Dropout Reduction through Education, Achievement, and Motivation (Project DREAM) was designed to serve the needs of Latino immigrants who had scored at or below the 40th percentile on the Language Assessment Battery. The design-incorporating plans for group and individual guidance sessions to help students improve their interpersonal skills. It…

This collection explores the range of uses of autobiography from the 19th century to the present and from Africa, the United States, Middle East, France, New Zealand, and Britain. The chapters draw on a number of approaches, including historical and literary methods. They are frequently about the retrieval and reclamation of previously hidden or…

The Research for Better Schools Urban Education Project is working with teachers in Baltimore (Maryland) and Washington (District of Columbia) to reduce the alienation of many urban students by exploring how to align what students bring to school with classroom learning. This effort is centered around the concept of learner experience, an…

The Research for Better Schools Urban Education Project is working with educators in Baltimore (Maryland) and Washington (District of Columbia) to explore how to align what students bring to school with classroom learning. This effort is centered around the concept of learner experience, an outgrowth of the project's Urban Learner Framework (ULF),…

This report examines factors that influenced low-income Mexican-Americans from homes with little formal education to achieve high academic status. Although over one third of students in California's public schools are Hispanic, only a small fraction of these students complete a university education. Fifty Mexican-Americans (30 men and 20 women)…

This book explores concepts and methods of self-directed learning (SDL), documenting and illustrating the SDL methodology with practical examples. SDL is a synergistic process in which a teacher helps learners use various strategies and perceptual skills to learn on their own, become more responsible for their learning, and take charge of their…

At the University of Minnesota, a model, visual representation or "graphic" that incorporated both a systematic design process and a constructivist approach was used as a framework for course design. This paper describes experiences of applying the Instructional Context Design (ICD) framework in both the K-12 and higher education…

Innovative librarians, teachers, and parents have for years been using picture books with students in grades four and above, including high school and college students. Recent research suggests that many students comprehend better when they are reading meaningful text, with meaningful characters and themes. Picture books are: useful for teaching…

Designed to help teachers improve instruction, this handbook provides tips gathered from focus groups of teachers and students at New Jersey's Mercer County Community College, as well as from other teaching resources. The first part focuses on the contribution of faculty-student interaction to student success, listing 21 suggestions for building…

This paper explores the social ecological opportunities implied by segregated extended school year (ESY) summer programs for students with disabilities who, during the school year, attend inclusive programs in classrooms with nondisabled peers. Two primary grade students with severe multiple disabilities were observed in the classroom situation…

This study explores the instructional impact of using computer multimedia to integrate metaphorical verbal information into graphical representations of biotechnology concepts. The combination of text and graphics into a single metaphor makes concepts dual-coded, and therefore more comprehensible and memorable for the student. Visual stimuli help…

This report describes a program to improve inappropriate behavior of targeted fifth and sixth grade classes in an elementary school in northern Illinois. Seventeen percent of the school population is identified as low-income, although the community is experiencing a rapid increase in residential and commercial growth. Time-off task, incomplete…

This research report presents 10 papers offering views of Finnish, Swedish, British, Danish, and United States educators on teaching and teacher education. The essays are as follows: (1) "The Missing Content in Teaching: Focus on What Teachers Reflect Upon While They Are Teaching" (Mikael Alexandersson); (2) "What Is Reflection? On…

Studies suggest that the transition to middle school is associated with a decline in motivation and performance for a number of children. This longitudinal study examined changes in motivation in English and mathematics across and after the transition from elementary to middle school. Of particular interest were changes in personal goal…

The 16 chapters of this book explore, from a British perspective, a range of strategies, both institutional and individual, developed to foster an environment conducive to learning for university students. Section 1 concentrates on systems and structures to assist student learning while Section 2 offers applications at both the undergraduate and…