If boards of education in rural areas are going to strengthen education, they need to achieve empowering leadership through written policies that create a clarity of vision, empower subordinates, and emphasize renewal. Empowering leadership allows linkages among stakeholders of education and encourages creative efforts toward improving the…

Describes a qualitative research project examining homelessness's effects on children's schooling, highlighting a South Carolina intervention program's success. Research disclosed an informal homelessness "caste system," the political unpopularity of providing homeless services, homeless kids' high rates of academic failure and problem…

Within a university course, a professor and two graduate students explored societal and individual implications of literacy in general and of information and scientific literacies: conceptualizations (or ideologies) of specialized literacies in society, injustices caused by a narrow view of literacy perpetuated by dominant groups, literacy as…

First of a two-part series, examines effects of teen pregnancy and parenthood on adolescents and their children, and describes exemplary program to keep teen parents in high school until graduation. Discusses how to address the issue of teenage pregnancy, how to effectively help teen parents, the importance of teaching teenagers personal…

We analyzed the role that psychosocial empowerment and social support factors play in the employment status of immigrants who participate in job-readiness programs financed by the European Social Funds and the Welfare Services of Andalusia, a region in the south of Spain. The goal of these programs is to find new ways to improve immigrants'…

This essay draws from the work of William James and three African American pragmatists, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison and Cornel West, to explore the moral relevance of the self as an empowered agent among African American youth. The focus is on Jamesian agency as a function of the individual's awareness of options in context, the self-empowerment…

Family literacy programs must acknowledge the family as the primary place of learning, and developers of family literacy programs and curricula must focus on the family unit as a whole, building upon the cultural and knowledge capital of the entire family and acknowledging gender and age power relationships within the family. Educators must…

This paper explores the issues surrounding quality in higher education and its necessary adaptation to the online world of educational delivery. A historical perspective on quality standards is presented, and characteristics of recent models for quality control are outlined. Quality-related issues in Walden University's (Minnesota) two new online,…

This book is an easy-to-read inspirational book that was written to show adult literacy students how to achieve fulfillment by taking charge of their lives. The eight short chapters of the book are printed only on the right-hand page, with inspirational quotations and space for the reader's personal thoughts on the left-hand page. Chapter titles…

The mission of social work is to help people meet their basic needs and enhance their well-being. Through a strong empowerment orientation, the profession can aid people vulnerable to oppression as a result of racism, discrimination, and poverty. Social work can be a powerful force in advancing the practice of Indigenous education. Social workers…

What is the job of guidance program staff leaders? Specific, practical support is provided for bringing guidance and program staff together for successful implementation of programs and advocating for them outside the department. Part I, "School Guidance Program Staff Leadership: Evolving Concepts and Practices," addresses overall program…

The writing center is a logical setting for assisting the culturally dissonant student. Although the education of ethnic minority youth is one of the major tasks confronting American society and public higher education, teaching methods remain oriented to the values of a predominantly white middle class population. As a result, non-traditional…

The Potential Reentry Opportunities in Business and Education (PROBE) counseling and referral system is intended to help single parents and displaced homemakers gain greater control over their own lives, careers, and futures. PROBE began in 1975 as a campus-based program at Pennsylvania State University and became community based in 1977. PROBE,…

Schools of choice, which enable families to select among deliberately diversified schools and programs, benefit teachers. They facilitate empowerment, professionalization of practice, collaborative activity, and collegiality. The choice debate in Minnesota is reviewed, and issues confronting stakeholders are discussed. Educators should be…

The IFLA/FAIFE (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions/Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) Theme Report 2004 presents visions of how libraries can promote literacy and lifelong learning. The literacy process has to be recognised as inclusive of all ranges of communication, and it occurs at…