Supporting Research

1.  Click here to read about and access several major studies on project-based learning.

2.  What research suggests about the Essential Schools idea.

3.  Advisory program and research evaluation.

4.  Inclusion research at Boston Arts Academy.

5.  Research on Multimedia in Education

Common objections/excuses include:

1.  "We have to get the kids ready for the standardized tests."  Due to NCLB , we are inundated with simply getting kids ready to take the standardized tests.  In other words, "we do not have the luxury to take the time to teach our student meaningful curriculum, using appropriate instruction.  We must prepare those kids for the standardized tests due to NCLB (No Child Left Behind).

2.  "The research does not support that type of curriculum."  -  Actually, there is a HUGE  body of highly credible research which support my contentions that if you deliver a Meaningful, Relevant, Challenging, Project-Based, Thematic, curriculum, several things will occur:

• Student motivation will literally skyrocket
• Student discipline problems will all but disappear
• Student achievement - from special education and at-risk students, to the highest level, creative students, will SOAR. 
• Connections to previous learning and interests abound.

3.  Our teachers do not have time to develop this type of curriculum.  It is the responsibility of the administration to ensure that teachers are provided with sufficient time to develop quality curriculum.

THINK BACK:  Who were your favorite teachers?  Who understood you?  Which teachers provided the time, caring and resources for you to do some kind of meaningful project (no matter how small) which helped you to absolutely, and concretely, understand the concept being taught.

THINK BACK AGAIN -  What courses, or teachers, did you find incredibly boring or irrelevant?  Did you really LEARN anything of USE in those classes, or did you just put in your time to get credit for those Carnegie units so that you could graduate?