The Modern Red SchoolHouse seeks to make all students high achievers in core academic subjects by building upon the virtues of traditional American education and incorporating modern technology, research evidence on how students learn best, the wisdom of teachers, and the involvement of parents who understand the needs of their sons and daughters.

In providing technical assistance to districts and schools, the Institute is committed to advancing the following principles for educating our children in the 21st Century:

1. School practices should reflect the fact that all students can learn and attain high academic standards, but they vary in the amount of time they need to learn and in the ways they learn best.
   
   
2. Schools should help transmit a shared culture that draws on the traditions, beliefs, and histories of our pluralistic society and the principles of democratic government that unite us all. At the same time, they should help students understand the histories and cultures of other nations and peoples.
   
   
3. Principals and teachers need considerable flexibility to organize an effective instructional program—that is, one based on research evidence about how students learn best.
   
   
4. Teachers need to rely upon data about student learning throughout the year to ensure that students are provided adequate opportunities to master state standards.
   
   
5. Advanced technology is an important means by which teachers and administrators can improve communication within and across schools, manage instruction, monitor progress, and improve student learning opportunities.
   
   
6. Schools should be places where teachers, parents, and students choose to be—providing a positive and supportive culture for all.