This volume addresses general and special education inclusion and how the education field has changed over time. The topic of inclusion has transformed over the years from when it was first introduced and as a result of legislation, new trends, and current research investigations. In addition, this topic can be somewhat controversial depending on…

This two-part volume addresses the specific area of interdisciplinary connections within special education research. Special education has transformed as a result of legislation, new trends and current research investigations. Currently, there is no comprehensive resource that effectively covers these advances. Part A sets the agenda for this…

Small learning communities, an initiative to transform large struggling comprehensive high schools into smaller autonomous schools, are being empirically examined in the field of education to assess if transformation is actually occurring as seen by positive outcomes, such as increased academic achievement. There is an absence of literature on…

The college-going rates of rural students lag behind those of more urban students, a gap likely due, in part, to rural students' lower educational aspirations. These lower aspirations appear to be tied to the dilemma that higher education presents for many rural students: whether to remain in their rural home, working in traditional trades and…

This paper is one of a collection of papers written by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) to support the use of content review as the basis for establishing communication and computation prerequisites. "Student Success: The Case for Establishing Prerequisites Through Content Review" was adopted at the Fall 2010…

This article describes a broader, bolder approach to education reform aimed at addressing the social and economic disadvantages that hinder student achievement. Central principles of this approach to reform include the provision of supports such as early childhood and preschool programs, after-school and summer enrichment programs, parent…

The phenomenal growth in enrollment at community and technical colleges during the past decade has had a distinct impact on the role that counselors must play to continue to provide a viable contribution to the colleges. Specifically, Mesa Community College (MCC), in Arizona, has identified three trends which provide opportunities for counseling…

In this era of education reform, school counselors are among educators being held accountable for the academic achievement of minority and poor children. School counselors in urban schools serve a disproportionate number of minority and poor children at risk for school failure. Urban school counselors can play critical roles in engaging their…

In spring 1996, Maryland's Carroll Community College (CCC) began efforts to shift institutional focus and mission from that of a teaching institution to a learning-centered institution. The college's Counseling and Advising Services unit, responsible for advising and transfer, has adapted this educational shift to its unique position in the…

One of the major challenges for community colleges in the 1980s will be to respond to the increasing diversification of the student population and the trend towards a greater proportion of older, part-time, and women students. This trend will have a significant impact on student services and will require the development of strategies and programs…

In many schools, the educational mission is thwarted because of multifaceted factors that interfere with youngsters' learning and performance. It is for this reason that schools invest in educational support programs and services. It is somewhat surprising how little attention educational policymakers give to rethinking this area of school…

This document examines issues in schoolwide application of career academies. Part 1 reviews the three defining features of career academies: (1) a career academy is a small learning community in which a cluster of students share several classes each year that are taught by the same team of teachers over a period of 2-4 years; (3) each academy…