This research brief is published at the mid-way point of a five-year study that is analyzing a spectrum of programs in four states to identify outstanding English instruction in secondary schools. Outstanding schools are defined as those whose students beat the odds and outscore their peers in comparable skills on high-stakes, standardized test of…

This brochure provides a brief description of what kindergarten students are taught and expected to know by the end of the school year. The information is designed to assist parents in understanding how Hawaii's public schools are working towards meeting the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards. Checklist information is provided for the…

Drawn from the experiences of the Cornell Youth and Work Program, a 4-year demonstration project that adapted elements of European apprenticeship in the United States and emphasized opportunities for youth to learn at work, this guide is written for people in workplaces and schools who plan, direct, or evaluate work-based learning opportunities…

The activities in this book were designed to encourage students to perceive what is going on around them, to be both receptive to and critical of the ideas of others, to analyze problems, to elaborate upon ideas, to explore possibilities, and to see relationships. The activities call for all 18 of E. Paul Torrance's creative thinking abilities.…

Each of the seven chapters in this guide presents current research with practical applications for the middle-level teacher and integrates these instructional approaches with the developmental needs of the young adolescent. After a foreword by David H. Reilly, chapter 1 provides a general overview of current cognitive research and its…

This book is a collection of stories describing the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, based on the author's internship in the Italian preschools and a 4-year adaptation effort in one American school. The book's prologue describes the author's work before using the Reggio Emilia approach, the history of Reggio Emilia, the…

This report summarizes the proceedings of a 1996 workshop on modern language teaching, sponsored by the Council of Europe. It first outlines the workshop's aims to examine relevant recent research in Europe, suggest policy concerning language teaching and language teacher training, and encourage cooperation among researchers and their…

This book addresses the need for higher education to create a community of critical thinkers. It suggests that contemporary curricular reform is already producing citizens of the world as it advocates diversity and multicultural education. The central argument is a defense of the "new education," and is rooted in the ideal of the citizen…

These eight bulletins, which are intended for literacy instructors, tutors, librarians, and others, contain reviews of literacy materials designed for use in adult literacy, adult basic education (ABE), and family literacy programs. Each review contains some or all of the following: title, author, publisher of the item being reviewed; information…

This guide provides a work-in-progress family literacy curriculum. The materials are intended to be adapted to fit the parents in the specific setting. Each of 14 sections contains a number of activities that support the following ideas: documenting parents as the first teachers of their children using family portfolios; parent support time;…

This paper discusses who will teach American children in the current political environment. Americans consider education a top political priority. The conversation must be moved from campaign rhetoric to real dialogue about education's critical role and the readiness of all schools to help shape the nation. Major trends transforming society…

Researchers predict the number of people in the United States workforce could exceed 180 million by 2028, but, if employment demands continue to expand at current levels, the number of jobs could approach 200 million. Skills needed to perform those jobs will continue to grow, requiring higher levels of training to perform all jobs, including those…

This document examines microenterprise development as an employment option for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. The document begins with a brief discussion of the feasibility of self-employment as an option for TANF recipients, particularly in a slow economy. The next section answers policy questions pertaining to the…

In the prevailing atmosphere of concern for basic skills development, Houston Community College System (HCCS) faculty and administration perceived the need for a self-evaluation of HCCS's developmental studies programs. The purposes of the resulting study are: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the institution's developmental studies programs by…

With the transformation of the welfare system, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reviewed the employment and training components of 13 of its programs. The evaluation begins with a literature review that identifies these four groups of elements associated with positive outcomes: employment services that have an employment…