Based upon the belief that what children learn from adult responses to their early behavior sets the foundations on which they will build all future learning, this publication provides information for teachers on the appropriate guidance and management of children's behavior in early childhood settings using a contextual approach. Issues discussed…

The 3-year Wisconsin Action Research Project was designed to bring together teams of practitioners from general and special education and provide them with training and support to conduct action research studies. This report describes the first pilot year of the project. First-year action studies attempted to address the following three outcomes:…

This longitudinal study examined the effects on children of three kindergarten schedules: half day, alternate day, and full day. A secondary purpose was to examine the relationship between preschool attendance and subsequent school performance. Two additional variables thought to be related to school success were also explored: children's gender,…

This report describes a study which examined trends and future prospects in the placement and provision of services to children with special education needs (SEN) in Scotland, United Kingdom, in the context of recent policy changes toward increased integration, increased parental choice, and devolved school management. The study involved…

A content area literacy course is examined to assess how teacher educators might respond to prospective teachers' beliefs in light of the particular goals of a particular course or teacher education experience. Content Area Literacy is a methods course that emphasizes teaching strategies and the rationales underlying them. It is examined to reveal…

Based on the findings of three federally financed dropout prevention programs--ALAS (Achievement for Latinos through Academic Success), the Belief Academy, and Check & Connect--this report highlights school affiliation and bonding strategies to prevent students from dropping out of school and provides examples of activities to address the…

The structure, history, objectives, and delivery of vocational education in the Netherlands were characterized through a review of existing documents explaining/regulating the Dutch vocational system and input from representatives of government, business, and labor. Vocational education was discussed within the context of the Dutch political and…

Establishing coordination among schools, families, and communities has emerged as a major policy issue in the debate over the quality of education and how the restructuring of education should be accomplished. This book explores coordination of services for children and youth between and among schools, families, and community groups and agencies,…

Noting the increasing need for public officials, practitioners, business leaders, concerned citizens, and parents to work together to improve the quality of life for young children and families, this book for community organizations provides information needed to begin or enhance local or statewide community mobilization efforts. Included are…

Teachers are responsible for juggling knowledge of where students are and where they need to go; having insights into students' special needs and progress; choices of curricular activities and materials; rules that govern children's participation; expectations from parents and communities; and the norms and rules that govern them as teachers. The…

This collection of studies represents collaboration between the Departments of Education of the University of Wales Swansea and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The papers are as follows: (1) "Analysing the Social Climate of Schools and Classrooms" (Robert W. Bilby); (2) "Reading Whose World?" (Diane Cannon); (3)…

A 2-year project to specify new designs for the comprehensive high school of the future identified the following important features: (1) a guaranteed set of learner outcomes closely linked to present and future life roles and responsibilities for all students; (2) learning applied to life situations, using authentic assessment; (3) multiple ways…

For change to occur in mathematics instruction, teachers need control of significantly different instructional sequences, evaluation schemes, and curriculum and to think beyond procedural views of mathematics. Two-week inservice and coursework separate from classroom experience are not sufficient to achieve these goals. Inservice and support must…

As part of a symposium on issues related to diversity and American education reform in the context of Goal 3 of the National Education Goals, this paper addresses the diversity of Hispanic populations in the United States and implications for Goal 3. Seven factors to consider in program planning include the following: heterogeneity of the Hispanic…

Critics of the Federal Title I and Chapter 1 compensatory education programs to increase the academic skills of disadvantaged children suggest that the return for the Federal investment has been small and that designers have not created programs that work. When the compensatory education programs were conceived, their promise was immense. During…