Discusses how to run a successful smart card program through a comprehensive approach that includes a detailed plan for the present and future, high level support from school administration, and extensive user input. Florida State University is used to illustrate a successfully implemented smart card program. (GR)

Describes innovative technology projects that can help meet the expectations of adult literacy stakeholders. Stresses that the success of wider-scale projects requires attention to local planning, training, technical support, leadership, and resources. (JOW)

Science exists in many forms, but an appreciation of science as an integral part of every day does not occur in the vacuum of laboratory experience or through classroom activities. Throughout the communities, a plethora of places exist to see science at work, from the usually recommended museums and parks to the less thought of factories and…

Youth Art Month (YAM) is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education for all students and to encourage support for quality school art programs. Youth Art Month (YAM) is in virtually every state, in many communities, in schools, libraries, stores, and other places. Anyone can start an observance--an art educator, a…

Planning a wedding, like planning programs for adult learners, is a process that requires collaboration and respect for all involved in the planning. Most importantly, planning programs requires that the many people involved in the planning listen to and work with each other to negotiate program components in an ethical planning process, while at…

With all the recent headlines about security breaches and information loss at financial and educational institutions, the higher education community needs to address the issue of using social security numbers as ID numbers. The University of Oregon undertook a change process to assign generated ID numbers to all records in their information…

In these days where "accountability" is the byword, organizations more and more frequently seek to evaluate their programs. They often hire outside evaluators to help them assess the effectiveness of their programs, to find out what works and what doesn't, and to determine what programmatic changes would be beneficial. ActKnowledge, a…

This brochure is developed to provide information for local unions within the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) who may be interested in becoming Education Research and Dissemination (ER&D) sites. The following questions are addressed: (1) What Is ER&D? (2) What Can ER&D Accomplish? (3) What Makes ER&D Different? (4) What Do ER&D Participants…

Engaging employers with youth in workforce preparation activities is widely supported by program providers as a good practice. Research, although limited, supports this practice as well. This paper describes the findings from 58 interviews with youth program providers, employers, and policy-makers that explored the inclusion of employers in…

This annual report provides a summary of program planning and review activities conducted by the Commission during the 2006-2007 academic year. During this reporting period, Commission staff: (1) Conducted an extensive review of a University of California (UC) law school proposal; (2) Reviewed seven California State University (CSU) proposals for…

Knowledge of learners' assets beyond the traditional structure of school can provide preservice teachers with essential gateways to connecting learners with the content to be studied, and with forming beneficial social relationships that can enhance learning. This article describes ways that preservice teachers responded to community-based…

Background: Telemedicine, the provision of healthcare at a distance via telecommunication technology, has been used to address a wide range of health concerns in a variety of settings. Given the challenges schools face in keeping students healthy, telemedicine could be viewed as a mechanism to provide healthcare services directly to students in…

This paper reports on the findings of the preliminary research that I conducted in two districts of southern Malawi, Africa. The purpose of the research was to establish the existence of the Sara Communication Initiative (SCI), a girls' intervention program, which had been introduced to selected rural schools. During the preliminary visits, I…

Schools have found religion when it comes to solutions designed to deliver critical information to the campus community in a timely fashion. And the vendor community is now offering a multitude of routes to the Promised Land. The question is: Will the "right" technology solution solve all the mass communication problems? Those who have weathered…

This article discusses the authors' experience in working with young offenders who are leaving care in Ireland. It first presents a brief discussion around one agency called St. Xavier's which the authors have had connections with over the past decade. The main aim of St. Xavier's is to deliver individualized programs of care, education, and…