Through presenting empirical research exploring the connections between popular culture and informal learning, we argue that, as predicted by concepts such as self-directed learning and transformational learning, the experience of transition has a meaningful impact on adult learning. Specifically, transitions encourage adults to engage in learning…

With increasing alarm at the number of high school dropouts across the United States, educators are seeking ways to help students stay in school, graduate, and move on to meaningful and productive careers. Recent research points out that a smooth transition to ninth grade can contribute to students' success in high school and beyond. This…

Transitions can be difficult at any age; however, the move from elementary school to middle school, coupled with the onset of adolescence, is often associated with a myriad of psychological and academic declines. One strategy currently used to "ready" elementary students for middle school is a departmentalized organizational structure. The purpose…

Providing remedial (also known as developmental) education is the primary way colleges cope with students who do not have the academic preparation needed to succeed in college-level courses. Remediation is widespread, with nearly one-third of entering freshman taking remedial courses at a cost of at least $1 billion per year. Despite its…

Looping--which is sometimes called multiyear teaching or multiyear placement--occurs when a teacher is promoted with her students to the next grade level with the same group of children for two or three years. What results is a continuity of relationship with their teacher that enables children to flourish. In this article, the authors discuss the…

This paper reports on a study that explored issues of curriculum continuity at the school to university level transition in Malawi. It bases its analysis on the school integrated science curriculum and university science and technology programmes. Data were collected through interviews, documentation and classroom observations. The findings show…

The third recommendation in ACTE's postsecondary reform position statement is to develop curriculum and instructional offerings that link to careers, foster lifelong learning, and encourage completion. Concrete linkages must be developed between middle and high school, postsecondary education and work, with lifelong postsecondary learning a part…

Applied research in psychology not only has contributed directly to societal advances but often has fostered basic research as well. Prominent examples are the programs directed by Yerkes in World War I to develop the Army Alpha test and several programs in World War II, including "The American Soldier" that assessed soldiers' attitudes during the…

The South Australian Education Department introduced the School Entry Assessment (SEA) Policy in 2001 to help teachers assess young learners and plan relevant learning events, to help collect information about South Australian education from Pre-School to Year 3, and to facilitate collaboration within and between educational and social…

This paper explores efforts to link early childhood education and care (ECEC) with schools in countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), other than the United States. The first part of the paper discusses the context for children's transitions from ECEC to school, the ways in which transitions are understood,…

Reviews papers in this special issue. Proposes additional papers on student teachers' lack of expertise in early childhood education; the role of early childhood education professionals in working with schools; early childhood education programs that have succeeded under difficult conditions; and articulation of links between early childhood and…

James L. Hymes, Jr., former President of NAEYC and member of the original Head Start Planning Committee, is interviewed about his hopes for and disappointments with Head Start during the past 20 years. Highlights Head Start's initial benefits to families, children, and the early childhood profession; program quality; and continued lack of federal…

One of the primary goals of Early College High Schools is to enroll students who are underrepresented in higher education. This brief report describes the strategies ECHSs have used to recruit students from groups that are traditionally underserved and underrepresented in higher education and addresses the impact of the recruitment and selection…

An informal and minimally organized international early childhood movement has slowly arisen from a combination of intellectual and social antecedents. Several reasons for the emergence of this movement can be cited: recognition of the crucial nature of the early years of life for children's social development and cognitive development; changes in…

Many children and adolescents, in Boston and elsewhere, experience drastic incongruities between their home, school, and community environments. Arguing that after-school programs can help to unify these disparate worlds, thereby fostering a sense of continuity for youth and aiding their development as learners, this report shows how best to…