The April issue of Kappan is in your mailbox. The print version of the magazine opens with a package of four articles that look at Districts that Work. These articles focus on districts that have been finalists and winners of the Broad Prize for Urban Education. The articles were written by Ledyard McFadden and Megan Tupa of SchoolWorks, an educational consulting firm in Massachusetts.

The first article, “District Learning Tied to Student Learning,” explores the similarities between recent Broad finalists and winners. In “Excellence Is Never an Accident,” readers can learn more about what helped the Brownsville, Texas, school district earn the Broad prize in 2008. The third article, “Miami’s “Zone” Teaches Lessons About Low-Performing Schools,” explores Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ unique approach to improving learning in its lowest performing schools. Finally, in “District, Know Thyself,” Tupa and McFadden outline how two districts have reached the same goals with approaches that are unique to their context.

This issue also includes a package that we are calling, “Congress, We’ve Got Ideas for You!” This section includes seven articles with recommendations about the federal role in K-12 education:

"Strong Federal Policies Benefit Local Districts,” by Paul Manna
“Invest in Early Childhood Education,” by Sharon Lynn Kagan and Jeanne L. Reid
“Transform Toxic AYP into a Beneficial Tool,” by James Popham
“Use the Science of What Works to Change the Odds for Children at Risk,” by Susan Neuman
“Improve Teaching Quality with Aggressive Support,” by Gary Sykes and Kenne Dibner
“Strengthen What Happens Outside School to Improve What Happens Inside,” by Heather Weiss, Priscilla Little, Suzanne M. Bouffard, Sarah N. Deschenes, and Helen Janc Malone
“Support a Science of Performance Improvement,” by Anthony S. Bryk

Finally, the feature article for this month, “Teaching By Genre: Embracing a Diversity of Practices in Mathematics,” by Amy Parks, explores a different way to think about teaching mathematics.

Audio versions are available for the following articles:

“Miami’s “Zone” Teaches Lessons About Low-Performing Schools,” by Ledyard McFadden and Megan Tupa

“Use the Science of What Works to Change the Odds for Children at Risk,” by Susan Neuman

“On Experts, Blame, and Bold Ideas,” by Bobby Ann Starnes

PLUS

As in every issue of Kappan, you will also find the Editor’s Page and ideas of columnists Anne Lewis, Kathy Christie, Ben Levin, Gerry Bracey, and Perry Zirkel.

PDK members can download these and all articles in every issue of Kappan magazine free of charge by logging in at the website, www.pdkintl.org.