A study examining the contributions of service learning to students' cognitive, affective, civic, and social development surveyed 801 ninth-grade students in 6 school districts over 2 years. Personal development and civic involvement ratings were significantly higher for students who engaged in all three types of service activity: volunteerism,…

It would be easy to forget at this point, given that Adult Literacy has attained a status and respectability within the Adult Education sector previously undreamt of, that it was once a movement, campaigning on a platform of human rights. This article discusses adult literacy's past and present from the perspective of the Adult Literacy…

One of the very unique characteristics of child care boards is the prevalence of parent volunteers serving as board members. When parents serve as board members, a number of challenges are created. Because most parents do not have previous board experience and they are both clients as well as trustees, there is the potential for conflicts of…

The authors recommend a reading tutoring lesson framework, in a checklist format, to guide volunteer tutors during tutoring sessions for children in elementary grades 1-3. The reading tutor checklist is intended to be used by literacy coaches, reading specialists, and classroom teachers to train literacy volunteers in schools. The checklist…

Using panel data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS), the authors first analyze how civic engagement (measured in terms of community service and participation in student government) undertaken at the high school level varies across race/ethnicity and gender. The findings indicate that female high school students tend to…

Some returned Peace Corps volunteers believe that U.S. foreign policy has been more damaging than helpful in the Third World. They question the links between U.S. foreign and military policy and the Peace Corps. This book addresses such questions and brings together resources and information that will help the prospective volunteer find an…

In February 1993 the Buffalo Financial Plan Commission was asked to conduct a financial and management assessment of the Buffalo (New York) public schools. The effort involved the work of 115 volunteers from 75 businesses and community organizations in the Buffalo area. Thirty-four recommendations were produced, which were expected to yield annual…

Tutoring is recommended as one of several possible ways to help keep students in school. This report is based on a literature review and conversations with researchers, educators, and students. In spite of recent reductions in dropout rates, they remain high, especially in large urban schools. An extensive body of literature supports the…

Practical and well-defined solutions are presented to build effective and long-lasting partnerships among parents, educators, and community members for the improvement of schools. A step-by-step model is presented, with an outline to guide anyone attempting to involve parents in their children's schools. Chapter 1, "My Journey to Parent…

This program was developed and implemented to deal with the high percentage of Title I parents who lacked involvement with children's educational process. Problems were addressed by the implementation of a quality parental involvement program. Twenty-five elementary school Title I parents with no previous contact with the target site served as…

This report describes a project to develop a tutor training model for teaching adults who manifested signs of learning disabilities. A needs assessment was done by surveying previously trained tutors. Existing adult literacy materials and instructional materials specifically developed for individuals with learning disabilities were reviewed and…

This report summarizes the activities of the South Carolina State Library. Sections include: (1) the library governance and mission statement; (2) a brief library history; (3) details about the organization and operations of the library, including a list of the responsibilities and personnel assigned to each of six departments, as well as charts…

Multiage education involves placing children of different ages, abilities, and emotional maturity in the same classroom. Research indicates that heterogeneous grouping promotes cognitive and social growth, reduces antisocial behavior, and facilitates the use of research-based, developmentally appropriate instructional practices. Because multiage…

The purpose of this project is to teach students the relationship between volunteerism, good citizenship, and the continuing maintenance and enhancement of society through the examples of the volunteerism of great women community leaders in the St. Louis (Missouri) area. Each unit in the book contains a story or stories, vocabulary, and…

It is possible that the materials presented in this manual were used in implementing community action projects supported by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Educational Foundation. These projects, part of the Girls Can! initiative, were intended to address the disparity between the educational experiences of girls and boys in…