This paper defines the concept of "improvement infrastructure" and "educational capital" for education, and it uses the case of the National Writing Project to develop an extended, data-based illustration of the design and generativeness of an improvement infrastructure. Since 1983 there have been multiple "waves" of…

This report offers California college faculty a closer look at contextualized teaching and learning (CTL) as a promising set of strategies and practices that can be expanded through the state's Basic Skills Initiative. The report is relevant to a range of instructional and counseling faculty, including academic and career and technical education…

It is imperative to identify the impact of technological advancements on the quality of student learning. This article reports first-year undergraduate students' perceptions of and experiences with a Web-based writing support program. Two research questions guided the study: (1) What is the nature of first-year students' interactions with…

This volume marks the completion of Phase II of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) project of inquiry into the issues inherent in the introduction of new information technologies in education. It summarizes the issues discussed and the recommendations made by four working groups at an international conference, each of which…

This is the fourth paper published by The Centre for Literacy in its Working Papers in Literacy series, which present new perspectives on literacy-related issues relevant to researchers, to practitioners, and to policy-makers. This paper was written in 1998 as an advisory document to the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Agency (QCA) which manages…

While more research needs to be done in the area of adolescent literacy, there is growing agreement about some of the characteristics successful literacy intervention programs share. The purpose of this brief is to provide information to help policymakers, educators, parents, and others concerned with adolescent literacy make informed decisions…

The report to Congress by the Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities, required by the Health Research Extension Act of 1985, Public Law 99-158, provides a review and assessment of Federal research priorities, activities, and findings regarding learning disabilities. Included in the report is information on (1) the number of persons…

A proposed program in English as a Second Language (ESL) for limited-English-proficient students at California State University at Los Angeles (CSLA) is outlined. Eligible international students and recent immigrants and refugees would be identified and placed using a test of English for academic purposes. The proposed program would consists of…