Music competitions have an ancient history dating back some two thousand years. In the United States, early music contests mimicked the German Saengerfests and Welsh Eistoddfods; however, some of the earliest continuously running music competitions held in America are the state contests for secondary school students. This article identifies for…

This technical supplement to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) evaluation final reports presents details of the technical approach used for creating analysis variables and estimating impacts of treatment group services on outcomes, including employment, earnings, and SNAP participation. It also…

In this article, Gustafson and Kiltz reflect on why they got involved in the very first master's level Professional Administrative Leadership Academy developed at Kansas State University (KSU). The authors had the opportunity to observe school leaders and noted that the most effective leaders shared their power and knowledge freely with others.…

The authors discuss the long-term accumulation of unstandardized and inaccessible content within the Libguides system and the decision-making process to create and implement a set of standards using the migration to the LibGuides2 platform as a vehicle for change. Included in the discussion are strategies for the creation of standards and…

Strong leadership has a tremendous impact on organizations. This special edition of "Educational Considerations" highlights the journey of the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute (KELI), from inception to implementation. All of the authors in this special themed edition of "Educational Considerations" describe the various…

The purpose of this article is to share the history of one Professional Development School (PDS) partnership in an effort to help others reflect, set visions, and move forward into a new educational future. The emergence, development, and continuation of this partnership was dependent upon finding ways to create a growth-oriented environment,…

Today, English language learners (ELLs)--students whose primary language is other than English--are the fastest-growing major school population in the United States. Between 2000-01 and 2010-11, the number of these students, whose level of English proficiency is not sufficient to support learning in a regular English language classroom, rose 18…

This article discusses the evolutionary development of a mentoring program that began as a support for pre-tenure librarians and grew to encompass all staff at the University of Kansas Libraries (KU Libraries). Incorporated in this discussion are the trials and successes of a nascent program that has particular emphasis on creating a structure to…

Successful operation of videoconferencing technology for interactive learning demands preparation and scheduling. Well-organized strategies for interaction assist faculty in meeting individual student needs and developing the "social presence" necessary to facilitate quality online learning. Organizations can be proactive by offering…

As Internet technology encroached on the public school classroom about a decade ago, Kim Ross, superintendent of the Houston School District in Houston, Minnesota, saw an opportunity. At first, he and his administrative team simply wanted to offer students in the district of 1,300 access to more classes via the web than what a district that size…

Under the auspices of the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), the Department of History at the University of Kansas recast its doctoral program to emphasize career preparation. Its creative approach has earned the department national visibility. In this article, the author describes how the department came to reenvision graduate education,…

A survey is described of the education for health activities being conducted and planned in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas by official, voluntary, and private health services and health planning agencies. (JMF)

Explores student and teacher views about an advisor-advisee program being conducted in a rural midwestern middle school. Although teachers overwhelmingly supported the advisory concept, they (as well as students) made several suggestions for improving the school's program: eliminating a controversial Positive Action program; removing disruptive…

This monograph was created to stimulate more thorough study of the history of school psychology. In the first section, "Mapping the Territory for Historical Study of School Psychology," by Liam K. Grimley, some fundamental questions are raised about what should be studied in the history of school psychology, how that study might be…

Years of youth development research have yielded consensus by researchers, practitioners, and government representatives regarding what young people need for healthy development. Both environmental and social factors are now seen as critical elements for youth development programs. Addressing these factors creates a foundation for the development…