This special double issue of the "Early Childhood Bulletin" explores issues for parents who are members of Interagency Coordinating Councils (ICCs) for their states' early intervention programs. The first article discusses issues parents may want to consider before they assume new roles in their ICC and in related activities. It also…

The basic task of the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) strategy has been to resource and promote the teaching and learning of Asian languages and studies of Asia in Australian schools. NALSAS focuses on four Asian languages: Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Japanese, and Korean. The studies of Asia are broader,…

This document contains 20 case study briefs about efforts to improve rural schools and teachers in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Some reforms focus on a part of the education system or a particular population; others attempt to change the national education system. At least seven programs were begun as an alternative to government schools. Most…

This document contains the proceedings of the 2001 Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science which was held in Costa Mesa, California, January 18-21, 2001. Papers include: (1) "An Elementary Preservice Teacher's Search for Solutions about the Evolution-Divine Creation Question: The Story of Tracy"…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of a program at the University of Oregon designed to address the ongoing need for leadership personnel who are experts with infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children who are at risk or have disabilities and their families. The program was designed to prepare a minimum of 10 doctoral…

Conscious that the achievement of educational equality for Australia's Indigenous peoples is a national priority, Australia's ministers of education, at a March 2000 meeting, committed themselves to a model of more culturally inclusive and educationally effective schools. The model is based on findings from recent work to improve educational…

This study examined the effectiveness of teachers trained in a Professional Development School (PDS) versus a traditional program. The paper begins with data from earlier research which shows that PDSs prepare graduates better for teaching and managing classrooms than do traditional programs. This study used the North Carolina Teacher Performance…

Although self-directed learning (SDL) has been promoted by businesses as being needed by managers, traditional business schools have not promoted this type of learning. In addition, some adult learners are not ready for SDL, and some subjects (such as accounting) are not suitable for SDL. The concept of self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) can…

Ordinary nonwork activities like fundraising, coaching, and community advocacy can serve as sources of learning for managers in such areas as interpersonal skills, handling multiple tasks, using relevant background information, and leadership practice. Private life encourages leadership development by offering managers experience developing their…

Growing dissatisfaction makes major structural changes requiring legislative, popular initiatives, or the approval of governing authorities possible in U.S. schools. Schools raising academic achievement emphasize high student expectations, classroom management, positive feedback, tailored teaching strategies, professional work environments, and…

In 1994, the National Education Commission on Time and Learning (NECTL) published "Prisoners of Time," an eye-opening study into how much schools are governed by the clock and calendar, and how families, administrators, and teachers are subsequently affected. This report expands and updates the 1994 report, adding informative questions and answers…

This study addressed the use of Professional Development Schools (PDSs) as a component of the teacher preparation program at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. The study measured differences in perceptions of all groups involved in the PDS process. The five groups under study were PDS students, university faculty, and PDS onsite…

Based on the premise that good child care jobs are the cornerstone of high-quality services for children and families, this booklet details workplace standards for family child care providers. The booklet is designed to be used for educating family child care providers, evaluating individual family child care programs, setting goals and measuring…

This paper reports on data from a 4-year, cross-sectional study of preservice teachers who participated in a yearlong Professional Development School internship/student teaching experience. Preservice teachers worked in classrooms with mentor teachers for two 8-week placements during the fall semester and returned to student teach with the same…

This collection of essays, from Houston area educators, investigates and analyzes the state of social education, offering a critical and transformative perspective. Following a preface, chapters in the collection are: (1) "Addressing the Issues within Social Studies" (C. White); (2) "The Status of Social Studies Education" (C.…