Starting school is a transition marked by excitement, trepidation, happiness, or sadness for all involved. This issue of the Australian Early Childhood Association Research in Practice Series discusses some of the issues described as important by children, parents, and preschool and elementary educators in an interview study of children's…

Based on the proceedings of a national conference titled "Implementation of the Title I Program: Implications for Improving Schools' Capacity for Achieving Success," this publication is intended to bring critical attention to the issues that will improve the learning of economically disadvantaged students in urban and rural schools.…

This history of service learning traces the work of 33 advocates, scholars, and practitioners since the early 1960s. Chapter 1 defines service learning and identifies a representative and influential group of "service learning pioneers." Chapter 2, titled "Early Connections Between Service and Education," by Seth S. Pollack, offers a conceptual…

This summary assessment report evaluates the progress being made by the Virginia's 23 community colleges in two areas: the performance of remedial students and those students who transfer to four-year institutions. In addition, it discusses the performance of recent high school graduates who enroll in remedial courses. Each college submitted a…

This report reviews the evaluation process of the 1995 community college assessment reports for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). It provides evaluation results, which found that the 18 colleges, even within limited resources and major restructuring, were able to demonstrate satisfactory progress as shown by assessment results and the…

A profile of an effective teacher of Aboriginal Australian students was constructed based on research on the teaching of Aboriginal students. Using the profile as a framework, this paper reports on an ethnographic study of an effective teacher in action with Aboriginal students. The study consisted of semi-participative observation of a teacher of…

This paper presents an expanded definition of school readiness that includes the skills children possess as they begin formal school as well as the ways that family backgrounds, preschool experiences, and primary-grade classrooms interact with children to point them toward school success or failure. The paper notes five dimensions of school…

This paper reviews the literature to outline principles and best practices for aquatic stewardship education. Stewardship education develops an internalized stewardship ethic and the skills needed for decision making and environmentally responsible actions. Successful stewardship education programs are designed to influence beliefs, values,…

Youth who come in contact with the juvenile justice system are often disenfranchised by the education system. Despite research demonstrating that employability is critical to the success of high-risk youth, youth involved in the juvenile justice system often find it difficult to learn marketable skills or compete for jobs. According to a task…

The present system of education in the United States is wasteful of human and monetary resources and is organized to deny learning opportunities to most students. Education is the biggest business in the United States, and it is the most important business because it molds the character and ability of current and future citizens. Schools should be…

This book examines historical features from antiquity through present times that are important to early childhood scholars. Chapter 1 presents the history of education, including discussions of educational practices from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries in Europe and the United States, recent efforts to merge preschool and…

Recognizing that there are numerous organizational models and strategies that can be used by Montessori school administrators, this handbook provides a guide for shaping the Montessori school's unique administrative practice. The handbook's seven parts address organizational and financial foundations, a developmental perspective of the prepared…

Schools cannot expect to obtain gains in learner achievement from computer technology if it is not properly implemented. The concerns of teachers in integrating computer technology in the classroom may impact how computer technology is ultimately implemented. This study examined the concerns of elementary school teachers implementing…

Employee development programs (EDPs) are workplace adult education programs which focus on encouraging personal growth and improving confidence and self-esteem through the provision of leisure-based programs. EDPs are determined by employee needs, offered free of charge, and conducted outside working hours. EDPs were first implemented in the…

New findings about intelligence as a set of capabilities that expand and change throughout life are changing the view of learning and necessity of assessment. This book presents a new view of assessment that is aligned with the emerging paradigm of multiple intelligences. A multiple intelligence approach to assessment should grow from multiple…