Denise Fawcett Facey

Are you as tired as I am of the bullying, cyber-bullying and other mean-spirited behaviors we so often hear about among teens in the news? If so, a recent news story about Washington Township High School, in New Jersey, is a refreshing change. For the past nine years, guidance counselors there have quietly maintained a freshmen orientation program in which 25 upperclassmen assist the staff in preparing incoming freshmen to make the transition from middle school to high school. Convening for a four-day camp about a month before school begins, freshman learn the layout of the school building as they follow their new class schedules, moving from class to class. Then, in addition to (more…)

For every parent who wonders why his or her child hates reading, Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen, educators at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, may have found the answer: choice. That’s right, giving students a choice of reading materials makes all the difference. And offering students free books, not only seals the deal, but also prevents the “summer slide” of decreased reading ability that educators often note, particularly in low-income students, after summer break.

Following two groups of randomly selected first- and second-grade students over the course of three years, (more…)

With the news so often filled with negativity concerning education — low test scores, high dropout rates, educators found cheating on high-stakes exams — I’m thrilled beyond measure by the achievements of the Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men. Begun four years ago on Chicago’s very tough South Side, the school opened with 150 African-American boys, 85 percent of whom came from low-income families and only 4 percent of whom read at or above grade level at the time. (more…)

What’s the best way to prepare students to compete in a global economy? Increasingly, the answer among educators across the U.S. is engineering, and they’re teaching it as early as kindergarten. In fact, teachers have come up with some very original ideas for doing it. (more…)

When you combine the current economy, summertime and kids, this summer looks rather dismal. With the recession refusing to release its stranglehold on our economy, many school districts have decided to forego summer school and other summer programs, in the interest of budget cuts. So, I’m very enthusiastic about San Francisco’s solution to the problem of how to occupy children’s time this summer: summer camps and much more. (more…)

Do you remember an old public service commercial with the tag line, “Reading is Fundamental?” I was reminded of it recently by a wonderful reading program in Oakland, California, targeting at-risk children, and I was elated. Then I discovered, to my dismay, that our current dismal economy jeopardizes the program’s existence for the upcoming school year. So, the program’s sponsors, a non-profit group called Oakland Parents Literacy Project, may have to end their eight-year quest to raise reading ability in their school district. (more…)

The equation often works something like this: student + misbehavior=student suspension. But consider what happens when teachers change their behavior. Shifting the paradigm, an increasing number of schools across the country are implementing a behavior management program called Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) in which teacher behavior changes before that of the students. And it works. (more…)

Does the following equation work: money plus rules equals school success? In this case, I’m not so sure, but the U.S. Department of Education is counting on it. Disbursing $3.5 billion in Title I School Improvement Grants, (which were included in the federal stimulus package last year) to all 50 states, they have also attached strings to the money. Specifically, the revamping of the poorest performing schools in every state (as determined by each state) must accompany the money, with the programs’ implementation beginning by September 1, 2010. And that’s not all. (more…)

Often using this space to spotlight innovations in education, I particularly like this one. Utah middle-school teacher Leslie Briggs discovered that using sign language with her hearing students produced several positive effects: improved behavior management, increased literacy and greater student participation. As a result of her findings and the terrific outcomes achieved with her students, Ms. Briggs is now teaching this practice to other educators. (more…)

Remember when poetry meant memorizing lines by Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost, and then reciting or writing them for an exam? Well, times have changed. Chicago high school teacher Peter Kahn—who teaches not English but Spoken Word—has developed a Spoken Word Club whose impact is such that graduates return, to extend a helping hand to others, as members of his Motivational Mentorship panel. (more…)

Remember how much you looked forward to recess when you were in elementary school? You couldn’t eat lunch fast enough to get outside and play. Now, some schools have decided to allow children to have recess first, and then have lunch. The result, for the most part, has been (more…)

Think back to your high school graduation. Of all the good memories associated with that special occasion, do you include the students who were your class valedictorian and salutatorian? What were their names? You may not be able to remember their names, but some future graduates won’t have valedictorians or salutatorians to remember. (more…)

When you think of school, what thoughts immediately pop into your head? In many large cities across the U.S, the answer to that question includes far more than academics. Labeled “community schools,” these schools use their ties forged with social service agencies to provide after school programs and tutoring for children, high school equivalency classes for adults and myriad other services that enrich the lives of community members throughout the entire year. (more…)

As if the deep economic downturn of the last two years had not inflicted enough misery, it may claim a new victim: students’ grades. (more…)

Lost amidst the heated debates over the influx of immigrants into the U.S., is the fact that immigrant children—who are likely to remain in this country—need to become educated members of our society. (more…)

Educational changes can be good, but sometimes you need to weigh the benefits gained against the disadvantages that students might incur. What I’m talking about is the new practice of having elementary students change classes—or departmentalize—as middle and high school students have always done. (more…)

A new educational philosophy is gathering steam as it travels around the country: don’t give students zeros. Some school districts have adopted a “no zero” policy and instead, mandate that teachers replace a zero grade with a grade of 50. Districts enact such policies in the interest of making it easier for students to dig themselves out of a hole, even when students have done no work on an assignment. (more…)

Who would have thought that technology and jewelry would mate to produce a means for keeping up with schoolwork? That’s exactly what has happened with a new bracelet, which when plugged into the USB port of a computer, downloads information from a teacher’s Smart Board, which students can then upload to their home computers. (more…)

In a bid to create a safer environment and boost academics, more and more school administrators across the country are turning to uniforms for their students. (more…)

I’ve always believed that any school is only as good as its leadership and some recent findings seem to support my contention. (more…)

When New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced his plan to make passing fourth and sixth grades more difficult for students (and to retain those who fail standardized tests), it once again raised the issue of social promotion versus grade retention for struggling students. (more…)

School vouchers have been touted by politicians as the great equalizer as they afford students who might not otherwise be able to attend a private school the opportunity to do so, funded by tax breaks directly to parents. What could possibly be wrong with that idea? Well, supporters and detractors have been debating this issue for nearly two decades. (more…)

A marvelous program that I’d like to see replicated across the country impresses me. Rainier Scholars was founded seven years ago in Seattle’s Rainier Valley by Bob Hurlbut—a man who simply wanted to make a difference in the world. (more…)

Do you remember fourth grade as a special time? According to a June 2, 2009 article in the online edition of Education Week, students who drop out of high school routinely mention fourth grade as the last time they felt successful. (more…)