There are prevailing paradoxes which must be resolved if we are to advance an educational system worthy of 21st century citizens. A paradox is an apparently contradictory statement which may be true however great the contradiction. Somehow, we have to resolve these contradictions if we are to move forward. “We assume that all can learn, but all do not learn at the same pace and in the same way. Yet, we want everyone to complete schooling at the same time or be judged a failure” (Indiana University Dean of Education, Howard Mehlinger, Retired). During the advent years of the July 4th 2026 Birthday Celebration of The Declaration of Independence, the paradoxes blocking our democratic institutions of learning have not been resolved. The Institute for 21st Century Learning has used in the preparation of LEARN OR DIE a community of national scholars, each having their own insights, yet the knowledge and skill attributes necessary for addressing today’s paradox barriers: Qualitative Action Research; The New Global Economy; The New Urbanism; The New University; Complex Systems Evaluation; 21st Century Leadership; Vision-Based Community Development; and Citizens’ Community Connections and the Transformation of Community Schools. Is the American Revolution still alive?

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a federal program that awards grants to rural and inner-city public schools, or consortia of such schools, to enable them to plan, implement, or expand projects that benefit the educational, health, social services, cultural and recreational needs of the community. Grants awarded under this program may be used to plan, implement, or expand community learning centers. Contents: program information; program eligibility checklist; selection criteria; instructions and forms for preparing the application; how to submit an application; supplementary information; and application checklist.

Focuses on how communities can learn from each other as they improve their schools. Features best practices and model programs from around the nation. Identifies useful educational resources, services, and publications. Summarizes important educational research, conveys important news from the Secretary of Education, along with the progress of Department Initiatives.

A comprehensive analysis of the astonishing changes that elevated the Chicago public school system from one of the worst in the nation to one of the most improved. How a City Learned to Improve Its Schools tells the story of the extraordinary thirty-year school reform effort that changed the landscape of public education in Chicago. Acclaimed educational researcher Anthony S. Bryk joins five coauthors directly involved in Chicago’s education reform efforts, Sharon Greenberg, Albert Bertani, Penny Sebring, Steven E. Tozer, and Timothy Knowles, to illuminate the many factors that led to this transformation of the Chicago Public Schools. Beginning in 1987, Bryk and colleagues lay out the civic context for reform, outlining the systemic challenges such as segregation, institutional racism, and income and resource disparities that reformers grappled with as well as the social conflicts they faced. Next, they describe how fundamental changes occurred at every level of schooling: enhancing classroom instruction; organizing more engaged and effective local school communities; strengthening the preparation, recruitment, and support of teachers and school leaders; and sustaining an ambitious evidence-based campaign to keep the public informed on the progress of key reform initiatives and the challenges still ahead. The power of this capacity building is validated by unprecedented increases in benchmarks such as graduation rates and college matriculation. This riveting account introduces key actors within the schools, city government, and business community, and the partnerships they forged. It also reveals the surprising yet essential role of Chicago's innovative information infrastructure in aligning disparate initiatives. In making clear how elements such as advocacy, civic capacity, improvement research, and strong democracy contributed to large-scale progress in the system's 600-plus schools, the book highlights the greater lessons that the Chicago story offers for system improvement overall.