Noting that girls' lack of access to education is related to a number of economic, social, religious, and cultural factors as well as a scarcity of places in schools and that promoting gender equity in school may help equity spread throughout the entire community, this report illustrates the gender equity approach used in the Save the Children's…

Inappropriate social skills exhibited early in elementary school can interfere with cooperative group work, completion of academic tasks on time, and academic growth. This action research project evaluated the impact of a program for improving social behavior in a cooperative group setting to reduce inappropriate interactions and increase positive…

This study examined teachers' perceptions of changes in student learning and changes in their teaching strategies after implementing the Partners Advancing the Learning of Math and Science (PALMS) approach in an urban Massachusetts school district. PALMS was a cooperative statewide systemic initiative funded by the Massachusetts Department of…

This symposium on organizational change consists of three presentations. "Institutionalizing Organizational Change Through Cascade Training: Implications for Human Resource Development (HRD) Research" (Ronald L. Jacobs, Darlene Russ-Eft, Suhail Zidan) proposes the institutionalization of change should be addressed as a major part of the…

This study aimed to describe, compare, and analyze the use of specific types of data utilized in decision-making by administrators of more and less effective community colleges. The study utilized a modified version of Kim Cameron's "Assessment of Organizational Effectiveness on Higher Education" to measure and rank community college…

This report reviews efforts to reform urban schools, focusing on initiatives in Tennessee and California as examples from which distric leaders may draw useful lessons. The report suggests that comprehensive school reform (CSR) offers promise to struggling urban schools by focusing on transforming the academic climate, school culture, and…

While children are ready for school by virtue of having attained the chronological age for school entry established by the state, school readiness refers to the conditions that promote their readiness to succeed in school. Wisconsin is one of 17 states participating in the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative, the aim of which is to…

The concept of school culture offers principals and other leaders a broader framework for understanding problems and relationships within the school. School culture can be defined as the historically transmitted patterns of meaning that include the norms, values, beliefs, and myths understood by members of the school community. Researchers have…

This guide for policymakers at all levels illuminates common ground between education reform and service learning and encourages the inclusion of service learning as a viable partner in education reform efforts. Leading school reform models are analyzed with a focus on their compatibility with service learning. Also included is a description of…

Noting that the most common problem reported by adults in the early childhood educational setting or in the home is getting children to behave, this booklet presents ideas for teachers and parents to help them plan for changes in behavior. The booklet is divided into three chapters. Chapter 1, "Basics of Good Behavior Guidance," provides…

The goals of this survey of the members of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) were threefold: (1) to describe the characteristics of NAEYC members; (2) to investigate NAEYC members attitudes about men working with young children; and (3) find out how often men apply for positions and the reasons why more men do…

This "toolkit" document is intended to provide a culturally appropriate set of resources to address the unique political and legal concerns of people with disabilities in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. It provides information on education, health, vocational rehabilitation (VR), independent living, model approaches, and…

This paper draws on demographic data on children spotlighted in the 2000 Census (called the Childrens Class of 2000) to examine how forces like poverty and family instability work to prevent equality of opportunity in school and in life. The paper describes some programs and techniques that effectively reduce the effects of these forces and…

This paper discusses three topics related to the issue of the changing environment for community colleges. It first explores the market forces impacting community colleges and how these forces affect organizational design. Second, the tensions that reside within community colleges and act as impediments to change are addressed. The internal…

Even the best schools must undertake a systematic and continuous appraisal of their current condition and future directions if they are to remain valuable and viable contributors to their community's quality of life. It is clear that schools cannot undertake that appraisal unless it is done in full partnership with the communities in which they…