This Wallace "Perspective" delves into what makes for a high-quality, voluntary summer learning program, one that provides children from disadvantaged communities with engaging academics as well as stimulating enrichment activities during the interval between the end of the school year and back-to-school time. Interest in these programs…

As numerous studies from 1906 on have confirmed, children lose ground in learning if they lack opportunities for building skills over the summer. Nonetheless, summer learning loss comes up but rarely in the national discussion of education reform. By the end of summer, students perform on average one month behind where they left off in the spring.…

This report describes the first year implementation of a new professional development program, Palm Beach County Afterschool Educator Certificate (PBC-AEC). Set within a larger systemic quality improvement effort in Palm Beach County, this training seeks to provide a concentrated course of learning, practice, and reflection. The training seeks to…

Effective professional development is accepted as necessary for the improvement of afterschool program quality, which is itself a cornerstone for improving youth outcomes. But professional development is most effective when both individual participants are engaged and building relevant knowledge and skills, and the organizations to which they…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

The Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) is a group of people interested in small college computing issues. It is a blend of people from all over the country who use computers in their teaching, academic support, and administrative support functions. ASCUE has a strong tradition of bringing its members together to pool their…

This module provides a set of quantitative snapshots of the Community Science Workshops (CSWs) to complement the other reports that comprise the CSW Evaluation Portfolio--the Description of CSWs, the Benefits to Youth, and the Evaluation Brief modules--and to build a solid representation of the scope and scale of the CSW's work and…

This paper takes a descriptive look at Community Science Workshops (CSWs). This paper discusses what CSW is, how it arose and spread, how local CSWs are structured and led, and what programs and experiences they offer to youth. (Contains 2 footnotes.)

The Florida State University's e-portfolio program, FSU Career Portfolio (Lumsden and others, 2001), is a student-managed portfolio system that students and alumni can use to reflect on and integrate their learning experiences and document and showcase their skills and accomplishments (Reardon, Lumsden, and Meyer, 2005). Not only has this program…

Father involvement enhances children's well-being. A growing body of research supports this conclusion, showing that children with involved fathers exhibit greater school readiness, increased cognitive development, higher levels of empathy, and other positive characteristics (Administration for Children and Families 2004a). Research also indicates…

Florida's Project CHILD (Computers Helping Instruction and Learning Development) is a computer-integrated instructional program for grades K-5. The project supplies teachers with training, specific strategies and supporting materials; teachers implement the program by following guidelines concerning classroom organization, implementation of…

Involving teachers in program planning and offering new incentives for inservice training, the Osceola Teacher Education Center is a cooperative venture of Osceola County (Florida) and Florida Technological University. (JT)

Describes the evolution of a young professional-development school, detailing challenges and successes the school has experienced thus far. The idea was to offer teachers a context for bridging theory and practice and provide additional resources and opportunities for ongoing collaboration and dialog. Trust and respect were essential ingredients.…

The resource manual is intended to help Florida school districts provide services to gifted students. Rules and regulations are cited along with recommended procedures for the following program areas: definitions, eligibility criteria, screening, referral, evaluation, determinaton of eligibility and placement, provision of an educational plan,…

THIS REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON PUBLIC SCHOOL ADULT EDUCATION INDICATES THAT, WHILE THERE HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT, ADULTS WHO LACK HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS OR EVEN BASIC LITERACY SKILLS ARE NOT BEING REACHED. STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO DETERMINE WHY THESE ADULTS ARE LEAST LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS. STUDIES MADE OF CURRICULUMS,…