This book describes what makes it so difficult for young people with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder (ADD) to get along in their world and suggests ways that parents, teachers, and other caregivers can help them with their social as well as their educational problems. Chapters address: (1) the characteristics and social…

This document contains 52 Occupational Skill Standards for the swine production occupational cluster, as required for the state of Illinois. Skill Standards, which were developed by committees that included educators, business, industry, and labor, are intended to promote education and training investment and ensure that students and workers are…

Tasks have become an essential feature of second language (L2) learning in recent years. Tasks range from getting learners to repeat linguistic elements satisfactorily to having them perform in "free" production. Along this task-based continuum, task-based scenario interaction lies at the point midway between controlled and…

The Fathering Indicators Framework (FIF) is an evaluation tool designed to help researchers, practitioners, and policymakers conceptualize, examine, and measure change in fathering behaviors in relation to child and family well-being. This report provides a detailed overview of the research and theory informing the development of the FIF. The FIF…

This paper examines the results of a questionnaire on reading ability in English by Japanese college students, which was formerly analyzed using raw scores, from the viewpoint of Rasch measured scores. In the Rasch analysis, the basic requirements for measuring are the following: (1) reduction of experience to one dimensional abstraction; (2)…

Recognizing the importance of providing high-quality preschool education for helping to ensure children's future educational success, this document presents guidelines for what constitutes high-quality programming across a broad spectrum of curriculum and practice for California preschools, taking into account the state's move toward higher…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the validity and reliability of the Ecology Rating Scale (ERS). The ERS is a brief, multi-dimensional level-of-functioning instrument that can be rated by parents or clinicians. The ERS is comprised of seven domains of youth functioning: family, school, emotional, legal/justice,…

A study assessed whether training packages gave sufficient focus to attainment of generic skills and examined approaches that can be used to enhance the delivery of these skills so students are better prepared for the new demands of the workplace. A literature review and consultations with stakeholders provided information on development of the…

The progression of qualified surgical nurses toward capable proficiency was examined in an ethnographic study during which 25 nurses, including 4 who transferred to other wards, were observed to determine whether social mediation affects the process of proficiency development. The nurses were observed for 18 months. Data were also gathered through…

This document presents an innovative curriculum framework for helping individuals aged 16-25 years reconnect with learning and develop the "soft skills" needed to manage their lives and relationships. The guide contains ideas and approaches to help mentors and program managers implement the Getting Connected program, which is designed to…

This collection of lesson plans is designed to help students with disabilities meet Arizona academic standards and learn different types of self-determination skills. Lesson plans are provided for students in grades K-12 with different disabilities and address: (1) oral language, including identifying homonyms; (2) reading acquisition, including…

Based on the premise that the best teachers are those who have a firm understanding of the developmental needs of children and plan learning experiences to meet these needs, this resource guide was designed to provide prekindergarten teachers with a collection of classroom ideas and activities that serve as examples of how educators can facilitate…

This technical manual provides an overview of the "Transition Behavior Scale-Second Edition Self-Report Version" (TBS-2 S-RV), an assessment that provides the means by which student behavior, which is predictive of employment and societal transition behavior, can be documented. Those students (ages 12-18) most likely to have problems in employment…

The impact of generic competencies on workplace performance was examined through a review of literature and evaluation research which focused on conceptualization and piloting of the following key competencies in Australia in 1993-1998: collecting, analyzing, and organizing information; communicating ideas and information; planning and organizing…

The purpose of this study was to identify the reasons and processes by which skin tone affects assumptions regarding competence among African Americans. As such, the study addressed two important hypotheses: (1) that African Americans demonstrate light skin tone bias as measured by perceptions of competence, and (2) that African Americans'…