Table of Contents | December 2009

Up Front: A School's Success Can Be Measured in Smiles

Houston's YES Prep North Central brings out the best in its students -- and it shows on their faces.

Feedback: A New Orleans School Inspires Hope

Readers respond to a charismatic principal's reforms and professional-development initiatives.

Dispatches: English-Language Learners Deserve to Be Understood

To engage ELL students, nurture their native languages.

Sage Advice: Save Money -- and the Planet

What new green initiatives has your school taken on?

Pop Quiz: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

The former Supreme Court Justice shares some school memories and her latest work in support of civics education to the classroom.

Features

This School Is on a Mission to Send Every Student to College

Enroll students from working-class homes in a school with extraordinary teachers and administrators. Give them all a mission that will transform their lives. Then discover the astonishing success of Houston's Yes Prep North Central.

A School Grows Great Educators

At YES Prep, grabbing top-notch talent isn't always an option. Out of necessity they are developing their own.

Families Respond to a School on a Mission

The commitment required to attend YES Prep demands familial support for its students.

Administrators: Tough Love

At YES Prep, sustaining high levels of achievement requires constant vigilance.

A Thriving School Sets Replication in Gear

YES Prep spreads its success to the community at large.

Educators Grow Green Schools

Student health and performance bloom in environmentally conscious schools.

School Lunches Go Back to the Land

Schools overhaul food service to improve student health and the environment.

Schools Create a Simple Recipe for Change

Digest these tips for making your food-service program tasty and sustainable.

Our Guide to the Best Green Products for Schools

Stock useful, effective, and environmentally responsible products at your school without going bust or getting duped.

School Retrofits Go Green

Old schools undergo green makeovers aimed at student health and financial savings.

Heart and Soul

Decision Making Becomes the Newest Life Science

Students in two Omaha magnet schools weigh the pros and cons of every problem.

Head of Class

California Embraces Open Source Digital Textbooks

The most populous state is the first to take on this complicated initiative.

CARE Program Teaches Educators to Manage Their Emotions

Teachers learn how to cope with stress through mindfulness and meditation.

Life.com Chronicles the 20th Century

Life magazine's online photo archive enables teachers to bring a range of subjects into vivid focus.

Online Photography Archives Enable Teaching with Primary Sources

Analyzing photographs inspires critical viewing in students.