On February 3, 2003, the Bush Administration unveiled its request to cut funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program by 40 percent in fiscal year 2004. This date also marked the administration's release of When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st-Century Learning Centers Program, First Year Findings, the…

Schools are expected to provide a safe environment and to play an active role in socializing children for participation in a civil society. Most schools have programs to prevent problem behavior and serious misconduct such as drug use and violence. But how good are these programs? A recent national study surveyed principals, teachers, program…

A formal faculty development exercise designed to enable pharmacy faculty to solve instructional problems is described. Faculty were surveyed to identify and rate problems, and scenarios for each were developed. During a retreat, they discussed the scenarios and proposed solutions. After the retreat, both faculty and student leaders rated the…

Reviews the state of knowledge on adolescent sexual behavior in the following areas: (1) onset of sexual behavior as a function of cohort, gender, and ethnic differences; (2) biological, social, and cognitive processes underlying such behavior; (3) demographic trends in the use of contraceptives; (4) research problems; and (5) successful programs.…

A 3-year model demonstration program provided vocational services to 58 adolescents and young adults with emotional or behavioral disorders. Forty-six of the participants secured competitive work. Correlational analyses identified four variables associated with program success or failure, including a history of either alcohol/substance abuse or of…

To make sense of the complex information taught in the upper elementary grades -- and to understand the language that increasingly appears in high-stakes tests--students must be proficient in academic English. English language learners are at a serious disadvantage. Two word problems in mathematics illustrate the difficulties that these students…

Purpose: We developed manual-guided, replicable interventions based on common needs and cultural preferences of White and African American family caregivers (CGs) of individuals with dementia, and we evaluated these interventions after a 6-month follow-up. Design and Methods: We randomly assigned White (n = 70) and African American (n = 48) CGs of…

An enhanced form of Aggression Replacement Training is being used with children and youth with autism spectrum disorder and particularly those with Asperger's Syndrome who present behavioural challenges. Initial results in a Norwegian centre indicate that, with some modifications and enhancements, the programme is an appropriate strategy for…

The Gateway Science Workshop is a peer-facilitated, problem-focused program designed to improve student retention in the sciences. This article discusses its development, implementation, and efficacy, which is demonstrated by higher retention of workshop students in the course sequences. Evidence suggests that the program has particular benefits…

Over the past 15 years, charter schools and teachers unions have battled in state legislatures, the courts and the media. But with increasing frequency, the two groups are facing each other in the everyday operation of schools. This report summarizes the opinions expressed at a meeting of local state, and national leaders from both the charter…

"Voices Literature and Character Education Program" ("Voices LACE"; formerly known as Voices of Love and Freedom and Literacy and Values) is a K-12 program that aims to promote positive character and citizenship values, literacy skills, and social skills. The program contains a curriculum that can be used over any length of…

This report presents descriptive findings from the Language Minority/Limited English Proficiency Student Supplement of "Prospects," a six-year longitudinal evaluation concerning the impact of federal Chapter 1 programs. These programs provide supplemental instruction to low-achieving elementary and secondary school students in low-income schools.…

This report is the fourth in a series of follow-up analyses of nine longitudinal studies addressing the costs and effectiveness of alternative types of early intervention for children with disabilities. An introduction provides an historical perspective and conceptual framework for the studies, including common study elements and how research…

This report describes the following four areas of compliance in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) public school Remedial Plan for Services to Asian Limited English Proficiency students: (1) vocational support services; (2) Welcome Centers; (3) communications; and (4) overage youth. Data were obtained through interviews with key program personnel,…

This paper describes a course at West Virginia University that teaches academic self-management to beginning university students who have learning disabilities or are otherwise at risk for academic failure. The course uses an integrated approach that emphasizes the development of college study skills, self-management skills, and academic…