School in the Park is an innovative museum-based educational effort to engage students in their community during the school day. Since 1999 several hundred students have been educated each year in museums and the zoo in San Diego. This is more than a field trip, it is changing the way that education is provided. Challenging the Classroom Standard Through Museum-Based Education: School in the Park presents the experience of School in the Park from the perspective of different disciplines--oral language, reading, writing, social studies, math, science, and the arts--to determine how students are learning content within museums and the zoo. It provides a number of examples, case studies, references, scenarios, and recommendations for teaching and learning outside of the traditional classroom. The perspectives of teachers, museum educators, and students are represented. Importantly, this book offers ideas that readers can use in their own communities, ranging from long-term partnering with cultural institutions to one-day trips, to ensure that students have authentic experiences with the curriculum. With the current increased focus on accountability and achievement, less attention and importance is given to community-based learning experiences. This book demonstrates the viability of merging formal and informal learning and using community venues as an extension of the classroom. All those interested in and charged with educating children will find this book useful in exploring powerful learning experiences that occur outside traditional classroom settings.

School in the Park is an innovative museum-based educational effort to engage students in their community during the school day. Since 1999 several hundred students have been educated each year in museums and the zoo in San Diego. This is more than a field trip, it is changing the way that education is provided. Challenging the Classroom Standard Through Museum-Based Education: School in the Park presents the experience of School in the Park from the perspective of different disciplines--oral language, reading, writing, social studies, math, science, and the arts--to determine how students are learning content within museums and the zoo. It provides a number of examples, case studies, references, scenarios, and recommendations for teaching and learning outside of the traditional classroom. The perspectives of teachers, museum educators, and students are represented. Importantly, this book offers ideas that readers can use in their own communities, ranging from long-term partnering with cultural institutions to one-day trips, to ensure that students have authentic experiences with the curriculum. With the current increased focus on accountability and achievement, less attention and importance is given to community-based learning experiences. This book demonstrates the viability of merging formal and informal learning and using community venues as an extension of the classroom. All those interested in and charged with educating children will find this book useful in exploring powerful learning experiences that occur outside traditional classroom settings.

Imagine a school with a diverse student body where everyone feels safe and valued, and all—regardless of race, culture, home language, sexual orientation, gender identity, academic history, and individual challenges—have the opportunity to succeed with interesting classes, projects, and activities. In this school, teachers notice and meet individual instructional needs and foster a harmonious and supportive environment. All students feel empowered to learn, to grow, and to pursue their dreams. This is the school every student needs and deserves. In Building Equity, Dominique Smith, Nancy Frey, Ian Pumpian, and Douglas Fisher, colleagues at San Diego's innovative Health Sciences High & Middle College, introduce the Building Equity Taxonomy, a new model to clarify the structural and interpersonal components of an equitable and excellent schooling experience, and the Building Equity Review and Audit, survey-based tools to help school and teacher leaders uncover equity-related issues and organize their efforts to achieve: Physical integration. Social-emotional engagement. Opportunity to learn. Instructional excellence. Engaged and inspired learners. Built on the authors' own experiences and those of hundreds of educators throughout the United States, this book is filled with examples of policy initiatives and practices that support high-quality, inclusive learning experiences and deliver education that meets critical standards of equality and equity.