There has been a rapid increase over the past 5 years in both the number of charter schools in the United States and the enthusiasm for the concept. Most research about charter schools has not addressed how charter schools create and sustain high-quality learning communities. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated how learning…

The recent release of the National Science Education Standards and the previous release of Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy have initiated science education reform at the state, district, and local school levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which a group of science teachers, administrators, and a curriculum…

In 1991, the U.S. Congress commissioned the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement to investigate the various aspects of education reform. This digest summarizes the findings of a resulting study that focused on the effects of school reform on students at risk. The digest identifies the components of effective…

The Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) watershed education program is unique from other water monitoring programs because it emphasizes action-oriented and problem-solving approaches based on an interdisciplinary education and extensive networking with others traveling down a similar path. This sourcebook offers guidance based…

This annotated bibliography lists nutrition education materials, audiovisuals, and resources for classroom use. Items listed cover topics such as general nutrition, food preparation, food science, and dietary management. Each item is listed in one or more of the following categories: (1) curriculum/lesson plans; (2) learning activities; (3)…

Developed through a cooperative effort of many teachers and researchers, this guide is intended to supplement existing elementary and middle school materials on keyboarding. The guide contains sections that are designed for stand-alone use. Topics cover a wide range of strategies, including teaching special needs students. The U.S. Postal Service…

Six authors report experiences and expose insights for using picture books in teaching contexts. In "Art of the Picturebook: The Road from Caldecott to Sendak" (Kenneth A. Marantz), the argument is made for valuing picture books as visual art rather than literary art. The illustrator replaces the speaker and the pictures become the voice…

This publication for Pennsylvania educators outlines five homelessness curricula found in schools in Florida, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania, which aim to sensitize students to the realities of homelessness. The report points out that although the curricula differ in many ways, each covers the following key topics: (1) the causes and…

Designed to improve the critical thinking and decision-making skills of 10-to 13-year old students through instruction in basic economic concepts, the Agency for International Technology (AIT), the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE), and the Joint Council on Economic Education (JCEE) are undertaking a project which will use eight…

The purpose of this guide is to provide basic information about historical resources to Arkansas teachers who are seeking to develop units of study and/or activities on Arkansas history. The guide is divided into four chapters: (1) Museums, Parks and Historical Sites, (2) Libraries and Archives, (3) Other Sources of Information, and (4)…

This trainer's handbook is designed to be a desktop reference on the nature of training and the procedures involved in training preparation and provision. Part 1 covers the essential interaction skills required of trainers (maintaining leadership, creating learning associations, planning lessons, controlling training groups, analyzing trainees,…

This paper describes how videotapes of C-SPAN programs were used to aid research and teaching of cross-cultural issues related to United States-China relations. The specific focus of the C-SPAN programs discussed was the reaction in the United States to the Chinese pro-democracy movement. The use of C-SPAN resource can benefit student…

This report briefly describes an intergenerational, interagency project in Lancaster and Lebanon counties of Pennsylvania. The project attempted to show that with training and group bonding, members of different generations reading preschool materials together for 8 weeks could change their attitudes and habits about reading in general and reading…

This guide was developed to help administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the business community understand and implement tech prep programs in South Carolina. (Tech prep is a major restructuring strategy designed to meet the needs of students who want to function effectively in a technological workplace and to ensure that students are…

A pilot project was conducted to implement the Oregon A.I.M. (Assessment, Instruction, Mastery), a tutor program accountability system developed in Oregon, in 15 volunteer-based programs in Pennsylvania and to make recommendations on the usefulness of this system as a means of collecting and aggregating data on student progress for these and…