This issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" describes new developments in evaluating advocacy and policy change efforts that attempt to inform or influence public policy at the local, state, or federal levels. Heather B. Weiss introduces the themes in this issue in "From the Director's Desk," examining how evaluation of advocacy…

Teenagers are perplexing, intriguing, and spirited creatures. In an attempt to discover the secrets to their thoughts and actions, parents have tried talking, cajoling, and begging them for answers. The result has usually been just more confusion. Light is being shed on these mysterious young adults. What was once thought to be hormones run amuck…

This descriptive report examines the strategies of the six Southeast Region states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina) to improve high school graduation rates and student achievement and to increase the number of students leaving high school with the skills and knowledge necessary for the twenty-first…

In "City Schools," Robert Rothman and his colleagues at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University put forward a vision of "smart education systems" that link a highly functioning and effective school district with a comprehensive and accessible web of supports for children, youth, and families. One-third of…

The rising number of individuals returning to communities from prison and jail represents one of the defining issues of time. Individuals reentering society face myriad challenges, not the least of which is securing viable employment; in addition, each individual has a unique set of experiences, needs and resources. This project stems from the…

This article analyses change of time use and time allocation in three schools participating in a Swedish five-year national experiment in which State regulation of teaching time was weakened. Participating schools could freely decide how to use and distribute teaching time. The experiment was launched at a late stage in a 25-year decentralisation…

Five years ago, North Shore Community College (NSCC) encountered rising enrollments in the face of lagging state funding. The addition of two new campuses stretched NSCC thin as it attempted to provide administrative and academic services across five (more recently consolidated to four) locations. Its students increasingly struggled to balance the…

This article defines and discusses placeless organizations as sites and generators of learning on a large scale. The emphasis is on how placeless organizations structure themselves to carry out social transformation--necessarily involving intensive learning--on a national or global scale. The argument is made that place is not a necessary…

This directory contains resource materials and listings of organizations, funding resources, and databases pertaining to cultural programs in rural American communities. A bibliography contains over 100 entries including books, newspaper articles, catalogs, case studies, audio visual materials, and journals covering rural programs and activities…

This quarterly newsletter issue, in English and French language editions, examines changing perspectives on family and community health, with a specific focus on activities, trends, and research dealing with Canada. Five feature articles include: (1) "New Rules: The Canadian Health Care System in Flux" (Lawrence J. Nestman), which…

This book provides an introduction to the current scientific understanding of the human brain and its processes. Chapter 1, "At the Edge of a Major Transformation," is an introduction to the field. Chapter 2, "How Our Brain Organizes Itself on the Cellular and Systems Levels," covers what body/brain cellular systems do, how…

This special newsletter issue on inclusion of students with disabilities includes the following articles: "Inclusion: A Responsible Approach" (Harley A. Tomey, III); "Research Base Limited on Effects of Inclusion" (Thomas P. Lombardi); "Research Supports Inclusion for Physically Disabled--Vocational Ed Prevents Dropping…

This guide examines many of the organizations doing work in the international field and provides an overview of employment opportunities in some of those areas. The introductions to the chapters are by outstanding leaders in their fields who provide inside information about the nature of the work, qualifications and prospects for employment and…

A comparative study of the employment experiences of staff at nonprofit and privately owned childcare centers was conducted in the Christchurch, New Zealand, area. A total of 23 staff members at 3 nonprofit centers and 9 staff members at 2 privately owned centers responded to a survey concerning their qualifications, work history, current working…

Based on research on verbal behavior and the relationship between teachers' verbal responses and student achievement and success, this document discusses the role of teacher language in motivating students and provides examples of classroom techniques that aid learning. The first section reviews ways in which teachers' use of language can…