A study researched the impact of the portfolio development process as an instructional strategy that promotes increased critical thinking, organization, communication, and self-reflection abilities. The inquiry began with a case study of eight adult learners representative of the student population of a nontraditional undergraduate program with a…

Adults may seek out learning at different times in their lives, for different reasons, and for vastly different purposes. Some of the reasons are to achieve pre-determined goals; to fill education gaps; to explore options and make choices; to develop personally; to perform a job or role better; or to enhance employment prospects. Learning itself…

The newest publication in the Spotlight series, this book gathers articles from state music educators association journals that give music teachers ideas on how to include special needs students, discuss why special learners benefit from music education, offer suggestions for dealing with specific types of special needs students, and address…

The aim of this book is to provide a compromise between past and present theories of language teaching and learning. The book is organized into six main parts. In the first part, the author highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both the skills-based approach and the whole-language approach. He then presents a theory that emphasizes the…

The purpose of the present evaluation study was to examine the progress made in program implementation, school climate, and student achievement by the seven charter schools. A "mixed-methods" design, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative data, was employed. The questions upon which the evaluation methods are based relate to the…

This guide presents suggestions from experienced teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for the first 2 days of class. An introduction describes how to organize the classroom. Next, the guide describes day 1 (begin to build a community spirit by introducing students to each other and the teacher in a nonthreatening manner) and…

This collection of papers examines proven strategies for assessing and managing high-risk behaviors while promoting healthy adolescent self-esteem among urban secondary school students. Part 1, "Problems in Urban Schoolchild Discipline," includes: (1) "Behavior Problems in Urban Schoolchildren" (Nancy R. Macciomei) and (2)…

This book presents ideas and techniques to help children with Down syndrome communicate better by mastering the language skills necessary for classroom success as well as those needed for social interaction. It also discusses the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process for speech-pathology services and what needs to be included in the IEP.…

Applied Learning projects are ventures whereby students connect school work to the real world and direct their own learning. This book describes how to use Applied Learning projects with students in kindergarten through second grade. Chapter 1 of the book describes the characteristics of Applied Learning projects and discusses the place of…

In 2004-2005, North Carolina's average teacher turnover rate was nearly 13 percent, ranging from a high of 29 percent to a low of 4 percent. Turnover among teachers in low-performing schools was substantially higher, with a low of 12 percent and a high of 57 percent. North Carolina has put strategies in place to address teacher retention but how…

For more than 250 years, Americans have shared a vision of a democracy in which all citizens understand, appreciate, and engage actively in civic and political life. In recent decades, however, increasing numbers of Americans have disengaged from civic and political institutions such as voluntary associations, religious congregations,…

Curriculum is the educational blueprint for institutions. Without it, they would not exist. Curriculum is their product; it provides the concepts, skills, and motivation that students need to shape their futures. From book-driven curriculum to the highest, technologically driven curriculum, an institution's main goal is to ensure that students…

Response to Intervention (RtI) is the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions to meet student needs and monitor progress in order to ensure effectiveness of instruction and/or interventions. RtI is an integrated service delivery approach for all students and should be applied to decisions in general, remedial, and special…

This action research project evaluated a program to improve student motivation, attendance rate, percent of homework returned, and student academic growth. The targeted population was a seventh-grade class in a middle school in north central Illinois. The problem of inadequate student motivation was documented by means of attendance rates,…

An introduction (Maurice Amutabi et al.) begins this 25-chapter book on adult education and training (AET) in a context of globalization. Chapter titles and authors are as follows: "The Impact of Globalization on Adult Education (AE)" (Ove Korsgaard); "In Defense of Civil Society: Canadian AE in Neo-Conservative Times" (Michael…