This digest highlights the need for beginning environmental education based on life experiences during the very earliest years of life. The rationale for environmental education during the early childhood years is discussed, followed by guidelines for program development grounded on the belief that environmental education for the early years…

This digest highlights the increasing importance of teaching evolution in school science classes as evidenced in recent reform efforts including the National Science Education Standards and Project 2061. Barriers that hinder student understanding of evolution are presented followed by instructional strategies to overcome these obstacles. Also…

Until recently, one of the most expected and accepted experiences among students in biology classrooms of the United States has been the dissection of vertebrate animals, from frogs and mice to cats and fetal pigs. However, resistance to animal dissection has grown during the past decade with concerns ranging from inhumane treatment of animals by…

This digest highlights the key features of the science education reform movement as it relates to curricula and classroom practices. The ideas presented here have been gleaned from the National Science Education Standards and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, both of which elaborate ideas emerging from Project 2061 and other efforts that have…

This digest presents instructional strategies to accommodate visually impaired students in science classrooms and provides classroom examples for physical science, chemistry, and biology courses. The article concludes that prospective science teachers must become skilled in using resource materials and adaptive technologies that facilitate the…

Provides 10 citations from the ERIC database that offer teachers guidelines for selecting books, computer courseware, and supplementary materials of all kinds as well as ideas for classroom use. (MG)

This report is intended to help policymakers understand the benefits of class-size reduction (CSR). It assesses the costs of CSR, considers some research-based alternatives, and explores strategies that will help educators realize the benefits of CSR when it is implemented. It examines how CSR enhances student achievement, such as when the…

This brief paper summarizes principles of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C. It lists five ways in which the IFSP differs from the Individualized Education Plan including the centrality of the family. Steps that lead to effective IFSPs are identified. These include:…

This brief paper offers an overview of strategies, with practical examples, to infuse multicultural content into the curriculum for gifted students. It proposes a framework for multicultural gifted education based on the four levels or approaches of J. Banks and C. Banks and within each approach, the six levels of B. Bloom's taxonomy. The four…

Educational standards and accountability are at the center of an ongoing national debate on school reform that began almost 20 years ago. This debate has raised fundamental questions about school effectiveness and the strategies educators should use to boost student learning. This book provides a closer look at these questions and seeks to answer…

This digest explores the literature related to journal writing from various disciplines, including psychology, language studies, outdoor education, and experiential education. Although journal writing has been around since ancient times, it was not until the early 1960s that it flourished as a learning tool. Instructors from a wide range of…

This digest provides an overview of autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It addresses: (1) the behavior of individuals with autism, such as developmental difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social relatedness, and leisure and play activities; (2) diagnosis and evaluation of autism; and (3) prevalence of autism and the…

The Adult Education for the Homeless (AEH) program was initiated with funds provided through the McKinney Act of 1987. During its first 4 years, the AEH program served over 100,000 homeless adults. In 1991, 34,000 adults participated in AEH programs in 31 states; nearly half were women. Approximately 60% of those served were between the ages of 25…

The literature on retention of adult learners strongly suggests that previous educational attainment is closely tied to participation and persistence. Educationally disadvantaged adults are more likely to lack self-confidence and self-esteem, have negative attitudes toward education, and need mastery of basic skills such as literacy before…

Postsecondary institutions have developed expanded, comprehensive career education programs. Needs and problems that should be addressed when developing such programs include assisting students with educational-vocational planning, providing faculty inservice training, improving student support programs, developing work skills related to career…