Category Archives: Reform

Graduation For All

January 13, 2010 – 4:11 pm

Here are a couple of very interesting and extensive articles on graduation rates and the need to promote graduation for all students.  The first article talks mostly about the graduation gap between the upper 2/3 of high school students and the lower 1/3, made up mostly of urban, low-income African American and Latino students.  The [...]

By Peter Wieczorek | Also posted in Alternatives, Articles, At risk programs, Policy, Reports | Comments (0)

New Center for Research on Digital Media and Learning

November 9, 2009 – 6:44 pm

There’s little doubt that the Internet will transform schooling (read choices) and how students learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. A newly-created Digital Media and Learning Research Hub at the University of California-Irvine will explore the impact of digital media on learning and its potential for transforming education.  The Center is funded by a $2.97 million grant from [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, Education Revolution, Lifelong learning, Online learning, Personalized Educ, Reports, Research, Technology | Comments (0)

Constitutional Law Change Proposed

September 15, 2009 – 4:21 pm

David Bly, former President of the Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs and a co-founder of IALA has written a powerful booklet, The Middle Class Amendment, which you can read online. Bly, a Representative from Northfield, is a member of the Minnesota Legislature. While IALA does not make political endorsements, we think the topic of interest to alternative educators [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Statutes | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Building a Better Test?

August 26, 2009 – 11:41 am

After school budgets, testing remains one of the most controversial and talked about subjects among administrators, teachers, parents and students.  Edutopia has an interesting article along with several links regarding the future of standardized testing.  The article Reinventing the BIG test  http://www.edutopia.org/reinventing-big-test-the-challenge-of-authentic-assessment  gives examples of several promising alternative assessments to the standardized multiple choice tests that [...]

By Peter Wieczorek | Also posted in Alternatives, Articles, Survey | Comments (0)

School Choice Expanding Worldwide

July 16, 2009 – 8:35 pm

Since the early 1990s when the nation’s first charter school was opened in St. Paul, MN, the scope and availability of school-based options to parents has steadily expanded in the U.S. and abroad. No longer can traditional education be a public monopoly. Sponsored by the National Center on School Choice (NCSC), this 648 page ($115) Handbook of [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Charter schools, Choices, Magnet schools, Policy, Research, Vouchers | Comments (0)

Technology’s Impact on Students

June 9, 2009 – 7:13 am

Several recent articles outline the uses of technology in the classroom and give readers lots to think about.  
The first article deals with the effects of technology on students throughout their education. Lenovo to Research Tech’s Effect on Learning: Global Education Research project will study how technology affects education in and after school, from kindergarten through higher education.

Another article [...]

By Peter Wieczorek | Also posted in Articles, Online learning, Reports, Research, Technology | Comments (0)

Valuable Resources on Alternative Education

February 26, 2009 – 5:01 pm

Here are useful resources with links to other sites:
Brief descriptions in Summary of Educational Models include: Accelerated Schools, America’s Choice, Big Picture, Communities in Schools, EdVisions, Job Corps, Youth Build and 17 more.
The Alternative High School Initiative (AHSI) is a network of youth development organizations with over 258 sites nationwide for creating educational opportunities for [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, High schools, Policy, Reports, Research, Students | Comments (0)

Learning Outside the Ivy Walls

October 12, 2008 – 1:42 pm

Recently, I attended the Macalester College celebration and was struck by the number of community based and service learning opportunities touted as powerful for their students. In fact, there was little mention of conventional educational practices of courses, classes and lectures. Mentioned were international experiences with businesses, embassies, human rights, peace organizations, world hunger and local [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Choices, Students, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

A Most Remarkable Book

October 9, 2008 – 8:10 pm

IALA promotes educational choices and there would not be the compelling call for change in district schools if they engaged students more. Here are my comments about an amazing book by an extraordinary teacher in a most democratic program.
If Holden Caulfield Were In My Classroom: Inspiring Love, Creativity and Intelligence in Middle School Students by [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Democratic schools, Personalized Educ, Private schools, Students | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Democratic Education Resources and IDEC Conference

August 26, 2008 – 10:00 am

Dana Bennis has started a website specifically devoted to promoting democratic education  and can be reached personally at dana.bennis@yahoo.com. Dana has a long standing interest in democratic education having studied it in several countries and being part of a democratic school. He advocates giving students voice in decisions about their education and their school’s operation. You will [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Choices, Democratic schools, Research, Students | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Radical New Kind of School Proposed

July 4, 2008 – 1:08 pm

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick proposed Readiness Schools, as a radical departure from conventional district schools according to an article in the Boston Globe. Officials said these schools would be “freed from many constraints imposed by unions, school districts, and the state. The readiness schools would adapt to community needs and offer new alternatives in school [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Charter schools, Reports, Statutes | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Singapore: Teach Less, Learn More!

June 22, 2008 – 8:40 pm
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in International Educ, Part 21st Cent Skills, Personalized Educ, Students | Comments (0)

Questions Raised about High Standards/Testing

June 22, 2008 – 12:55 pm

‘Restoring Value’ to the High School Diploma: The Rhetoric and Practice of Higher Standards, a new report raises serious questions about the standards and testing movement as a vehicle for reforming high schools. It starts, “Four themes emerge from the fray: that standards and rigor are too low; that the high school has lost its [...]

By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, High schools, Policy, Reports, Research | Comments (0)

Baccalaureate Degree at Community Colleges!

May 15, 2008 – 11:07 am
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, Choices, Policy | Comments (0)

Early College High Schools Grow Dramatically

May 14, 2008 – 10:46 am
By Wayne Jennings | Also posted in Alternatives, At risk programs, Choices, Early College HS, Middle college schools, Policy | Comments (0)