What happens when some of the lowest-performing high schools in the state of California make a commitment to reform themselves? This book goes inside the reform efforts of 28 high schools where educators collaborated to fundamentally change expectations for students -- in effect, to prepare all students for postsecondary education. By challenging the status quo, teachers and administrators set out to strengthen their delivery of services so that all students, especially those traditionally denied access to college, would leave their care with more options for college and for life. Reported here are the conclusions from formal evaluations over the past ten years of high school reform shepherded by the California Academic Partnership Program (CAPP). CAPP schools are each funded for three to five years, with grants of about $100,000 a year, to make fundamental changes for their students. As these schools discovered, not all changes are equally valuable, but some are simply essential. In the words of the educators themselves and through the perspectives of CAPP advisors who monitored the programs,Inside High School Reformlays out some of the apparently universal lessons of making the reform changes that matter.

In this moving volume, successful and respected teachers from across the country reveal how recent top-down education policies have played out in their schools and classrooms in negative and counterproductive ways, and offer teacher-led alternatives for providing equitable, engaging, and empowering education. Framed by critical analyses of the major trends and policies enacted over the past fifteen years, Inside Our Schools adds to the understanding of unintended consequences of policy on classroom practice as well as the limits of current policies--uninformed by the actual conditions that teachers face--to improve teaching and learning. It also reveals the honest struggles of educators seeking to do the right thing for students in the face of enormous obstacles, underscoring the need to inject teacher voices and perspectives in education policy making going forward. "In this powerful collection, Brett Gardiner Murphy has gathered together an impressive group of teachers to reflect on the day-to-day challenges and joys of teaching within the current difficult sociopolitical context. Inside Our Schools provides sobering reflections of how our public schools have lost their way, and what needs to be done to restore hope and confidence in them. The book is a poignant reminder of the crucial role of public education in a democratic society." --Sonia Nieto, professor emerita, language, literacy, and culture, College of Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst "What a relief--and how sadly unusual it is--to hear about education and reform from the people actually doing the educating. This book provides twenty-five sobering and enlightening accounts of teaching in our time, organized under five masterfully summarized themes. A valuable book for policy makers, practitioners, and parents." --Mike Rose, author of Possible Lives: The Promise of Public Education in America Brett Gardiner Murphy is the director of strategic projects at the Posse Foundation and a former New York City public school history teacher.

Two international leaders offer important insights into the ways in which the discipline of science education has developed and how school curriculum has been shaped by both scientific discovery and social change. J Myron Atkin (U.S.) and Paul Black (U.K.) share their vast and varied experiences in this historical account that chronicles the many developments in the field from the end of World War II to the present. The chapters in this volume cover: the aims and politics of science education, curriculum development, subject matter boundaries, pedagogy and learning, assessment and evaluation, educational research and practice, and the teaching profession. Each theme is introduced in its historical and philosophical context, with current issues emphasized. The authors then analyze these themes by drawing on relevant episodes from their transatlantic careers. These episodes act as a springboard for developing insights into each theme, including comparisons between educational practices in the United States and the United Kingdom. Featuring compelling examples and a cohesive presentation, this groundbreaking volume is essential reading for anyone making decisions about the future of science education.

Reform the schools, improve teaching: these battle cries of American education have been echoing for twenty years. So why does teaching change so little? Arguing that too many would-be reformers know nothing about the conflicting demands of teaching, Mary Kennedy takes us into the controlled commotion of the classroom, revealing how painstakingly teachers plan their lessons, and how many different ways things go awry. Teachers try simultaneously to keep track of materials, time, students, and ideas. In their effort to hold all of these things together, they can inadvertently quash students' enthusiasm and miss valuable teachable moments. Kennedy argues that pedagogical reform proposals that do not acknowledge all of the things teachers need to do are bound to fail. If reformers want students to learn, they must address all of the problems teachers face, not just those that interest them.

How effective is whole-school high school reform, such as the Schools-Within-Schools (SWS) model? What benefits does it have for students and in which areas does it fall short? This book seeks to answer these questions through the compelling stories of five public high schools that have embraced the SWS method. In order to fully understand the effectiveness of such a system, Valerie Lee and Douglas Ready have delved into every aspect of the reform in these settings, including participants’ reactions, curriculum structures, governance and leadership, and the allocation of students to the schools. The result is a thoughtful look at the SWS model that considers the benefits and problems of implementation, along with issues of equity and access. Provides the first comprehensive, systematic report on the Schools-Within-Schools reform. Offers suggestions for how this popular high school reform can be implemented to work for all students, not just the most academically able or socially advantaged. Follows five schools for several years to determine the long-term results of the reform.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In the race to save a failing public high school, one principal finds that making the numbers is only the beginning Being principal of Reagan High in Austin, Texas, was no dream assignment. Test scores were low, dropout rates were high, and poverty was endemic. But when Anabel Garza took the job, she started something no one expected. Racing against a deadline just to make the numbers, she set out to rebuild the kind of school that once unified neighborhoods across America. By her side, a basketball coach showed kids they could be winners, a young science teacher showed them they could learn, and a community rallied around a treasured institution. In this powerful rejoinder to the prevailing winds of education policy, Michael Brick takes readers inside the high-pressure world of a school on the brink. Paying overdue tribute to a vital American tradition—the great American high school—Saving the School exposes the flaws of a broken system but also tells an inspiring story of faith, hope, and perseverance.