EDUCATIONAL
LEADERSHIPL
April 2011 . Volume 68. Number 7
The Transition Years
12 Are We Paving Paradise?
Elizabeth Graue
Is a faster pace spoiling the
kindergarten experience?
18 Supporting Early
School Success
Denise H. Daniels
Strategies for making schools
ready for children.
23 Road Map for a Dream
Amanda Fenlon
How to ease the step into kindergarten
for children with disabilities.
28 The Ups and Downs
of 3rd Grade
Kelsey Augst Felton and Patrick Akos
Third graders often find that academic work
is harder and social skills more necessary.
32
32 The Leap into 4th Grade
Mike Anderson
How to create a classroom environment for
exuberant, industrious, and, sometimes,
anxious students.
37 No More Lost Ground
Christine S. Beck
An innovative program helps gifted students
from poor families live up to their potential.
42 Demystifying the
Adolescent Brain
Laurence Steinberg
Why otherwise smart kids take dumb risks—
and other insights about how teens think.
48 Movin’ Up to the Middle
Rick Wormeli
If students learn to handle stress during middle
school, they tend to respond positively to
challenges later on.
54 Back on Track to Graduate
Robert Balfanz
To tackle the dropout crisis, address
attendance, behavior, and course failure
early on.
59 A Smoother Transition
for Black Teens
Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy
Black 9th graders surmount stumbling blocks
and proceed with confidence.
