"Application Performance," a supplemental drill in the Japanese language program at Oregon State University, is described as a way to develop students' communicative competence. The approach is a type of role play, with pairs of students preparing a dialogue according to a situation provided by the instructor and then performed in class.…

This brochure, one in a series of four, is designed to assist program directors, teachers, and evaluators evaluate programs to encourage girls in mathematics, science, and engineering. Seven sections cover the why, the what, and some of the how of program evaluation. The first section explains why programs need to be evaluated. The second section…

This publication describes programs in education in Massachusetts that foster multiculturalism. Many of these programs are recipients of the Multicultural Recognition Award for their effectiveness in this field. The programs are described under the following 8 categories: (1) bilingual education (5 programs); (2) community participation programs…

Collaborations between schools and parents, and schools and other institutions, seek to improve or expand available resources. This issue of "Focus in Change" focuses on two elementary schools with different models of collaboration in place. At Columbia Park Elementary School (Maryland) parents have been involved in site-based management teams…

The Canadian Child Day Care Federation's National Statement on Quality Child Care suggests separate principles of quality care for center-based and family-based child care. The principles of quality center-based care are divided into seven areas, each with a statement of general philosophy. The philosophical principles are then defined in more…

Management information system (MIS) data about women's participation in Missouri's job training system funded under Title II-A of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in program year 1992 were analyzed. Analysis of data from Missouri's 15 service delivery areas (SDAs) established the following: 75% of the state's 4,598 female JTPA participants…

A survey was conducted to determine the status of career-oriented education programs at the middle-grade level and perceptions of state education agency officials with responsibilities in the program areas. Mailed questionnaires were returned by 43 (86 percent) state directors of education and 290 (82 percent) supervisors in 8 career-oriented…

This report uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students (NLTS) to examine four dimensions of school performance: (1) student engagement in their education, as measured by the average number of days of school missed in a year; (2) student learning, as indicated by their grade point averages, receipt of…

Because disadvantaged children rarely receive extra assistance or encouragement, the National Black Child Development Institute created Each One, Reach One: The Spirit of Excellence, a comprehensive tutorial program designed to improve the academic skills and self-esteem of African American children to help them achieve. The program, originally…

The following papers are presented in this book: "Self-Directed Learning: Consensus and Conflict" (Long); "Challenges in the Study and Practice of Self-Directed Learning" (Long); "A Conceptual Model of Autodidactism" (Tremblay, Theil); "Functional and Dysfunctional Uses of Self-Directedness in Adult…

A study was conducted of the early childhood programs in the McAllen (Texas) Independent School District. This qualitative study used data collected through observations, interviews, document analysis, questionnaires, and site visits. Current practices were described and compared to developmentally appropriate practices as defined by the National…

A study was done by student researchers of Latino high school students' perspectives on the Latino dropout problem. Four large, zoned high schools with few selective programs and with substantial numbers of Latinos (23 percent to 43 percent) were selected. Two of these high schools had high and two had low Latino dropout rates. Approximately 60…

This book contains 11 essays that follow the community service and student loan legislation as it proceeded through Congress. The essays illuminate the policymaking process by explaining the evolution of new national policies and by tracing the history of these two pieces of legislation. The book is organized in three parts. The first two parts…

This practicum was designed to address declining parental participation in school functions and activities at a middle school, along with a low level of parental involvement or interest in their children's education. A year-long parental involvement program was developed that encouraged parents to: (1) interact with their children and their…

This report on European developments in infant and toddler care services was prepared to help define issues and options for the improvement and expansion of infant and toddler care and family support systems in the United States. Introductory comments suggest that advanced industrialized countries have almost unanimously elected universal but…