This paper is the result of an intensive case study by an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) review team, whose purpose was to investigate early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the United States, 1 of 12 countries participating in the OECD review between 1998 and 2000. The paper draws on information provided by a…

This paper examines social and economic forces affecting rural areas at the beginning of the 21st century and lists potential strategies to cope with those concerns. Rural development is necessary to place rural and urban areas on a more equal footing, compensate for the youth "brain drain," preserve the retirement-option value, relieve…

This paper summarizes the first 2 years of a school improvement effort in a low-performing rural school district in southern Virginia that involved developing a balanced K-12 curriculum aligned with the state's standards of learning. Project evaluation focused on changes in the school environment and in teaching and learning that resulted from the…

In order to provide teachers and students with electronic learning environments that support mentoring and collaboration through electronic means, the authors developed software that supports same time/different place educational collaborative activities over the Internet. These activities focus on teaching students how to organize and systematize…

This paper examines the viability of journal writing as a distance education teaching technique designed to provide deeper understanding and mastery of curriculum content in graduate level education courses. In creating optimal learning experiences, four different types of journal writing can be utilized in various types of distance learning…

This case study investigated the impact of an institutional mission to internationalize on the daily educational experiences of higher education faculty and students. A secondary purpose of the study was to investigate the role of international students in the internationalization process. The study was conducted in two selected departments of a…

"Policy Matters" is an initiative of the Center for the Study of Social Policy. The "Policy Matters" project is designed to develop and make available coherent, comprehensive information regarding the strength and adequacy of state policies affecting children, families, and communities. The project seeks to establish consensus among policy experts…

Competent authorities seem to agree as to the causes of eye strain in school children other than congenital defects. Standard works on diseases of the eye are practically unanimous in declaring that myopia results from the protracted and unhygienic use of the eyes in near work. Most of the factors tending to cause eye strain exist in the schools.…

Describes PACT (Parents and Children Together), a project designed to help parents create a wholesome environment for the child so that the child can remain in or be returned to the home. Failing this, PACT offers documentation to the social service agency so that the child can be permanently placed. (CT)

Describes a large-enrollment accounting course at Brigham Young University (Utah). This case focuses on the possibility of using blended approaches to reduce faculty time, re-focus student time, and raise the possibility of using blended learning as a way to admit more students to an academic program. (MES)

This 4-year longitudinal study compared characteristics of different day care contexts and the home environment of young children in Turkey and their effects on child outcomes. Findings indicated that custodial and educational day care differed in quality. Short- and long-term child outcomes suggested that educational settings supported child…

Each year, about one-third of college freshmen who select majors in science, mathematics, and engineering switch to other fields. Faculty may be able to reduce student attrition from quantitative majors by addressing four barriers to success: (1) pre-college preparation; (2) peer culture; (3) classroom climate; and (4) sink-or-swim instructional…

The Academic Excellence Workshop at California State Polytechnic University (Pomona) has greatly improved performance and persistence of women and Latino science, mathematics, and engineering majors taking calculus, the crucial gateway course. This suggests persistence and success are more related to college classroom experiences and expectations…

In a collaborative learning situation, the college teacher must learn to use knowledge and authority differently, using new forms of classroom control to promote internal leadership and drawing on discipline knowledge primarily to guide group inquiry. (MSE)

Explores issues of parent involvement in light of current educational reform movements, asserts that parent involvement as a voluntary effort may not be effective, and argues that businesses and industries interested in reform are not focusing sufficiently on work-related variables that might encourage involvement of parents and other adults. (SLD)