Improving the very structure of and management style in a classroom can help students engage in the learning process, "bond" to school, and improve academic performance. Effective classroom management strategies include establishing and enforcing clear classroom rules, managing classroom time to hold students' attention, and using rewards and punishments to promote positive behaviors. Other classroom-related strategies that have been shown to help prevent high-risk behaviors among students include smaller class sizes, nongraded elementary schools, computer-assisted instruction, and continuous progress instruction (i.e., student advancement through a defined skill hierarchy, with testing for mastery at each level).

Classroom restructuring may present a prime opportunity to connect with school reform planning teams working in your district to promote academic achievement among students. Consider working with existing planning teams to create classrooms that:

• Maximize the amount of time students spend on learning through time management and clear behavioral expectations

• Enhance students' abilities to cooperate and provide opportunities for teamwork

• Monitor the progress of individual (or groups of) students

• Group students in creative ways to achieve smaller, less alienating, or otherwise more suitable units and climates within the school (e.g., schools-within-schools)

• Establish an environment where all students can meet behavioral expectations and contribute to the classroom community