Governor Easley of North Carolina has made a sustained commitment to listening to educators and reforming schools to create the working conditions necessary for student and teacher success. With three iterations of the working conditions survey and about 150,000 responses to critical questions about their workplace, analyses have been consistent…

Participants at the First Statewide Legislative Symposium on Rural Development discussed environmental, land use, and natural resource problems and opportunities in rural areas of New York state. Identified as major assets were scenic beauty, diversified land use and economy, abundance and high quality of water, soil base for agriculture and…

A project at Stanford University Medical School (California) was undertaken to train students to deal effectively with sexism and to promote change by increasing sensitivity of university leaders. Training involved sexual harassment workshops for medical students and faculty, and leadership retreats for deans and chairpersons. Five workshops were…

With over half the nation's infants and toddlers in regular, non-parental child care, the quality of that care is a priority concern for policymakers. Many studies show that high-quality child care supports the positive social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. The research summarized in this policy brief identifies factors…

Purpose: The school environment in the islands of Malta is experiencing important changes that need to be critically addressed if school improvement and, more importantly, student learning is going to be enhanced. This paper aims to present the education authorities with an introductory review which aims to contextualise the potential networking…

This extensive bibliography of books, ERIC documents, and journal articles is intended for use by researchers at the postsecondary level and beyond. Standard bibliographic data (author, date, title, place, and publisher) are included under various headings except in the case of ERIC documents, for which author, title, and "ED" number are given.…

An Illinois high school provided an innovative, low-cost solution to decorating the hallways of the school. It set up a committee of students and staff who decided on designs, then used supervised students to do mural paintings in the halls. (MD)

This guide informs parents, advocates, and school personnel about existing laws and resources available to ensure that every school in New York is an environmentally safe and healthy school. The guide reveals how to recognize air quality and other environmental problems and who to contact when adverse conditions are discovered. It examines…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 builds on earlier federal laws and clarifies the obligations school boards have toward employees with disabilities. One useful tool for figuring out what reasonable accommodations are necessary is the Work Experience Survey. A resource list identifies additional sources of information on employer…

Out-of-state persons moving to Maine during the July through December period of either 1980 or 1983 were queried to determine why they chose Maine, what their levels of satisfaction were with life in Maine, and in what activities they participated or planned to participate. The majority of the 417 survey respondents were from large counties in the…

To succeed in college, career and life in the 21st century, students must be supported in mastering both content and skills. This Implementation Guide presents state leaders, policymakers and/or district and school leaders with assessment tactics and examples to assist in statewide 21st century skills initiatives. The Partnership for 21st Century…

As governors confront the worst state fiscal environment in the past 25 years, long-term prospects for strong economic growth are hampered by an immense underlying problem: the high school dropout crisis. At least one student in five drops out of school, and nearly 5 million 18- to 24-year-olds lack a high school diploma. Annually, dropouts cost…

Early College High Schools (ECHS) are defined as "small schools where students can earn both a high school diploma and two years of college credit toward a bachelor's degree" (Early Colleges, 2005). ECHSs are designed as places of learning to help young people progress toward the education and experience they need to succeed in life and…

Japanese children's performance in school is a product of a social consensus favoring attention to children's learning, a set of cultural values focusing on the commitment of effort, and a psychological milieu in the family which encourages achievement in a safe and nurturant atmosphere. This paper treats especially this latter environment, that…

Research extending back into the 1890's reveals that the quality of classroom instruction depends not upon differing curricula, for example, but rather upon the attitudes and actions of teachers. Instructional effectiveness is especially important for independent schools, yet availability as well as quality of candidates has dropped markedly.…