21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."

NEWSWEEK, which has been ranking the top public high schools in America for more than a decade, revamped its methodology this year in hopes of highlighting solutions.

Under the rule, public schools will be required to work lessons about conservation, smart growth and the health of our natural world into their core subjects like science and social studies.

From understanding how multimedia and physical exercise can affect classroom instruction, to appreciating the influence of art and reading on brain development, to taking the first steps in realizing the mind mechanics of autism, researchers know more today than ever before on what techniques can have the biggest impact on teaching and learning.

"a tremendous opportunity for states to improve the quality and continuity of education for young children,"

The unusual lessons are part of a new effort, called the Pearls Project, to promote tolerance and empathy in a school culture where being different can mean social exile.

"There were actually no negatives cited. From a student’s viewpoint, they have a lot more flexibility."

"Educators and students miss out on education resources available online because it is takes too long or is too hard to find appropriate content," said Catherine Casserly, CEO of Creative Commons. "A common metadata schema will make this search more efficient and effective so educators can quickly discover the educational resources they want, including those they can reuse under Creative Commons licenses."

"It’s important to recognize that this is research on a program that still exists in some form today. This isn’t just a boutique, once-upon-a-time program. It is embedded in one of the largest school systems in the country,"

The school district signed a four-year lease agreement with Apple to provide the students with MacBook laptops.

"You know what I get for my $5,000? I get kids who, starting from birth, are on grade level. I keep them healthy, I have to get them in college, I have to get them through college. You may say, ‘I don’t want to pay for that,’ but you can’t say it’s a wasted investment."