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In this issue we return to themes of adult learning and collegiality in schools. Katie Morrison and Matt Swanson describe an environment where interdisciplinary collaboration leads naturally to collaboration with artists and experts in the community.

If we can envision a new personalized, world-connected paradigm, what will it take to get there? Several contributors address this question concretely in terms of curriculum and pedagogy.

Many schools and districts have responded to this challenge by ramping up attendance incentives such as prizes, parties, or special privileges intended to draw students to school. These approaches often withhold a positive experience until an absent student behaves differently, reflecting a common belief that the right reward will motivate students to attend more consistently. Unfortunately, research points to a mismatch between this solution and the nature of the problem.

This article explains how International High School in New York City is rethinking the roles that immigrant students can play within the school community.

In this article, two educators from Avenues The World School in São Paulo share how a community-themed project gave their students genuine agency—with results that range from hosting science fairs to cooking breakfast for the school kitchen team.

The connection between a lack of reading proficiency and low-income background is well-established. And while the barriers are real, this is a solvable problem—not simple, but solvable.

Alec Patton talks to Lincoln High School Principal Melissa Agudelo about the challenges of bringing exhibitions of student learning to a large urban high school, and how they made it successful by literally doing everything all at once.

Alec Patton talks to PBLWorks Lead National Faculty in Math Bryon Demerson about what led him to shift from being a highly successful "traditional" math teacher to embracing project-based learning.

Tracking  absences quarterly allows schools to spot trends and changes faster, whether they be  something to celebrate or a student who needs more support. When we track the number of absences by quarter, just a few missed days in a row can trigger early intervention or celebration.  

Every Friday, Mr. Reading Pot would make a grand entrance into the classroom and be seated in the middle of a large circle of squirrely kids. Mr. Reading Pot was a bad-tempered and curmudgeonly fellow.