Now we're heading to math class, where we'll be sitting through a lesson doing worksheets and other typical "seatwork," right? Wrong! Edison schools use the University of Chicago Math, a hands-on program that relies on math games and manipulatives to present concepts. Students bring home few worksheets. Instead, homework is a "home link," a family activity that demonstrates the concepts and skills children are learning.

Every student gets an hour of math every day. Walk into a classroom during math and you'll definitely hear noise. Cooperative learning is an important instructional approach for math and other subjects, too. Teams of 3-5 children of mixed ability are clustered around pods of desks or tables. More-able math students model strategies and coach their classmates as the teams work through assigned activities.