A study examined the impact of a communication training program on the productivity ratings and end-user satisfaction ratings of User Support Professionals (USPs). Subjects, 30 USPs whose training level qualified them to respond to problem solving calls received by a large centralized Help-desk facility located in the southwestern part of the…

A study examined parents' opinions about the Wake County (Raleigh, North Carolina) public school system (WCPSS). Opinions were sought on the following areas at both the school and district level: school climate, quality of educational programs, expectations of students, school and system pride, parent involvement, and responsiveness to parent…

This report shares the research findings of a major study on drug education in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Office Education and Industry Department (SOEID) and carried out by the Scottish Council for Research in Education (SCRE) between September 1996 and June 1999. The project had three main aims: to provide an overview of the extent…

The goal of this study was to describe and measure the effects of continuous, as-needed intervention in reading for 92 children in Grades 1-2, to determine whether the severity of reading disability (RD) could be significantly reduced in the catchment schools. The authors hoped that this kind of professional development would help to discriminate…

This issue of the Juvenile Justice Bulletin provides information on the Prenatal and Early Childhood Nurse Home Visitation program, designed to help low-income, first-time parents start their lives with their children on a sound course and prevent the health and parenting problems that can contribute to the early development of antisocial…

This discussion draft reviews trends in Canada's apprenticeship system over the last 20 years and then examines prospects for labor market conditions for Canada's total economy and for the construction sector to the year 2005. The apprenticeship system has a number of serious weaknesses, including the following: (1) the stagnation in new…

The document outlines and describes the Institutional Effectiveness measures and standards to be used by Texas' community and technical colleges in achieving their local and statutory missions. Performance expectations are outlined in the Texas Education Code, Criteria for Accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Guidelines for…

Effective literacy programs involve a wide range of reading and writing activities, all of which are necessary and which support learning in different ways. An essential part of the language arts curriculum involves direct instruction in reading. Many teachers are beginning to teach reading in small groups, a process called "guided…

Increases in attrition rates among science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) majors have produced a variety of deleterious effects for society. This paper attempts to clarify and interpret the interaction of those characteristics of the structure and culture of undergraduate SME programs that perpetuate high loss rates among their first-year…

This report is intended to stimulate inquiry into the achievement of special groups of students in Alberta schools and model reporting to the public on these students, a traditionally weak area of school board Annual Education Results reports. The data in the report provide provincial level comparisons to data that may be compiled by school…

The intent of this study was to determine if attendance in a good quality prekindergarten program using developmentally appropriate activities had a positive effect on kindergarten mathematics readiness skills and achievement. Participating were 80 children, 4 to 6 years old, divided into two experimental and two control groups. Standardized test…

During 1997-98, a research team from the University of Leeds investigated the effectiveness of teacher resource centers (TRCs) as a strategy for teacher development in developing nations. The study included a literature review and fieldwork in four countries (India, Kenya, Nepal, and Zambia). The study examined the extent to which TRCs helped…

Because the expansion of parenting education is likely to continue, it is important to ensure that methods involved in parenting education are effective. This report summarizes research on the effectiveness of parenting education and provides information to help practitioners develop methods of working with parents that are based on sound research…

This study assesses current and future demands for distance education at the University of Alaska (UA). It highlights findings from interviews with representatives of 33 rural organizations, and 36 instructors who teach 53 distance education courses. It also lists questions raised and recommendations made by provosts at the Anchorage, Fairbanks,…

This study explored the effects of the use of laboratory activities on students' attitudes and retention in a community college preparatory mathematics course. It also examined whether the use of numerical, analytical, and graphical methods of solution in preparatory classes would affect student retention in the succeeding algebra course. The…