Improving academic achievement is at the heart of college and university fund development. It has become increasingly important for fundraisers in educational settings to find innovative means to improve educational opportunities by increasing the institution's financial resources. The purpose of this article is to discuss the benefits of…

With ethno-culturally diverse immigrants arriving in constantly increasing numbers, connecting newcomers to residents in the local community is a growing challenge. Settlement houses have traditionally been the "machinery of connection" that bridges such diverse groups. This article reports the results of a study on settlement houses in…

Postschool outcomes for students with disabilities have been dismal for quite some time now. Although recent data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 indicate some improvement, students with severe intellectual disabilities continue to transition into segregated employment at unacceptable rates in spite of a multitude of studies,…

A novel participatory workshop methodology was adopted in this qualitative study of the intersection of disability and diversity in the lives of individuals. Social service recipients, parents, educators, service providers, and policy makers in three Canadian cities were conjoined in daylong discussions designed to investigate if the realities of…

The purpose of this article is to examine the strands and goals which arise from the four principles of "Empowerment; Holistic Development; Family and Community and Relationships" ("Te Whariki," 1996) and to propose how music can be used in an integral way not only to meet the stated goals but also to promote them to their…

Attention to spirituality is proposed to be a means of restoring and supporting well-being in early childhood educational contexts. In Aotearoa, New Zealand, the spiritual dimension is included in the early childhood curriculum "Te Whariki". This holistic approach to education supported research in three different early childhood…

This article offers a brief discussion on the Assessment Skills and Knowledge (ASK) Standards. The ASK Standards provide a consistent framework that outlines the skills and knowledge that should be advanced in educational sessions. It also recognizes the critical importance of assessment in the roles and responsibilities of student affairs…

Over the past decade great changes have occurred in the Estonian system of education, including changes in the content and organization of early childhood education. The aim of the present study is to find out about the views of staff of early childhood institutions on educational objectives, some aspects of the educational process and the role of…

The role school social workers play within schools, the training they receive, and whether they are present in junior high schools are all factors that pose barriers and opportunities for school social workers' involvement in dropout prevention efforts during the middle school years. Such efforts are necessary because the unique challenges of…

In today's era of accountability, test scores are top-in-mind for educators. Educators must do all they can to help English language learners succeed in literacy, math, science, and so much more. However, education is not just about the brain; it's about the whole child. In this article, the author describes how school district leaders can set the…

This study provides a rationale for the claim that communication instruction is critical to students' future personal and professional success. Thematic analysis of 93 journal and newspaper articles, reports, and surveys provide evidence of the centrality of communication in developing the whole person, improving the educational enterprise, being…

In 2003, about 50 countries including Ghana participated in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This is the first time that Ghana has participated in an international mathematics assessment that has provided the reliable data to examine equity and the quality of mathematics education within schools in Ghana. In the…

The purpose of this mixed method, survey-based inquiry was to determine how Georgia public high school faculty members perceive various pressures and experiences associated with a career in education. These perceptions were then analyzed as possible indicators of teacher attrition in order to improve retention rates. The independent demographic…

This report addresses the following four questions by reporting on the impacts of Head Start on children and families during the children's preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade years: (1) What difference does Head Start make to key outcomes of development and learning (and in particular, the multiple domains of school readiness) for low-income…

The Sloan Pillars have set the standard for university-wide online learning program assessment for more than a dozen years. In this paper, the authors propose the extension of the Pillars to corporate e-learning, offering an alternative to traditional enterprise learning assessments. Claiming that conventional methods stress individual courses or…