Evidence shows that choice of field of concentration at the middle school or junior high level is the single most powerful predictor of how far a student will progress up the educational ladder. National statistics now indicate that out of 10 Hispanic students in the 8th grade, about 5 will receive a high school diploma but only 1 will have…

A conceptual model is presented for the development of thinking skills by using an instructional model employing high level cognitive demands. "Distancing" is proposed as the concept to denote behaviors or events that separate the child cognitively from the immediate behavioral environment. Forms and functions of distancing behavior are…

This document presents a strategy for education reform. It focuses on four major issues: (1) the students' future employability; (2) strategies for increasing the nation's investment in education that would increase payoffs for students and society; (3) a program for upgrading the professionalism of teachers and improving the quality of education…

Because it is a well-accepted fact that young persons have more than their share of automobile crashes and because the task of driving is a complex one that requires practice to be mastered, it is proposed that a careful human factors analysis of the task of driving be undertaken based on empirically demonstrated differences among driver groups.…

Intended for use by teachers of fourth and fifth grade students assigned to a special summer program because they have not met the criteria for promotion, this handbook focuses on strategies by which real reading and its attendant language forms can be maximized within the context of summer and its built-in expectations. The first part of the…

This paper proposes a radical alternative to the current system of residence-based attendance: permit parents to send their children to schools near their workplaces, as a supplement to existing arrangements. This approach not only expands parental choice in education, but also helps to overcome other limitations inherent in residence-based school…

The book describes the setting, objectives, program, evaluation and achievement of six innovative action-research early childhood education projects for Aboriginal Australian children, traces various previous attempts to provide education, and provides an historical background of the estimated 140,000 Aboriginal people who make up 1% of…

In the third year in its three-year funding cycle, Project "At Your Service" offered bilingual instruction and supportive services to 200 Hispanic students at Park West High School in New York City. The ultimate goal of the program was to develop students' English proficiency and to prepare them to meet the requirements for high school…

This report presents the 1982-83 results of an ongoing evaluation of two voluntary integration programs, Permits With Transportation (PWT) and Continued Voluntary Permits (CVP), which operate within the Los Angeles Unified School District. Information on implementation methods is presented for the use of district policymakers and for gauging…

"Fostering the School Age Child" is a manual for use in training families providing service to children in foster care. Including instructor's materials and participants' course content, this instructor's manual is divided into eight lessons. Separate instructional sessions focus on development and behavior; building discipline and…

Preliminary data and analyses on student financial aid during 1983-1984 are presented, based on a policy seminar at which a national survey of aid recipients was examined. Evidence suggests that students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, increasingly rely on loans as a form of college financing. Financial aid participation rates among…

Designed for Head Start grantees, this book provides training guidelines for improving Head Start staff competency. Chapter I offers a rationale for staff training activities, while chapter II characterizes the Head Start trainee. Chapter III addresses assessment of training needs on program and staff levels. The development of a training plan is…

Written for employers, this pamphlet provides a concise picture of many aspects of employer supported child care. The influx of working parents into the workplace--especially mothers with young children--has increased stress and pressure for both employees and employers. This, in turn, has increased the mutual dependence between businesses and the…

This book outlines several areas of legal development relating to children's agencies. Past rulings and implications for practice are discussed. Chapters and the topics covered are: (1) Agency-Child Relationship (children's constitutional rights, impact on the "In Loco Parentis" doctrine, children's rights as distinct from parental…

The special report presents a statistical portrait of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of American children and youth. Children are considered to be persons under 14 years of age, and youth are seen to be between the ages of 14 and 24. Data in the report analyze trends among children and youth in the areas of population growth…