Social and emotional competencies and skills help students succeed in school. In fact, researchers have documented significant academic gains for students who participate in social and emotional learning programs in which they can strengthen their social and emotional skills (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). Skills…

Children with disability continue to experience disadvantage in their school lives; thus, the question of what makes up an optimal school life, and whether this is different for children with disability, becomes critical. This paper reports on research into parental views about an optimal school life and the usefulness of Social Role Valorization…

Ensemble directors have a special interest in helping students learn to practice effectively. Practice is also an essential component of musical development. Music educators need to both teach effective practice strategies and guide students toward meaningful, thoughtful practice. Metacognition strategies are one way to accomplish this. Current…

In 2001, the U.S. congress signed the No Child Left Behind bill into law. Arguably, this has been one of the most significant educational reform policies of the 21st century. Much has been written about its effect on students, teachers, curriculum, administrators and others. Nonetheless, a comprehensive review of the empirical studies on NCLB does…

Outcome Based Education (OBE) is a holistic process for districtwide educational improvement. The Outcomes Driven Development Model (ODDM) is a means of implementing OBE that is used in 16 states and more than half of Utah school districts. A study of the impact of OBE in Utah reviewed grant applications and awards as well as state and district…

Presented here is volume one of a catalog developed by the Toledo, Ohio Public Schools and the Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University and designed as a tool for the evaluation of student growth and learning. The introduction and preface provide information concerning the development and use of these materials which are said to be…

The Brooks Educational Quality Indicators project tested the premise that quality education in Brooks (Alberta) results from the right blend of attention to academics and developing character within a firm set of behavioral demands. The first stage of the study included data collection on district perceptions from teachers, staff, administrators,…

Comprehensive developmental guidance programs systematically address students' personal/social, learning, and career development needs. The evolution and implementation of a comprehensive guidance program in Wisconsin is presented in this booklet. The volume's purpose is not to define the role of individuals, but rather to keep the focus on…

The Education Department of Alberta, Canada has developed guidelines for practice in cooperation with guidance and counseling specialists throughout the province. The guidelines are designed to help schools implement a comprehensive school guidance and counseling program, thus improving the quality of education. The comprehensive school guidance…

Researchers have long noted the psychologically-liberating effects of expressive language. This paper explores how a writing technique, scribliotherapy, enhances communication among students, parents, and teachers. Scribliography is the technique of matching children with books on the topics of their emotional concerns and writing their response…

Teachers, counselors, and school administrators working in schools today are aware of the many problems students face. To help these educators address these problems, a model for bringing hope training into the classroom is presented. The concept of hope has been of increasing interest to educators, researchers, and clinicians. It has been defined…

School students' conceptual frameworks in astronomy and students' levels of knowledge and conceptualization were examined for 130 students in grades 2 through 12. Knowledge and conceptualization increased with school age. A test administered to 892 students in 7 schools demonstrated that schools contributed little to education in astronomy. (SLD)

Functional Therapy (FT) is a social skills training program that enables students to change their overt behaviors by altering their cognitive thoughts. Various aspects of FT and its application are discussed in this paper. The basic constructs of FT are ownership of the problem, accepting responsibility to solve the problem, and developing and…

The Connecticut Comprehensive School Counseling Program provides an important resource to Connecticut's school districts in their mission to prepare students to meet high academic standards and to become productive and contributing members of society in the 21st century. This new document represents a model that helps to prepare students for…

The intended audience for this handbook is teachers, administrators and school counselors who would like to approach school populations with a more positive, solution-focused approach. The ideas developed are based on the principles of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) and other competency-based models that address solutions rather than…