This paper is one of several intended to consider early childhood care and education within the context of Canada's National Children's Agenda. The paper takes the position that a blended, coherent system of early childhood development programs incorporating child care, early childhood education, and family support services should be available in…

Educators, researchers, and policymakers now acknowledge the importance of early childhood education for all preschool children. Unfortunately, studies have found that while most preschool children spend at least a portion of their days in care outside the home, they are not in settings of sufficient quality to produce later learning outcomes.…

The number of family programs in low-income communities that promote computer and Internet literacy is steadily growing. This digest describes urban after school and community programs found to be effective among low-income youth and their families. Some are projects of national initiatives that welcome new local affiliates, and others are…

This professional development packet consists of two sessions, each requiring 6 hours. Session one is designed to teach participants to do the following: identify at least three unique characteristics of workplace English as a Second Language (ESL); describe the steps involved in developing a workplace ESL program; identify the basic steps of…

This report describes the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund's Pathways to Teaching Careers Program, which is designed to help increase and diversify the supply of well-trained public school teachers willing to work in low-income schools. Program design drew on findings of leading educational researchers that made a strong case for investing in…

The "Mapping the Human Genome" project demonstrated that librarians can help whomever they serve in accessing information resources in the areas of biological and health information, whether it is the scientists who are developing the information or a member of the public who is using the information. Public libraries can guide library…

This teaching manual for treatment of children with developmental disabilities is divided into seven sections that address: (1) basic concepts; (2) transition into treatment; (3) early learning concepts; (4) expressive language; (5) strategies for visual learners; (6) programmatic considerations; and (7) organizational and legal issues. Among…

Overcoming the challenges of educational discontinuity that arise from the migratory lifestyle is the central focus of the Migrant Education Program. This chapter describes Project SMART (Summer Migrants Access Resources through Technology), a national distance learning program for migrant students that addresses such challenges by coordinating…

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how an evaluation framework was developed and implemented in order to support goals of an e-learning university. The paper discusses the aim of assessment to support institution-wide e-learning goals, the benefits and challenges of this approach to assessing the development of content for e-learning, a…

This booklet provides a succinct guide to effective management procedures, including whether and how to take on projects, estimation of costs prior to project bids, project management tools, case studies, and practical exercises for staff development activities. Chapter 1 investigates why institutions take on projects, issues involved, benefits…

Noting that after-school programs are a critical link to helping children become successful adults, this kit explains what after-school programs can and should do for young people and how to locate or start an after-school program. The kit provides a rationale for developing after-school programs, noting the number of children with parents working…

This paper describes a federally funded language preservation program at Leupp Public School, part of Flagstaff (Arizona) Unified School District but located on the Navajo Reservation. Funded in 1997 for 5 years, this schoolwide project is designed to help elementary students become proficient speakers, readers, and writers of Navajo while…

In 1998, the Institution-Wide Reform project at the University of Hartford (Connecticut) was evaluated. The main focus of the project was the improvement of teaching and learning in the science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) disciplines for freshmen. Documentation from various sources indicated that the program accomplished its…

This paper describes how one North Carolina state university redefined its educational leadership program after facing state demands to alter leadership preparation. Concurrent with other national initiatives to reform preparation of school leaders, this initiative was designed to rethink the purpose and function of leadership preparation. After…

In response to recent state legislation, school districts in New York developed plans for universal prekindergarten (UPK) programs for the 1998-1999 academic year. Based on an analysis of the first year prekindergarten program plans for 63 upstate New York districts (with follow-up information on 29 districts) and 32 New York City districts, this…