This popular book addresses literacy leaders' eternal quest to prepare all students for the demands of the 21st century. This updated Sixth Edition will help prospective and current literacy professionals understand how to organize and supervise literacy programs within the context of current state and federal mandates. With a focus on providing…

Calculus is one of the primary avenues for initial quantitative training of students in all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, but life science students have been found to underperform in the traditional calculus setting. As a result, and because of perceived lack of its contribution to the understanding of biology, calculus…

An assessment with the Environment Rating Scales (ERS) is designed to give early childhood administrators and teaching staff much more than a set of quality scores. Appropriately used, an ERS assessment can provide a blueprint for planning and carrying out both immediate and long-range program improvements. Unfortunately, programs often complete…

This digest identifies characteristics of successful higher education programs in environmental studies and trends in environmental studies programs and courses. Characteristics of programs that have continued for the past two decades are listed. Some of the variables associated with programs that have not continued are identified. Recent trends…

Describes one department's experience with curriculum development through the formulation of a departmental mission statement reflecting the shared sociological goals of faculty and students. Discusses the process of achieving consensus, the actual mission statement, and the curricular and program implications of such a process. (KO)

This article presents an interview with Wes Taylor, the 2011 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal of the Year. In this interview, Taylor shares credit with the teachers and staff members at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, for the school's systemic and long-lasting improvement in instruction and climate. He mentions that the…

This guide aids Chapter 1 Technical Assistance Center staff in conducting a brief (70-minute) workshop on parent participation in compensatory education programs funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidaton Improvement Act. The goal is to clarify the attitudes and perceptions that are needed to expand or improve an existing Chapter 1…

This document serves as a guide for establishing new supervised occupational experience (SOE) programs in agriculture and/or updating/improving existing SOE programs. It is designed for use by administrators, guidance counselors, agricultural teachers, advisory committee members, and others who have an interest in or responsibility for the school…

College science education is at risk of becoming mired in the "reform culture" that has long been problematic in precollege science. A single universal solution to student underpreparedness and lack of sustained interest cannot be found, but a departmental level commitment to change and reallocation of resources is necessary to achieve program…

When reforming practices to help all students succeed, secondary school leaders face the unique challenge of aligning the efforts of educators from different disciplines. In addition, they know that few common measures capture student growth across these disciplines. If a school has a history of success, a deep examination of its practices may not…

Issues and strategies to enhance the growth of undergraduate social work education programs are described. The six issues discussed apply to either undergraduate programs that are autonomous social work programs (such as departments of social work) or to programs located in sociology departments, combined with sociology, or combined with other…

Discussed are a review of related literature, a review of other programs, a survey to determine the actual learning environment of the other programs, a review of student demographics, the group decision process (a Delphi exercise), and the evaluation of the program components. (CW)

This document was designed to provide school administrators and professional staff of New York State with a model for evaluating the grade 7-8 social studies program. The program evaluation model outlines a step-by-step procedure for identifying questions for study, gathering and analyzing data, and developing a plan for program improvement. An…

This guide was developed for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) Pacific Region science coordinator, elementary school principals, and teachers to serve as an aid in identifying strengths and weaknesses of science programs in grades K-6. It was also designed to serve as a workbook for the science coordinator to use during school…

This guide was developed for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools Pacific Region science coordinator, elementary school principals, and teachers. Its intended purpose is to serve as aid in identifying strengths and weaknesses of science programs in grades kindergarten through grade six. The guide is also used as a notebook by the science…