Preparing All Teachers to Use Proven, Effective Instructional Methods across the Curriculum.

Research has shown that certain ways of teaching can make a difference in whether students learn standards-based content. Many strategies have proven to be effective in teaching literacy, mathematics, science and social studies. These strategies have facilitated blending academic and career/technical subjects to make learning more meaningful for students who learn best by doing. Instructional techniques generally focus on engaging students in learning by reading and writing in English/language arts courses, strengthening understanding and reasoning skills in math, delving into textbooks and materials, doing lab projects in science, and using literacy and hands-on projects and problems in social studies. Authentic, integrated projects planned by academic and career/technical teachers working together and aligned to college- and career-readiness standards will motivate students to work harder and achieve at a higher level. Many schools are organizing teachers within and across disciplines and grade levels into professional learning communities (PLCs) to provide regularly scheduled opportunities to look at assignments and assessments to determine how to ensure these instructional activities meet standards. This issue of "High Schools That Work" contains the following articles: (1) Implement Reading, Writing and Literacy Strategies Into All Classes: Rethinking Reading in High School--Keep Students' Interests in Mind (Monty Wilson); (2) Bringing Literature Into the Mathematics Classroom: Making Connections That Enhance Student Performance (Deborah Seldomridge); (3) Rigor, Relevance, Relationships and Reading in All Content Areas Across the Curriculum (Amanda Gibbs, Joanna May and Sherry McEwen); (4) Strategies and Tips for Supporting English-Language Learners (Melissa Mink); (5) Use Proven Strategies to Increase Students' Mathematics Knowledge and Skills: Creating Mathematics Momentum Through Career/Technical Instruction (Ted Archer and Kathleen McNally); (6) Algebra I... Every Day... for 90 Minutes... All Year? (Jane Ebert); (7) Explore How Authentic Questions, Writing Prompts and Lab Experiments Can Help Students Learn More Science Content: Rigor, Relevance and Raising Student Achievement--The Three R's of Science Education (Donna Brown, Cynthia McCoy and Sara Myers); (8) Plan Authentic Integrated Projects for Academic and Career/Technical Courses to Align With Standards and Motivate Students to Achieve: Mathematics by Design--It All Adds Up (Connie DeMillo and Erick Lehet); (9) Construction Geometry: Real Relevance in the Classroom (Victor Doty and Beth Roberts); (10) Building a Culture of Creativity to Prepare Students for the Future (Eric Longwell); (11) Organize Teachers Into Professional Learning Communities in and Across Disciplines and Grade Levels to Ensure Assignments and Assessments Meet Standards: Promoting the Success of Professional Learning Communities (Ivy Alford, Debi Cline and Robert Frausto); and (12) Enhancing Learning Opportunities Through Professional Learning Communities (Carolyn Guthrie and Amanda Heinemann).