A mortgage services company conducted a cost benefit analysis of a computer-based training program for its payment application process. A test group showed a 21% increase in speed of making payments, an 81% increase in accuracy, a reduction of average training time by nearly 65%, and improved morale. Program design, development, authoring, and…

Considers the role that school experiences play in transmitting and sustaining the cognitive gains made by children in preschool. The author discusses schooling in the early elementary grades and how parents' expectations and teachers can influence academic achievement. New ways of thinking about the links between preschool and the early years of…

Evaluated the impact of student teachers on the public school teachers and students within the Professional Development Schools (PDS) in which they were placed. Data from observations, samples of student teacher and student work, and interviews with student teachers, mentor teachers, and principals indicated that the PDS-mediated collaborations…

This article provides an overview of an after school program one school implemented that included gifted middle school students as peer tutors for those who needed additional outside help and support. The development, design, objectives, and positive outcomes of the Homework Helpers program are described. (Contains references.) (CR)

The SIP (Standards in Practice) instructional improvement program was successfully implemented in three El Paso school districts. Student scores have soared. Teacher development must be ongoing, site-based, and targeted to all students' specific needs. Teachers need strong verbal and math skills, deep content knowledge, and teaching skill. (MLH)

Data were analyzed from 66 young children with autism served by 25 different early intervention consultants and receiving parent-managed interventions. Parent-managed intensive interventions resulted in progress for 60 children for mental age, adaptive behavior, and language skills. Interventions did not reproduce results from clinic-based…

Schools across the country are experimenting with one-to-one laptop learning programs. The author's research team has studied 10 such schools--seven in California and three in Maine--and has found that laptop programs have great potential to help schools prepare students for the future. In this article, Warschauer warns that one-to-one laptop…

The purpose of this project was to examine the effectiveness of a fitness infusion instructional strategy (FI) on children's activity levels and skill performance scores. This strategy included aerobic activity within the skill practice tasks and game play. In other words, students performed short bouts of activity between the practice and…

This article discusses the results of two studies exploring the status of partnerships between schools and community organizations. In the first study, 90 teachers, administrators, and support service staff reported that the most common type of partnership involved youth development organizations, mental health providers, parents and residents,…

Promoting student access to the general education curriculum remains a focus of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This article examines educational practices that promote such access for students with mild mental retardation, overviews issues pertaining to the implementation of supplementary aids and…

This article measures the effectiveness of Kentucky Teacher Academy (KTA). Twenty-one teachers attended the week-long seminar. While attending KTA, they received a stipend and also earned continuing education credit. Teachers of the visually impaired and science teachers received priority, on the basis of the generally accepted practice of…

This study used self-monitoring, coupled with a student/teacher matching strategy, to improve the classroom social skills of five inner-city middle school students, who were at risk for school failure. Using a multiple-probe across students and settings (class periods) design, we evaluated intervention effects in up to six different settings.…

Past research has indicated that a number of problems in the teaching of science in elementary classrooms are rooted in the preparation of inservice teachers. One continuing concern is elementary teachers' lack of science content knowledge. As indicated by numerous research studies reporting positive results, one method of addressing these…

The Circle of Courage identifies four universal needs of all children: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. When these needs are met, children grow and thrive. But when these growth needs are frustrated, multiple problems follow. The Circle of Courage defines problems of youth in terms of strengths and developmental needs. These…

Planned Approach to Healthier Schools (PATHS) is a multicomponent school program that aims to establish and sustain a social norm consistent with physical activity and healthy nutrition in the school community. The PATHS components include: (1) a professional development and wellness program for faculty and staff; (2) ongoing social-marketing…