Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning (Results of a Nationwide Survey)

This report tells the story of schools, teachers, and students who are involved in implementing Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for learning (EIC), a framework for interdisciplinary, collaborative, student centered, hands on, and engaged learning. It presents the results of a nationwide study; describes the major concepts and assumptions underlying EIC; explores a range of successful EIC programs; and analyzes the implications of EIC based education for student learning and instruction. It indicates that EIC holds great promise for helping to close the achievement gap in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.