This instructor's manual provides an overview, directions, and answer keys for working with the study guide for direct care workers who are enrolled in a self-directed communication skills distance learning program for developmental disabilities workers. It begins with a list of the 12 theme areas and 105 units into which the theme areas are…

This briefing paper describes research findings on factors linked to children's school achievement and emotional adjustment. The findings are based on the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of children and families conducted at the University of Michigan and supported…

This book is designed to help readers reflect upon their personal approaches to open and distance learning (ODL) assessment and to adapt their techniques to benefit learners. Part A explores issues and themes in ODL assessment. It examines key terms in assessment; the important relationship between assessment and learning; unique issues of…

This paper explains that women teachers working in public schools across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia face many challenges related to poverty and rural locations. However, they also have several elements in common across their classrooms which they incorporate into their instructional practice. These elements are: maintaining high…

Good classroom management supports good instruction. Just as important, instruction that actively engages students' attention and efforts decreases the incidence of student misbehavior. This "What We Know About" discusses the link between instruction and management, describes daily routines that contribute to a smoothly run classroom, and talks…

A stress inventory administered to black women faculty at seven Botswana colleges and universities (n=201) found the greatest stressor to be student class boycotts, followed by uncertainties about their institution's future and dual roles. Almost two-thirds experienced fatigue. The most successful stress management technique was positive thinking.…

Studied after-school activities of third graders for two years. Found that children attending after-school programs spent more time on academic and extracurricular activities; children in informal care spent more time watching television and "hanging out." Sex differences were reported in the type of activities. Time spent in activities was…

The author explores his insights and lessons learned during service as a dean at two business schools.

This paper describes the analysis undertaken to design a 1-credit-hour online orientation course for students new to online learning. An instructional design team, as a part of an advanced instructional design course, worked with a university-based client. The client identified specific problem areas encountered by novice students of online…

Relaxed intensity refers to a professional philosophy, demeanor, and way of life. It is the key to being an effective educational leader. To be successful one must be relaxed, which means managing stress efficiently, having fun, and enjoying work. Intensity allows one to get the job done and accomplish certain tasks or goals. Educational leaders…

In this paper, a companion piece to "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools" (ED544382), the authors analyze small high school spending in three urban districts--Baltimore City, Boston, and Chicago--to understand whether it is higher than in larger schools; if it is, why it is different; and the policy…

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Scratch the surface of a successful school and you will find a web of interactions that is the root of its success. Who is it that envisions, inspires, cajoles, and rallies all the various players in and around a school toward any improvement goal? Often it's a superintendent, a principal, a professor, a special teacher, or a parent. In a word,…

This competency-based secondary learning guide on balancing work and family is part of a series that are adaptations of guides developed for adult consumer and homemaking education programs. The guides provide students with experiences that help them learn to do the following: make decisions; use creative approaches to solve problems; establish…

This competency-based secondary learning guide on managing individual and family resources is part of a series that are adaptations of guides developed for adult consumer and homemaking education programs. The guides provide students with experiences that help them learn to do the following: make decisions; use creative approaches to solve…