Estimates impact of community resource development (CRD) programs on a variety of quality of life indicators for 73 Arkansas counties that were nonmetropolitan in 1960. Results indicate that few quality of life indicators were affected in the direction intended by CRD programs. Examines substantive and methodological implications of the findings.…

A partial equilibrium framework (user charges/government subsidy) analyzes optimal user charges for social services. The framework is applied to Malawi's education sector to formulate policy recommendations for solving problems of high student-teacher ratios and drop-out rates. Malawi's school user fees were increased in 1982 based on this…

Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts are required to meet the educational needs of all students with disabilities. However, school districts struggle to provide adequate services to students with disabilities who have extraordinary needs and require unusually high expenditures to meet those…

This document contains resolution text adopted by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in July 2006 regarding English language learners (ELLs). A Question & Answer section follows the resolution, addressing the following issues: (1) How the AFT is helping educators who work with ELLs; (2) Latest research on effective literacy practices for…

Turning Points is a national design for middle school change, coordinated by the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston, Massachusetts, which serves as the National Turning Points Center. The design focuses on restructuring middle schools to improve learning, teaching, and assessment for all students. It is based on the seminal "Turning…

The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) Professional Development Study investigated how adult education teachers changed after participating in one of three different models of professional development (multisession workshop, mentor teacher group, or practitioner research group), all on the same topic of learner…

The recent wave of accountability reform movements has largely overlooked the needs of middle and high school counselors, yet has generated daunting pressure for guidance programs to be standards-based and data-driven. Written from the perspective of a practicing, certified counselor, this guide contains essential information needed to implement…

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings joined President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and Attorney General Gonzales at a Conference on School Safety on October 10, 2006. Teachers, parents, administrators, law enforcement officials, and other experts discussed best practices and lessons learned about school safety during the conference at the National 4-H…

This report describes the conduct and outcomes of an experimental pilot study conducted in Spring 2004 to develop and test a model that aimed to enhance career and technical education (CTE) instruction with the mathematics already embedded in the curricula of six occupational areas. Although present in the CTE curriculum, math is largely implicit…

The question of whether single-sex schooling is preferable to coeducation for some or all students continues to be hotly debated. Much of the debate is philosophical and would be waged even if single-sex schooling were shown to be highly advantageous for one or more subpopulations. However, the actual research evidence, although suggestive that…

Research shows that small schools and schools within schools can yield positive outcomes for students and improved satisfaction and effectiveness among school staff. Small schools can be less costly than larger ones if judged by expenditure per graduate instead of cost per pupil enrolled. Examination of the policy environments of urban schools in…

The change needed in urban music education not only relates to the idea that music should be at the center of the curriculum; rather, it is that culturally relevant music should be a creative force at the center of reform in urban education. Teaching Music in the Urban Classroom: A Guide to Survival, Success, and Reform is the start of a…

The @ONE project at De Anza College, California, funded by the California Community College Chancellors Office, was intended to assist faculty in enhancing instruction through the effective use of technology. In spite of the millions of dollars spent by the California Community Colleges to implement information technology in the campus…

The report of the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education followed 13 hearings and meetings throughout the nation on ways to strengthen the education of students with disabilities. An executive summary summarizes nine findings and the resulting three major recommendations: first, focus on results, not process; second, embrace a…

This book presents a model for addressing the needs of young students with disabilities in inclusive general education preschools. Teachers can use the Building Blocks model to match an individual child's goals and objectives with appropriate teaching methods and materials, decide what amount of help or assistance is needed by the child, provide…