Discusses planning points when negotiating joint ventures for designing public recreational facilities. The obstacle and impact of money in the negotiations is examined as are handling the definition of operational responsibilities, personnel and maintenance, program and service delivery, and progress of the partnership and facility itself. (GR)

Discusses how accessible equipment for children with disabilities makes integrated playground design a reality. Examples of playground designs are provided. (GR)

This article utilizes the agency-structure debate as a framework for constructing a health lifestyle theory. No such theory currently exists, yet the need for one is underscored by the fact that many daily lifestyle practices involve considerations of health outcomes. An individualist paradigm has influenced concepts of health lifestyles in…

As varied as the schools and the communities they serve, so too are the Web pages for the library media programs that serve them. This article provides guidelines for effective web design and the information that might be included, including reference resources, reference asistance, curriculum support, literacy advocacy, and dynamic material. An…

The comprehensive framework was developed in the Effective School Improvement Project. The initial framework was based on an analysis of a range of theories and an additional analysis of case studies in the field of school improvement. A revision took place after an analytic confrontation of the initial framework with successful improvement…

Studying animals in the classroom enables students to develop skills of observation and comparison, a sense of stewardship, and an appreciation for the unity, interrelationships, and complexity of life. This article offers guidelines for working with live animals in the science classroom or laboratory.

Over the past quarter century, the study of child and adolescent development has made important progress by using its theoretical insights to address the common problems of growing up. In light of findings generated by this empirical activity, it is now time to take a new look at the field's theoretical base to establish a comprehensive framework…

The paper's goal is to propose a conceptual framework, a "knowledge infrastructure," demonstrating that social gerontology is at the point of becoming a distinct academic discipline. The various phases of gerontological development that have led to the current stage are outlined. The components of the framework are arranged vertically by three…

The learning process is forever riddled with controversies. Principal among them is that many students leave the classroom with the feeling that the odds are stocked against them, or that teachers bear grudges that are often used to malign their work or progress. But if the main focus in this teacher-student function is to make students realize…

This article analyses the literature on staff induction into international schools. It defines what is meant by the term "induction" and identifies the benefits to both individuals and organization if it is done well. It stresses that induction is a process, not an event, and discusses the various stages involved: the initial recruitment, the…

"Biochemistry," by Lubert Stryer, has become one of the standard textbooks for the field. The Fifth Edition has two new authors: Jeremy Berg, Professor and Director of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and John Tymoczko, the Towsley Professor of Biology at Carleton College. The new edition does,…

One attempt to make scores from large-scale assessments more interpretable has been to provide proficiency level scores to describe the meaning of student performance on tests. This study has examined the accuracy of Ercikan and Julian's (2002) guidelines for developing proficiency level scores and the classification accuracy of proficiency level…

It is estimated that there are over one million K-12 enrollments in online courses across the country. The number of online courses and providers continues to grow at a steady rate each year (a staggering 30% annually), providing scores of options for today's students. With all of the benefits that online learning provides to students and their…

This paper examines the differences that exist between the traditional face-to-face classroom and the online courseroom. Instructors should begin by identifying the epistemological foundation for the course conversion process. During the instructional design phase, courses can be developed from a team approach or by the instructor alone. Issues of…

"Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' roles in the professional development of teachers. Each issue also explores the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Values and Clarity Build Classroom Language (Valerie von Frank); (2) Tools: Identifying and Clarifying Beliefs about Learning; (3)…