This report summarizes 2008-2009 data from several Austin Independent School District efforts to promote parent and community involvement.

We examined parents' knowledge, attitudes, and information sources regarding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), including treatment with stimulant medication and behavioral interventions. Responses from parents with a child diagnosed with ADHD and parents without a child diagnosed with ADHD were also compared. Participants consisted…

In this article, the Greek primary school teachers' understanding of three current environmental issues (acid rain, the ozone layer depletion, and the greenhouse effect) as well as the emerging images of nature were examined. The study revealed that teachers held several environmental knowledge gaps and misconceptions about the three phenomena.…

Between the years 1918 and 1953 a remarkable and sustained experiment in education occurred at an unremarkable village elementary school mid-way between Manchester and Bolton in Lancashire, England. Prestolee School at the heart of the industrial mill town of Kearsley was transformed by the head teacher, Edward Frances O'Neill (1890?1975).…

Background: Health is recognized as an important factor in children's educational achievement, and school-based health education programs are recognized for their potential long-term impact. However, the extent to which children conceptualize health similarly as adults, and the nature of their understandings of health, remain cloudy. Purpose:…

There has been a call for approaches that connect science learning with literacy, yet the use of, and research on, children's literature information books in science instruction has been quite limited. Because the discipline of science involves distinctive generic linguistic registers, what information books should be integrated in science…

Background: The use of research evidence produced by others is seen as central to the reflective practice of school teachers. There have been many recent UK initiatives aimed at improving access to research evidence, but there are still concerns about the lack of engagement by teachers. Previous research has looked at this issue from different…

In this enlightening book, nationally recognized author and fundraising consultant Stanley Levenson shows school leaders how to move away from labor-intensive, nickel-and-dime bake sales and car washes, and into the world of big-time fundraising. Following the model used by colleges and universities, the author presents a wealth of practical…

Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state by- state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, Kids Count seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all…

The Healthy Learners Asthma Initiative (HLAI) involved collaboration between Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), local health care providers/payors, parents, and other partners. The intervention included development of enhanced asthma care in school health offices and clinic performance improvement projects to foster adoption of National Institutes…

In this study we analysed the familiarity and understanding of 10 environmental concepts amongst Mexican and English school children (aged 7 to 9). The investigation considered the impact of the educational system and the school ethos on the formation of environmental concepts. Results reveal that in general, children of this age have a low to…

The purpose of this study was to collect facts and figures on the cost of vegetable foods to city families, the possibilities of raising much of this food in the city, and the educational value of garden training to the people, especially the children, of the city of Richmond, Indiana. Although located in the center of a farming region, the prices…

Advocates of school choice reform in education believe that when parents are granted the right to choose their child's school, they will act rationally, in a goal-oriented fashion, to maximize their educational utility by finding the "best" school for their children. The current qualitative study aims to examine these basic assumptions…

Objective: To investigate the process, implementation, and short-term outcomes of a drug education programme (SPICED) introduced in Kirklees schools, West Yorkshire. Design: A retrospective evaluation using mixed methods. Setting: Ten primary schools in West Yorkshire. Methods: Interviews with professionals, survey of parents, focus groups with…

This report is based on the assessment of ICT (information and communication technology) literacy conducted in October 2005. It describes the development of a computer-based tool for assessing ICT literacy among school students and the application of that tool with a nationally representative sample of approximately 7,400 students from Years 6 and…