This digest defines the term "extended school year" (ESY) and notes the issues of regression and recoupment which have led to development of ESY services for students with disabilities. The digest then provides answers to the following questions: (1) When is ESY needed? (2) How is eligibility for ESY determined? (3) What are some factors…

Noting a renewed interest in and dedication to the rights and needs of adolescent readers, this digest addresses the development of content area reading, discusses recent reconceptualizations of the field, and offers a new model for classroom practice. It begins with a brief description of the historical context of literacy development in the…

This Digest lists a sample of no-cost Internet resources of special interest to K-12 educators. Highlights include: Guides to Internet Resources; Lesson Plans and Teaching Materials; Keypals and Penpals; Acceptable Use Policies; Technology Plans for K-12 Schools; Internet Projects for the Classroom; Grant Information; E-Rate Information; Federal…

This digest describes a research model that has shown how classroom practice can be developed, transformed, and enriched by drawing on existing "funds of knowledge" in minority students households. Funds of knowledge refers to those historically developed and accumulated strategies (e.g., skills, abilities, ideas, practices) or bodies of…

National concerns about the quality and effectiveness of science teaching have resulted in several efforts directed at restructuring the United States' science curriculum. This digest discusses recent initiatives of the Earth Systems Education. Topics discussed include: (1) efforts to understand the planet Earth; (2) the Program for Leadership in…

This Digest discusses Problem-Based Learning (PBL), a method developed by H.S. Barrows (1986), and originally created to prepare medical students for real-world problems by letting them solve medical problems based on real cases. The Digest contends that PBL can situate language learning in the real world by posing problems like those found in…

This Digest discusses approaches to group learning in the language classroom, presenting some principles that are common to any group learning approach, whether it be cooperative learning, student team learning, group investigation, or collaborative learning. The Digest also discusses the Collaborative Learning Model (Reid et al., 1989) which…

Appropriately implemented vocational education programs can help achieve National Education Goal 2--increasing the high school graduation rate to at least 90 percent. A 3-year study of dropout prevention in 10 demonstration sites has resulted in an enhanced vocational education program model described in "Vocational Education for the 21st…

Spatial dynamics is an instructional strategy whereby students create large scale models that capture the details of a historic event. This Digest discusses classroom floor models and papier mache models. Floor models are best suited to elementary classrooms and middle schools. Papier mache models, appropriate for high school social studies…

Change efforts should be guided with a systemic understanding of the context in which they are undertaken. Depending on the circumstance, or as the implementation effort progresses, it may be most effective to focus interventions on a particular component of the framework at a time. This ERIC digest presents a sequence for approaching the major…

This digest describes a model curriculum for children from language minority groups, called the "Optimal Learning Environment Curriculum--A Resource for Teachers of Spanish Speaking Children in Learning Handicapped Programs." This bilingual special education class model is governed by the following principles: (1) take into account the…

This digest summarizes the research on effects of the full-service school model on students with disabilities. In the full-service model, schools house a variety of health care, mental health, and related services for children and their families. Examples are listed of preventive services, early intervention services, and intensive treatments for…

This digest discusses exercise adherence, noting its vital role in maximizing the benefits associated with physical activity. Information is presented on the following: (1) factors that influence adherence to self-monitored programs of regular exercise (childhood eating habits, and psychological, physical, social, and situational factors); (2)…

This digest describes the Invitational Learning model developed by William W. Purkey, an approach that emphasizes mutual respect and human potential in every aspect of schooling. It presents a brief overview of the invitational learning concept and discusses the theoretical foundations of the model. It describes characteristics of an inviting…

Until 1993, the discussion of teacher education reform in the literature was limited to individual authors' suggestions for a vocational education response to reform initiatives and comments on the problems posed by pressures for reform. Debate on how to pursue excellence in vocational teacher education programs focused on vocational education's…