Only recently has the need to link rural education programs for workers and economic planning been recognized. This interest in linkages has resulted in a variety of intermediary mechanisms for collaboration. Included among the elements or activities necessary for linking education and economic development are the following: a solid base of…

Young children's experiences in being read to are often the first in a chain of events leading to the acquisition of reading skills and a love for reading. When asked to write accounts of their early memories related to literature, 75 students in university-level children's literature courses mentioned their mothers more frequently than any other…

Reviews the literature and identifies and explores five characteristics shown to exist in both the adventure-based learning environment and effective traditional classroom settings. Discusses small learning group size, cooperative learning environments, communication of high expectations for students, building on student success, creating a…

Decentralized decision-making is an important characteristic of effective schools. Effective decentralization requires that teachers, parents, students, and the community be involved, despite the various problems they face. The creation of school improvement councils is one step towards implementing the massive structural change needed to improve…

Reviews 18 recent books in six topics. Topics include history of education, philosophy of education, comparative and international education, education and the social sciences, educational policy studies, and educational issues. (TRS)

This report summarizes major points from the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports' (PBIS Center) literature review on statewide behavior initiatives (SBIs) and findings from the PBIS Center's study that examined the extent to which SBIs have been developed and implemented. Of the 19 states that responded to the PBIS Center's…

This comprehensive review of parent involvement examines more than 200 studies to identify what research says about attitudes toward parent involvement, how parent involvement is practiced, and how parent involvement affects student achievement. The review also identifies research-based applications educators can use to implement effective parent…

The East San Gabriel Valley (California) School to Career Partnership encompassing the eastern sections of Los Angeles County and serving an ethnically diverse population, uses design-based learning (DBL) to teach academic and career skills to at-risk students in small groups. Key features of DBL classroom activities include the following: (1)…

This book describes complex issues involved in an elementary Professional Development School (PDS) partnership. Section one presents contextual information on the nature of the PDS phenomenon. It includes three chapters: (1) "Introduction and PDS as a Reform Initiative"; (2) "Methodology of the Case Study"; and (3)…

This book compiles specially commissioned articles about early childhood education written by experts in the field and students enrolled in the Early Childhood Studies Scheme at the University of North London. The book is divided into seven parts. Part 1 concerns how young children learn and includes articles on a developmental approach to the…

Arizona businesses are facing a dearth of skilled workers. The work force deficit is about quantity and about quality. It is both an immediate problem and a long-term problem. It is a threat to business competitiveness and Arizona's competitive advantage, and it challenges both industry and government to find solutions. Currently the State of…

This study documented current early childhood assessment policies and practices, focusing on changes since the 1988 nationwide survey and on changes occurring in response to Goal 1 of the National Education Goals, performance assessments, and integrated services for young children. Data were collected through telephone surveys and in-depth…

This article examines federal, state, and local initiatives that have influenced child welfare policy and practice on a national scale, with particular emphasis on those policies that offer opportunities for better coordination of services between mental health and child welfare agencies. The special circumstances of child welfare clients are…

Includes nine articles that discuss cooperative library networking in Illinois. Highlights include library systems as cooperative agencies; PALI (Private Academic Libraries of Illinois); rural school and public library development; systemwide users; regional medical libraries; virtual libraries and the Coalition for Networked Information; a…

This article examines the role of social context in teaching and learning at the college level and reviews principles of six research and conceptual approaches which address social context: the transactional perspective; student-centered instruction; cooperative learning; communication theory; group-process theory; and curricular/structural…