These standards are provided to promote the achievement of excellence in Maryland's public school prekindergarten programs. To that end, this document delineates standards of quality and provides a list of indicators that concretely describe what a program will look like if the standards are being met. The standards and indicators address seven…

This guide to designing an effective second language instructional program in the public schools provides parents, community leaders, and school personnel with practical guidelines for reviewing current foreign language instructional programs and for introducing changes in the curriculum that are in line with the emphasis on communication. An…

This educational program, comprised of a training manual and 2 accompanying videotapes (each about 25 minutes long), is designed to develop language skills in young children with language disorders and/or children from minority backgrounds. The program model is based on the following principles: (1) early language is critical to later academic…

This guide, in parallel English and Spanish volumes, provides information necessary for implementing bilingual/multicultural programs. Section 1 defines and describes the bilingual approach, examining instructional goals, rationale, philosophical justification, legal foundations, and practical considerations. Section 2 discusses attitudinal…

The manual is intended for inservice training of parents and professional teams in reviewing and rating, from a parent perspective, the existing quality of special education programs for handicapped students. Each team consists of three parents and one educator who receive training in the application of quality indicators previously developed by…

The union of thought and feeling, the basis of the concept of "thoughtfulness," is one of the major themes of this book, which is designed to help teachers, administrators, teacher educators, and parents empower students to take more control of their own education and lives. It presents strategies for teaching students about the nature…

Despite the administrative leadership that most principals receive in university courses, their most useful learning doesn't occur until they are on the job. The new knowledge--much of it the result of trial and error, success and failure--is gained in relative isolation. This book focuses on the critical work of school principals, offering…

This foundation guide is addressed to Head Start staff, parents, and consultants to help them develop a broader view of their roles and to support the program's efforts to include children with disabilities in the various worlds around them. The guide includes the following sections: (1) "Module 1: There's Room for All of Us," which…

This training guide is designed to build the capacity of Head Start staff to make the program's renewed vision for parent involvement a reality for every parent and program. The guide contains three modules, each with two activities designed for workshop presentation, followed by two or more coaching activities. Module 1 defines parent involvement…

This book is designed to help a Technology Advisory Council (TAC) get a start at helping children obtain a better education--an education that prepares them for adulthood in an information age society. The advisory council is a representative group of stakeholders, i.e., the people who are affected by decisions and those involved in implementing…

The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the current status of available programs, research findings related to quality programs, and issues surrounding programs for 4-year-old children. The paper is intended as a resource for multiple audiences, including decision makers, legislators, regulatory administrators, advocates,…

This special double issue of the "Early Childhood Bulletin" explores issues for parents who are members of Interagency Coordinating Councils (ICCs) for their states' early intervention programs. The first article discusses issues parents may want to consider before they assume new roles in their ICC and in related activities. It also…

Principals from the 1991-1992 Blue Ribbon Schools--those schools selected by the U.S. Department of Education that have demonstrated an unusual ability to create an atmosphere that promotes learning for "everyone"--were asked to share a "best idea" that they had put into practice in their schools. Selected from over 100 submissions, the "best…

This book presents suggestions, organized by categories of eduational concerns, that many principals have used to prepare students for the 21st century. Principals of the 1993-94 Blue Ribbon Scools--those schools selected by the U.S. Department of Education as outstanding elementary and middle schools--were asked to share a "best idea" that they…

Noting the increasing need for Head Start's efforts to support parents' personal and professional success, this guide for Head Start staff examines the success process at both the individual and the program level, and explores strategies that strengthen the larger community's support for families as they define and build upon success. Following an…