Noting that middle level teachers interested in involving their students in curriculum planning and instruction need resource materials to draw on, this document presents such a resource unit developed by a group of eight veteran middle level teachers and designed to be used within an integrated curriculum framework. Part 1 introduces the unit,…

The Task Force on Children's Learning and the Arts: Birth to Age Eight guides the development of arts-based early childhood programs and resources, and links the arts to the literacy of young children. This document presents examples of activities, programs, research, and resources that exemplify each of three guiding principles related to: the…

This paper describes an interdisciplinary project at California State University (Long Beach) designed to increase the attractiveness of the geosciences to underrepresented groups. The project is called the Geoscience Diversity Enhancement Project (GDEP). It is a 3-year program which began in the fall of 2001 with funding from the National Science…

Project Look Sharp is an initiative to promote and support the integration of media literacy into classroom curricula at all grade levels and instructional areas, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of media literacy education in the schools. It provides the following 12 guidelines as basic principles for incorporating media literacy into any…

This annual report details the activities of the Foundation for Child Development (FCD) for 2001-2002. Beginning the report is a brief description of the Foundations mission, its funding priorities, and application procedures. The report then presents the joint statement of the chair, Karen Gerard, and the president, Ruby Takanishi, focusing on…

This book offers an overview of the Manhattan New School, which opened in fall 1991. Eight chapters describe the school's progression and innovations, and each chapter identifies top priorities of the school community. The book outlines practices, such as creating a nurturing social tone, that have enabled staff and family members to realize their…

This videotape generates enthusiasm by showing participants an overview of the goals and benefits of the Parents Sharing Books Program. It features parents, teachers, and principals who are involved in book-sharing programs in their schools. By watching the videotape, parents will see book-sharing strategies and motivational techniques and hear…

Noting that variety in education may be seen as a basic mechanism for change, this paper examines four important developments in public education: (1) site-based decision making; (2) charter schools; (3) whole school designs; and (4) parent choice. The paper maintains that site-based decision making should involve giving schools authority and…

The statutory responsibilities of the community colleges, as reflected in Connecticut General Statutes 10a-80, are: (1) to provide programs of occupational, vocational, technical, and career education designed to provide training for immediate employment, job training, or upgrading of skills to meet individual, community, and statewide work needs;…

The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (JC NERR) program has successfully capitalized on human fascination with the ocean by using the marine environment to develop interest and capability in science. The Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences, as the managing agency of the JC NERR, makes its faculty, staff resources, and…

This report is designed for educators who are involved in teaching, developing, or evaluating curriculum in the middle and junior high schools. It describes the content and application of Florida's eighth grade writing test, and it offers suggestions that might be helpful in preparing students for the assessment. The 1990 Florida legislature…

For the past 50 years, poor physical health of adolescents has been a concern in the U.S. The obesity rate has tripled from 5% in 1980 to 15% in 2000. With more emphasis placed on high stakes standardized tests, the priority of physical education classes has taken a back seat. Based on a survey done in 2003, slightly more than half of the states…

Every four years the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations requests a report from each Member State telling how the United Nations and its work are being made known to the citizenry. This bulletin constitutes the report of the United States substantially as it was submitted at the close of 1959. Because the Secretary General had…

A report by the Educational Resources Information Center at the National Council of Teachers of English; ERIC abstracts of documents pertinent to this topic are included. (RD)

Describes a unique one-semester, one-credit course which provides orientation to the University community, academic advising, values clarification and vocational planning, skill renewal exercises, and personal counseling to re-entry students. Continuing feedback underscores the relevance of such a holistic approach to student needs. (Author/JAC)