The computerized financial aid application editing system used at the University of South Carolina to ensure efficient processing and maintain quality control is described. The monitoring system is based on standardized codes derived from national need assessment services and consists of 18 edit checks and an interface between the admissions and…

This Yearbook begins with Robert J. Rickelman's presidential speech, "Predicting the Whether: Lessons Learned from the Past," which focused on looking at the "History of the College Reading Association" in order to predict some possible (the "whether") courses for the future of the organization. The author relied…

Global competition, sweeping technological change, and demographic shifts in the labor force call for a national campaign to improve the skills and professionalism of the American workforce. This document calls for the creation of new learning partnerships throughout communities and workplaces to sustain middle-class jobs, pay the social costs of…

Educators and policymakers have accomplished much over the past decade, aided by parents and taxpayers. California has set a high bar for what all children are expected to learn, from kindergarten forward. Instructional materials and tests are now closely aligned, so that teachers know how to gauge their students' progress. And achievement growth…

While more research needs to be done in the area of adolescent literacy, there is growing agreement about some of the characteristics successful literacy intervention programs share. The purpose of this brief is to provide information to help policymakers, educators, parents, and others concerned with adolescent literacy make informed decisions…

Every teacher knows about barriers to learning and teaching that interferes with student progress and academic achievement. These barriers to learning can hamper a student's ability to participate effectively and benefit fully from classroom instruction and other educational activities. For school improvement efforts to succeed in ways that truly…

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is an effective approach in delivering career and technical education and training to youth with disabilities. This handbook provides guidance to schools operating WBL programs and encourages the adoption of WBL programs by schools not presently using this approach. By following the information and examples in this…

International cooperation in Distance Education which is a very popular phenomenon today can be explained by the rise of social constructivism in social sciences, namely Education and International Relations, for the purpose of this paper. Social constructive approach in International Relations with its emphasis on building social bridges via…

Purpose: A pilot study of the "Language, Literacy, & Vocabulary!" program was conducted by Learning Gauger, Inc., for National Geographic School Publishing, in spring 2006. The program evaluation examined the classroom adoption approaches used by participating teachers and the subsequent impact of the "Language, Literacy, &…

This guide provides employers with information to help begin or expand a commitment to the School-to-Career initiative (STC). (Companion guides for associations, labor unions and engagement specialists are available separately.) It begins by describing these three easy steps to getting started: plan your strategy, choose your activities, and get…

A study examined how the occupational structure of the Australian labor market evolved and how individuals fared in the process. It identified issues in defining skill and knowledge and followed Elias and McKnight (2001) in stating that sufficient evidence showed a very high correlation between job-required cognitive ability and ordinal skill…

Based on the experiences of a participant observer (weekly playground volunteer) over the course of one school year, this paper recounts the experiences of first through third graders during recess and discusses the importance of outdoor play for providing children an opportunity to speak and act unfettered by adult expectations, thereby promoting…

The rapid growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) has prompted concerns among parents, educators, and policymakers over the suitability of many educational applications and electronic toys for young children. This book provides information on how children from birth to age 6 develop an early awareness--and subsequently develop…

Advocating an early childhood education structure that is state-supported, accountable for high standards, sufficiently funded to include all children who need it and whose parents want it, and comparable to the systems of other high-achieving industrialized nations, this report provides baseline information about U.S. states' provision of early…

The outgrowth of a 1996 report on the impact of armed conflict on the well-being of children, and preparation for the 2000 International Conference on War-affected Children, this book examines progress made and obstacles encountered since 1996 in relieving the trauma of armed conflict. The stories recount family displacement, the rise of HIV/AIDS…