Socio-emotional learning (SEL) is essential for the holistic development of a child. It is a process through which individuals acquire and effectively apply their knowledge and skills to understand and manage their own emotions, show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Schools function…

While research shows that exclusionary discipline practices in the early years are ineffective and developmentally inappropriate, young children continue to be suspended and expelled at high rates. An increasing number of states have taken steps to ensure that young children are not removed from programs due to their behavior. This report explores…

The U.S. has a powerful weapon in its educational arsenal: its community colleges. Yet these institutions, according to the author, are so often overlooked in discussions of the future of U.S. society and the U.S. work force that they might as well be deemed "top secret." More than 1,200 community colleges enroll some 47% of all undergraduates.…

This paper examines zero tolerance discipline policies in Ontario's public school system legislated as the "Safe Schools Act (SSA)" 2001. The intent of our paper is to argue that the "SSA" set within a discourse of zero tolerance as the panacea to the problems of violence in schools has had a detrimental impact. Since the…

The Careers Project is a study of the preparation all students in public middle and high schools receive to explore career options and the relationship between that preparation and California's state and regional economies. The California Research Bureau (CRB) undertook this research at the request of a bipartisan group of members of the…

This study examined official records on retention from the Department of Education to ascertain national and state status and trends of retention/dropouts. The records showed that since 1983 the retention rate has peaked and is beginning to decline. In this investigation of the dropout situation in Indiana, questionnaires were administered to and…

Academic and social performance of 204 high school students who had attended one-teacher rural elementary schools in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Montana was investigated to determine if small school students were disadvantaged in a larger high school setting. Data gathered by questionnaires from students, school administrators, and counselors…

A needs assessment of the Saginaw (MI) Public Schools Gifted and Talented Program (grades K-12) gathered information from gifted and talented professional staff (administrators, teachers, and counselors), secondary students, and parents. A total of 481 out of 1004 possible respondents returned the survey, with a lower than hoped for rate among…

The study described in this report included a statewide collection of baseline information on career/vocational counseling and placement training needs in Michigan. The study sought to determine the need for a statewide career/vocational guidance and job placement training and development center for public secondary and postsecondary counselors,…

This report explores the commitment of students and teachers to the educational enterprise in ten urban comprehensive high schools in Baltimore (Maryland), Newark (New Jersey), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), and Washington (District of Columbia). Data were analyzed from interviews conducted in each school with the…