"Rites of Passage: Introduction."

• "A Time and Place for Teenagers." High school has been an evolving institution, slowly bending to the ever-changing world of adolescence.

• "Changing Versions of Childhood." The young have gone from Victorian innocents and child laborers to modern 'superkids.'

• "Children at the White House." A chart capturing how the White House has historically brought together prominent academics, physicians, social workers, community leaders, and others to address issues involving America's children.

• "Hollywood Goes to School." Hollywood has an insatiable appetite for heroes and villains, and it's found plenty of both in the classroom. Many of the classroom-related movies and television shows described here are as entertaining as they come.

• "School Life: A Literary Pastiche." From the smell of chalk to the pain of separation, writers of the 20th century have left indelible word-pictures that convey what school was like for children and their communities at various moments in time. Assistant Commentary Editor Ihsan K. Taylor compiled this collection of excerpts from notable novels, autobiographical essays, and memoirs.

• "Team Players." High school sports have matured from virtual free-for-alls to community institutions.

Perspectives

• "The Social Determination of Childhood and Adolescence." At the end of this century, we mourn what Neil Postman has called the "disappearance of childhood." It is particularly ironic that, as we leave the teen centuries, we have all but forsaken the teen years, says Tufts University professor David Elkind.