PIRLS 2006 provides countries with the unique opportunity to obtain internationally comparative data about how well their children can read. Countries also will obtain detailed information about home supports for literacy as well as school instruction. For the 35 countries that participated in PIRLS 2001, PIRLS 2006 will provide information on…

Nearly 20 years ago, the first national assessment of student achievement in U.S. history yielded disappointing results. Although policy-makers and researchers expressed great concern about the low scores, the federal government did not undertake large-scale efforts to address poor student performance, and few research dollars were dedicated to…

Students with learning disabilities often have difficulty in secondary content areas. In order to succeed in content areas, teachers need to develop strategies or content enhancements that provide a supportive environment. This thesis discusses the outcomes of a study that used an urban high school resource room geography class to determine the…

The purpose of this mixed methods study (N = 40) was to determine whether Student Teacher Performance (STP), as measured by a behavior-based performance evaluation process, is associated with Emotional Intelligence (EI), as measured by a personality assessment instrument. The study is an important contribution to the literature in that it appears…

The transition from elementary to middle school can be an exciting as well as scary time for young adolescents. The stress of this transition can be decreased by incorporating transition programs that address student needs and concerns. This qualitative research study was designed to gain an overall sense of fourth grade in order to better…

A project to develop an interdisciplinary course (ARSC 10/11) for teaching science to college students not majoring in science is described. Concept modules were developed for a two-semester format consisting of three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Important science themes were identified to promote an understanding of…

This report is a snapshot of some of the educational innovations implemented in Tasmanian schools during 1994. Descriptions of 11 projects in primary, secondary, district high, and senior secondary schools and colleges in both urban and rural settings are included. Each description is a story of how the project began including details of the…

This practicum addresses the finding that college-bound high school experiential/internship students who pursued stringent secondary education programs often did not have the opportunity to participate in technology literacy elective courses, and therefore did not possess the minimal technology skills necessary for success in post-secondary…

The Custodians/Security Department is a support service of the Des Moines (Iowa) Independent Community School District. Responsibilities of the department do not stop with the care of the facility, but extend to providing a clean, safe environment for all who use school facilities. Program evaluation in the 1993-94 school year reveals a total…

This document discusses a project designed to assess trends in service data and the effectiveness of the services provided over a 10-year period. It begins by describing the services provided by the Wilder Foundation Child Guidance Clinic, an outpatient mental health center serving children and families in the Saint Paul, Minnesota area. A number…

Concerns about the proliferation of doctoral programs and too many Ph.D.s prompted this study of supply and demand for doctoral graduates in Maryland. This report examines trends in the applications and admissions of doctoral students and the number of doctoral enrollments and degrees awarded. Enrollment and degree information is presented by…

This paper discusses findings from an evaluation of the effectiveness of a pre-referral intervention program that was being implemented in seven school districts in the Southern Tier of New York. The initiative is known as 7 SHARE, which stands for 7 districts supporting and helping to affect regional education. The paper explores the methods used…

The National Staff Development Committee of the Vocational Education and Training Sector in Australia is promoting action learning as a preferred professional development strategy to support the implementation of key competencies. Action learning was piloted across five training areas within the Department of Employment, Training, and Further…

This paper argues that, as institutional revenues continue to decline, community college administrators must not only work at developing a robust foundation with an identifiable process similar to that of a private nonprofit foundation, but also provide professional stewardship in its operation. The author used a qualitative, evaluative approach…

This report summarizes the findings of the pilot administration of the Colorado Survey of first- and third-year teachers and their administrators. These surveys reflect the opinions of the teachers and administrators regarding the effectiveness of Colorado teacher preparation institutions in preparing teachers to meet performance-based standards.…