This book presents a collection of strategies to help teachers at all levels develop a rapport with students and manage everyday school problems. There are 17 chapters in 9 parts. Part 1 "Tips for New and Student Teachers," includes (1) "Odds and Ends for Beginners." Part 2, "Beginning a Winning Year," includes (2)…

The 11th Annual Building on Family Strengths Conference was held from May 6th through May 8th, 2004, in Portland, Oregon. Highlights included: (1) The revival of a pre-conference training session; this year featured "Understanding Research and Evaluation in Relation to Social Change," presented by Elaine Slaton and Shannon CrossBear of…

Examines the usefulness of accountability measures for student achievement as empowerment tools for all students, providing examples from Native American schools. The paper posits the need for understanding current standardized testing, demonstrates how content currently tested can help increase the utility of instructional programs, and advocates…

Life is lived in an era characterised by complexity and instability. Pedagogical ideals or educational goals are usually determined based on the socio-political and cultural period in which people find themselves at a specific point in its history. Then, in what ways do people train their principals to be models of and act in line with those…

Effective teacher education should guide preservice and practicing teachers in comprehending and facilitating educational concepts and pedagogical practices that examine and promote equity for all learners. Teachers and young learners benefit from sundry opportunities to recognize their self identities and to celebrate both individual and shared…

Like most states, Pennsylvania has a state accountability system that is aligned with the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and requires that students reach adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) in reading and mathematics at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 in…

Singapore, like industrialized Western nations, faces similar challenges in the public school system in that increasingly, more students at risk, as well as those with special needs attend general education programs. This paper presents the concerns of primary school teachers working with students with disabilities in general education classrooms…

Engaging students seriously in their own academic learning is a persistent difficulty for teachers. The goal of this action research project was to actively involve elementary school students in their learning. The program was implemented at three elementary schools in northern Illinois serving multicultural populations; special education…

For 2 decades, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has sought to strengthen Nepal's formal and nonformal education systems and elevate the status of women in Nepal. The extent to which USAID women's empowerment and literacy activities have contributed to increasing and improving the basic education of girls in Nepal was examined…

Interviews with 150 low-income parents in three countries reveal that their low involvement with the schools was due to the fact that teachers and administrators have a substandard view of low-socioeconomic status families, and the parents have low assessments of their own educational effectiveness. Empowerment programs in each country are…

The roles of cultural practice and informal learning in young people's transitions to work and adulthood were explored in case studies of performing arts programs in Mannheim, Germany; Liverpool, England; and Lisbon, Portugal. Expert interviews, participant observation, and documentary analysis were conducted to explore how the pedagogical model…

This publication puts together the written contributions of 20 women at an international seminar-workshop on "Promoting the Empowerment of Women through Adult Learning" who shared, reflected, and analyzed the different types of educational opportunities for women provided to women. The presentations are as follows: "Designing the Model: A Process…

The following papers are included: "Foreword" (Bridget McConnell); "Introduction" (David J. Jones); opening addresses by George Robertson MP, Shadow Scottish Secretary, and by Charlie McConnell, Executive Director, Scottish Community Education Council; and speech by Christine Hamilton, Deputy Director, Scottish Arts Council;…

Despite Botswana's commitment to the ideals of democracy and equity, abject and relative poverty are widespread among the country's rural populace. Since Botswana's independence, its rates of poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy have increased. The situation necessitates fundamental changes in the lives of Botswana's rural residents. Such change…

This volume is part of a series of 18 monographs on service learning and the academic disciplines. The essays in this volume focus on the use of service learning as an approach to teaching and learning in psychology. Following the introduction, "Collaborating with the Community: Psychology and Service-Learning," by Donna K. Duffy and…