The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Opportunity." Contents include: (1) Students Deserve to Read Diverse Books --…

Media literacy (ML) education has emerged as a promising approach to slowing the spread of "Truth Decay," described as the diminishing role that facts, data, and analysis play in political and civil discourse. Several factors contribute to Truth Decay, including a rapidly evolving information ecosystem and overburdened educational…

"Veterinary Medical Education: A Practical Guide, Second Edition" offers a comprehensive reference to all aspects of veterinary medical education, providing concrete guidance for instructors in a variety of settings. The book gives real-world, practical, veterinary-specific advice on all aspects of designing and implementing a veterinary…

How can the average educator who teaches online, without experience in evaluating emerging technologies, build on what is successful and modify what is not? Written for educators who feel ill-prepared when required to evaluate e-learning initiatives, "Evaluating e-Learning" offers step-by-step guidance for conducting an evaluation plan of…

This document is intended to serve as a practical guide for implementing a teacher-student data link (TSDL) that supports a range of uses at the local, regional, and state levels. The guide addresses the considerations for linking teacher and student data from multiple perspectives, including governance, policies, data components, business rules,…

The quality of job outcomes achieved by youth with disabilities who are transitioning into employment varies widely across the country. Special education teachers, youth with disabilities, families, community rehabilitation program (CRP) staff providing employment services, and others involved in assisting transitioning youth can benefit from a…

Describes "A Guide to Selecting Basal Reading Programs," which was developed to help textbook adoption committees select basal reading texts in elementary schools. Topics discussed include development of booklets that describe various aspects of reading instruction and the role of the guidelines in improving the quality of basal reading…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

This article provides six criteria to help teachers decide which multiculturally-focused instructional materials might most appropriately meet their needs. The criteria hinge on two assumptions: (1) the criteria stem from a definitional assumption; and (2) students bring different learning styles to school that reflect the diverse makeup of…

The number of packages--kits, games, computer discs, audiotapes, and videotapes--offering phonics instruction is growing almost daily. These commercial packages are marketed to parents to use with their children or to teachers and school districts as supplements to classroom programs of reading instruction. This booklet outlines questions which…

Intended for administrators and reading teachers, this book deals with the issues about reading that seem to be the most common causes of concern. The topics discussed are the following: a general approach to the teaching of reading, ways to involve parents with reading, a prereading program, the organization of a reading program, the process of…

Focusing on the school district's written expectations for students, this document examines curriculum improvement in four sections, each accompanied by a list of related references. The first section explores the organizational and substantive planning needed to structure any curriculum improvement project effectively and includes information on…

This second volume of a two-volume manual provides a structure for the analysis of the design of cooperative education and the implementation of the design in terms of the 49 key elements of cooperative education. It is intended for use by persons responsible for cooperative education at state and local levels. Volume II is the heart of the…

This guide to designing an effective second language instructional program in the public schools provides parents, community leaders, and school personnel with practical guidelines for reviewing current foreign language instructional programs and for introducing changes in the curriculum that are in line with the emphasis on communication. An…

This book is intended to help preservice and inservice reading specialists, supervisors, and administrators understand how to organize and supervise reading programs, pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Each of the major parts of this book concerns some of the knowledge areas necessary for administering reading programs. Titles of the chapters…