Defines participant observation as a research methodology whereby investigation is conducted in the subjects' natural habitat over a long period of time in which the researcher shares as intimately as possible in the life and activities of the subjects being studied. (Available from the Journal of Applied Communications Research, Ed., Drawer NJ,…

Focuses on the applicability of U.S.-originated communication models to research and practice in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and other countries. (MH)

Suggests that a careful review of the logical and empirical bases for the myth argument indicates that there is little to justify it. The evidence suggests that if one lives long enough, decrements in at least some of the important abilities of intelligence is likely to occur. (Author/AM)

In a recent report, Lewis Solmon, Kern Paark, and David Garcia (2001) seek to identify the impact of attending charter schools on student achievement using data from Arizona. Based on a sophisticated statistical analysis, these authors report that charter school attendance increases test score gains of students. This note raises some questions…

This working paper is the fourth in a series examining what has been learned since the enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. Following an introduction describing the legislations initial impact, the paper details reauthorization-related activities during 2001 and 2002, and describes…

This paper discusses problems and ethical issues in obtaining interview data from young children and presents the "phototalk" method (the use of photographs to facilitate interviews with young children). The method was used in a study of young children's transition to school. Four interviews were conducted with each child, with the first…

In the 1995-96 school year, seven Colorado school districts, including urban districts, received grants under the federal McKinney Program for the homeless (Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act). The grant awards totaled $225,580 and served a total of 2,100 children. Although the same number of districts were funded as in the preceding…

The boundary metaphor has been used successfully over the past two decades to explain and predict how individuals manage the tensions between the need to self-disclose and the need for privacy within interpersonal relationships. This paper explores the history of Communication Boundary Management Theories and presents suggestions for modifying the…

This paper reports on an integrated methodology adopted to help solve the problem of accessing boys' fleeting, mobile, and often unvoiced self-work during the process of constructing their gender identity. The study is part of a larger investigation examining the experience and education of boys and young men in relation to matters of sexual…

Environmental education is mandatory in the New South Wales, Australian curriculum and yet the research to date shows that while some teachers include environmental education in their programs, many do not. It is argued in this paper that the problems in environmental education require research for their solution. This paper intends to make a…

This document is about a learning community created by two Mesa Community College faculty members. Their initial goal for creating the center was to improve student learning, deepen the relationship between faculty and students, etc. The program has a service-learning requirement that was implemented with the goal of preparing students to become…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is an integrated set of surveys that has been conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1993-94. In each of those school years, the Census Bureau also conducted a reinterview of the administrators, schools, and teachers. This report…

This document contains two papers related to the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). The first paper documents some of the problems that were encountered during student sample selection and the methods used to resolve those problems. It also provides some suggestions to alleviate some of the problems in future SASS studies. Significant…

Reading Recovery (RR), an early intervention for first graders at risk of literacy failure, was introduced in Maine in school year 1990-91 and has been growing ever since. The Maine Department of Education has been funding the training of RR teachers since the 1994-95 school year. Although there is general agreement that the RR program is…

This book examines the studies of leading researchers who have testified in various hearings and promoted policy and legislation on behalf of skills-emphasis learning, especially those financed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The book not only identifies each claim, it also analyzes the research that backs…