This paper summarizes data from evaluations of community school initiatives. Section 1 describes community schools, discusses the nature and limitations of existing research on effectiveness, and summarizes findings from 49 community school initiatives. This section also includes three examples of evaluations. All of the reports present findings…

This article describes a project that involved two groups of able students (ages 11-14) identified by teachers to work on problems set by two local industries. The project was designed to enrich the curriculum by developing problem solving skills and understanding of the application of science and technology in industry. (CR)

Asserts that in addition to providing safe places where students can develop a sense of belonging, after-school programs can enhance performance in the regular academic program of middle school students. Specifically reviews current research on the impact of after-school programs on academic achievement, work habits, interpersonal skills, and…

Examines the possibilities of creating family-care centers. Suggests that in addition to focusing on the child's security, healthy development, and high quality of life, a family center focuses on the family's economical and psychological security, and the relationships that promote the psychological well-being of family members. Discusses the…

Describes states' efforts to implement a school-age credentialing system for child caregivers. Identifies basic problems hindering progress: readiness, infrastructure, and sustainability of infrastructure. Delineates implications for school-age care of significant initiatives in California, Florida, and New York. Suggests that there is no…

Explains economists' general approach to family behavior and describes how that framework is useful for thinking about families and children. Outlines how economists model parental investment in children. Examines the implications of approach for developmental science. Illustrates this approach using the example of the involvement of children and…

Describes three trends that have important implications for children's services in public libraries and discusses possible library responses. These trends are changes in family life leading to problems with the supervision of children, changes in the racial composition of the population, and changes in the age structure of the population. (16…

The purpose of this article is to provide a rationale for a professional development model and to highlight two features of the model which have been designed to address school improvement needs while concurrently providing professional development opportunities for novice and experienced science educators. The two features include summer magnet…

Suggests a new conceptualization of homework as a task that infiltrates family and peer dynamics and the nature of teaching in community organizations and in school. Argues that homework has important benefits for peer communication, thereby increasing a sense of community. Asserts that students can develop an aptitude for future homework from the…

In Japan, not attending public school is stigmatized, and alternative education is in its infancy. Reviews free spaces, which are not schools, but places for traumatized students to recover; home schooling networks; government-approved independent alternative schools; alternative after-school programs; and innovative programs within the system.…

Discusses a six week art class project for elementary school children that lasted for six weeks. Explains that the students painted sunflowers in the style of Vincent van Gogh over the rust spots of a pickup truck. Reports that the painting served as great publicity for the art classes. (CMK)

Four essays by policy analysts approach programs for school-age children from differing perspectives, each identifying the key forces that influence the policy climate and directions for the future. (Author/SLD)

Each month, "Curriculum Review" offers teachers mutual support, the sharing of ideas, and words of encouragement to help them face challenges in the classroom. The April 2004 issue of "Curriculum Review" contains the following articles: (1) "We Hear from Readers"; (2) "What They're Saying"; (3) "Technology Update"; (4) "Use Class Web Site to Host…

Drawing on data gathered during a fourteen-month study of reading practices among poor and working-class girls, this essay explores the challenges of creating a responsive and critical reading pedagogy across boundaries of class. Set largely in a summer and after-school reading program for pre-teen girls, the study addressed the question of how a…

The current study examines how certain ecological factors influence migrant Latino children's (N = 94) academic outcomes following their participation in an after-school program with intensive academic instruction. Hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that children who made the greatest academic gains were acculturated in English,…