Anecdotal reports of the protective qualities of mentoring relationships for youth are corroborated by a growing body of research. What is missing, however, is research on the processes by which mentors influence developmental outcomes. In this article, we present a conceptual model of the mentoring process along with a delineation of some of the…

The New York edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

Introduction: changes in educational policy and practice demand that we examine school library programmes from a new perspective. As a model that takes a developmental view of minds in context, Cultural Historical Activity Theory is particularly well suited to the study of school libraries and the learning that occurs therein. This paper focuses…

This paper investigates the correlation between the quality of instructional design and learning outcomes for early childhood students in the online synchronous cyber classroom. Today's generation of e-learners has access to highly engaging and well-designed multi-media synchronous classrooms. However little data exists on what constitutes…

The National Priorities, published in 2001, highlight important outcomes of education in Scotland. National Priority 5 sets a clear expectation that teachers will "encourage creativity and ambition" in their pupils. "A Curriculum for Excellence" (Scottish Executive, 2004) also stresses that pupils need to be able to "think…

This paper will introduce a master program in ICT and Learning (MIL) and present some of the experiences we have gained so far. MIL is a result of a collaborative initiative taken by five Danish universities, and it is an accredited part-time 2-year master program. It is unique in the sense that it builds on the pedagogical framework of project…

The English department at North Carolina State University faced a rapid, large-scale transition of a number of its professional writing courses from traditional classes to online courses. Recognizing that numerous barriers, including unresolved administrative issues, faculty resistance, and lack of training could impede this process,…

This introductory-level presentation demonstrates how to evaluate the materials and teaching in online courses. Topics covered include similarities with evaluation of on-ground teaching, factors unique to online courses, technological considerations, helping administrators unfamiliar with online courses, and national standards, rubrics, and…

This document represents a comprehensive summary of current research and theory on the sources of innovation and creativity, both in individuals and organizations. Based on the recurring concepts in the existing literature, the document concludes with some recommendations for how education systems can best foster these attributes in students. Both…

In this chapter, the authors share their examination of the medical and public health literature regarding links between health and literacy and identify trends in research and practice. They note the connection between educational attainment and health, as education may influence lifestyle behaviors, problem-solving abilities and values. In…

The revised edition of "How good is our school?" (HM Inspectorate of Education, 2002) has been widely welcomed in schools and authorities. This document is one of a series of guides which builds on, but does not repeat, the advice on self-evaluation given in "How good is our school?" The introductory publication to the series,…

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (Table 153), there are almost as many states that require a minimum of 2 credits of science for graduation (22) as there are those that require 3 credits (21). According to the "2000 High School Transcript Study," between 1990 and 2000, not only did the average number of science credits…

Fewer job opportunities, rising violence, and failing schools have all shaped the structure of opportunities for both youth and adults in urban communities. However, researchers understand very little about how these factors influence the capacity for adults in urban communities to form meaningful partnerships with youth. First, this article…

By the spring of 2000, forty states had begun using student test scores to rate school performance. Twenty states have gone a step further and are attaching explicit monetary rewards or sanctions to a school's test performance. In this paper, the authors focus on accountability programs in which states measure the effectiveness of individual…

The New Zealand Ministry of Education is undertaking a project to provide information that can assist schools to design quality environments that will improve student learning outcomes. The project started in 2004 with the ministry surveying boards of trustees, principals, teachers and students on what features of property design they believed…