It frequently is suggested that parents underutilize assistive technology (AT) for their young children with disabilities despite wide spread recommended practices for providing optimal AT interventions (i.e., devices and services). However, neither parent perspectives of AT underutilization or families' experiences with AT have been reported in…

In recent years, the perception in Flanders has been that teachers enjoy little or no esteem from the average citizen. On the basis of a representative sample of 982 Flemings between the ages of 18 and 71 years old, this article investigates whether or not this feeling is really present and what factors contribute to it. The following questions…

The focus of college early childhood programs is on working with children and learning about child development. Unfortunately, they all ignore families. While there is an occasional nod toward family dynamics, very little time in both theory and practice is devoted to learning the techniques of developing relationships with families and…

How can families and early childhood professionals provide quality, inclusive early childhood education for young children with and without disabilities? That's the question posed in this "Impact "issue. In its pages, parents reflect on their experiences with early childhood education and inclusion for their children--what was helpful, what was…

"School-based management" (SBM) rose to become a prominent trend in educational reform in Western countries during the last few decades of the 20th century and has likewise been introduced into a number of Asian and African nations. A key component of SBM is the increase of internal accountability within the school with the aim of…

This annoted bibliography relays a range of issues and approaches to working with Travellers, Irish Travellers, Gypsies, Roma and Show People. This is an accompanying document to the literature review report, ED501860.

This study examined the effects of teacher characteristics, school conditions, teacher efficacy, external support, and remuneration on music educators' risk for attrition and migration. Data from the 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey--a comprehensive, nationally representative survey of teachers, principals, and schools conducted by the…

Objective: Children's behavior at school often leads to parental interest in seeking physician treatment. This study examines teachers' knowledge and perceptions of psychotropic drug use in schools. Method: Structured interviews were conducted with 27 general education teachers from a diverse representation of elementary schools within central…

In a recent survey, parents and middle school students reported that they are challenged by the demands of homework. Responses to the survey, titled "The Great Homework Divide," indicate that students and their parents are struggling to adjust to the middle school workload, which can be both heavier and more varied than previously experienced by…

Definitions of school readiness tend to focus on social and academic competencies that children are presumed to need to start school ready to learn. However, a child-focused definition of school readiness is limited because it neither identifies processes that lead children to acquire these competencies, nor does it recognize children's dependence…

This paper adopts a qualitative approach to study the perceptions of six secondary teachers from two schools with a similar background and history of school-based management (SBM). The study aims to explore the views of the teachers in the following areas: changes in school administration and the structure of the school under SBM; changes in the…

In this article, the authors present the strategies used by teachers in early childhood programs and elementary schools when they teach about peace and conflict resolution. In a focus group, the teachers relate that they primarily need consistency as they work toward peace and conflict resolution. The teachers also identify communication with…

This article, the last in a series described in the MEJ Mentoring Series sidebar, highlights what researchers have uncovered about induction programs for beginning music teachers. It provides suggestions for mentors who are assisting beginning music teachers in their decisions about professional development and in handling some of the challenges…

The overall aim of the project was to engage early childhood teachers in investigating and improving their expertise in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The intention of the project was to develop a research environment through which researchers and kindergarten teachers worked collaboratively, using action research methodology, to…

This report summarizes many of Austin Independent School District's parent and community involvement activities for the 2006-2007 school year.