple with the issue of standards and improving student performance. The question of how to implement new standards has become an essential one for educators at all levels, and a consensus seems to be emerging among school researchers about what kinds of reform work best. A focus on clearly defined goals, strong leadership that builds a sense of community, and quality assessment of student work are just some of the characteristics that can help a school or district raise standards. In this article, profiles of successful models of standards-based reform in both large school systems and individual schools reveal these common elements and illustrate how these reforms affect staff development and student learning.

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One Urban School's Adventures in Reform
By Andreae Downs

When the principal of the King Middle School in Portland, Maine, proposed that the school adopt the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound (ELOB) reform model, the staff approved, figuring that the slumping school had nothing to lose except its low test scores and morale. This article describes the elements of ELOB and how the King Middle School has thrived since adopting this model.

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Mining for Gold in a Mountain of Online Resources
By Bill Tally and Melissa Burns

This article describes the American Memory collections, the Library of Congress's extensive online archive of original historical material, including original documents, photographs, films, and audio recordings. The authors also discuss a related staff development project, the American Memory Fellows Program, which helps educators use the archives effectively and addresses the challenges that teachers and librarians face in finding and using relevant online material.

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Online Resources for Humanities Teaching and Learning
By Bill Tally and Melissa Burns

A list of helpful websites.

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