Based on a study conducted in an intervention program for parents of maltreated children, this book examines the well intended but often ineffective efforts of the child welfare system to prevent maltreatment, as illustrated by the experiences of three parents targeted by the state's child protection agency, and urges more far-reaching policy…

This report presents data on the civic involvement of U.S. adults, including sources of information, community and political participation, and attitudes toward government and democratic principles. The data are from the 1996 National Household Education Survey, Adult Civic Involvement component. A brief summary of the data is included in the…

Paraeducators are school employees whose responsibilities are either instructional in nature or who deliver other services to students. Large numbers of paraeducators have expressed a desire to become professional teachers. Because many paraeducators, perhaps the majority, are from minority groups, they would expand the pool of potential teachers…

This booklet presents a short history of the Head Start program and discusses some of the challenges that the program will face in the 1990s. Project Head Start, begun in 1965, has helped 12.5 million children become better prepared to start school, and has grown to be the largest early childhood and family education program in the country. From…

The complexity of pluralism in this country makes it difficult for the educator to develop expectations of students based on their group memberships. This text examines these group memberships and ways educators can develop educational programs to meet the needs of those groups and the nation. The book provides an overview of the different…

The Child Development Project (CDP) is a school-based program designed to foster children's social, ethical, and intellectual development through activities emphasizing cooperative learning, developmental discipline, social understanding, interpersonal helping, and prosocial values. The CDP was implemented in kindergarten through fourth grade by…

The educational outlook for children of school age in low-income minority neighborhoods of New York City is discussed, drawing primarily on the researcher's observations in a field study in Central Harlem. The decline the neighborhoods have undergone is summarized; and the role of drugs, especially crack, is discussed. Some opinions of residents…

This discussion guide offers suggestions for conversations about sexual harassment. Its purpose is to help readers use dialogue to understand the legal definition of sexual harassment and to clarify and develop their own and others' definitions of acceptable behavior between men and women in the workplace, on campus, or wherever people gather. An…

In 1995, the International Consultative Forum on Education for All commissioned case studies in developing countries as part of a mid-decade review of progress in expanding access to basic education. This paper examines the progress of Nepal's Basic and Primary Education Master Plan (BPEP), which aims to increase female participation in formal and…

This paper defines a spiritual youth camp as a consciousness raising group. The camp, founded in 1956 as a community church camp, has been independent of any religious denomination since disassociating from the founding community church in 1986. Communication processes are described as they relate to primary aspects of the camp experience. Primary…

A questionnaire survey canvassed the views of 72 New Zealand educators, in order to identify gaps or deficiencies in services and to establish priorities for development. Respondents were asked to comment on special education system strengths, growing points, desirable policy directions, and special interests. Four issues emerged as central to…

This book contains papers presented at a conference on educational promise, performance, and expectations. Papers included in this volume are: (1) "Education in Australia: We Get What We Deserve" (S. Ball); (2) "The Size and Scale: What is Expected" (J. G. Owen); (3) "The Search for Educational Quality and Equality: A U.…

Six articles discuss various aspects of the English Only Movement while affirming the inalienable right of language minority individuals to equal educational opportunity and due process under the law and the right to maintain cultural and linguistic ties to their native heritages. Congressman Don Edwards considers bilingual ballots, explaining…

An examination of policy studies in the twentieth century shows that there has been a movement away from an earlier concern for a policy science of democracy. Traditionally, political scientists in the United States have wanted to do good, and for most of them, doing good has meant studying regimes and the state in order to promote liberal…

A group of three conference papers, all dealing with ways to improve teacher effectiveness, is presented in this document. The first paper, "Improving Teacher Effectiveness" (Twyla Stewart), describes the efforts of the Center for Academic Interinstitutional Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles. The program focuses on…