A Montana study of 46 Native American high school dropouts found salient factors were perceived irrelevance/cultural insensitivity of curricula, perceived teacher indifference/failure to help with students' work, desire to be with other dropouts, problems at home, and the requirement that students attend school for the entire senior year. (MH)

Students' brains are wired to make them natural, curious learners. The mathematical world around them offers a vast classroom, filled with shapes, spaces, quantities, and experiences to discover and explore, all leading to the construction of understanding. Teachers can use this natural curiosity to tap the inborn neural mechanisms that motivate…

Over the past 15 years, charter schools and teachers unions have battled in state legislatures, the courts and the media. But with increasing frequency, the two groups are facing each other in the everyday operation of schools. This report summarizes the opinions expressed at a meeting of local state, and national leaders from both the charter…

"Voices Literature and Character Education Program" ("Voices LACE"; formerly known as Voices of Love and Freedom and Literacy and Values) is a K-12 program that aims to promote positive character and citizenship values, literacy skills, and social skills. The program contains a curriculum that can be used over any length of…

In a university's time of crisis, reporters will often attempt to catch the president and board members in conflicting responses in order to develop a "gotcha" news story. It is important for leaders not to take the bait. In times of crisis, board members and institutional leaders must not only control the message and flow of…

This paper explores a participatory process of Environmental Education (EE) networking in Mafeteng primary schools. It gives an overview of the existing EE efforts in Lesotho, particularly the models schools of the National Curriculum Development Centre. It also provides information about Lesotho Environmental Information Network as the body that…

Most teachers today are faced with increasing pressure to teach to higher academic standards. This focus on academic achievement has led many teachers, against their better judgment, to reduce their attention to students' social and ethical growth and to building relationships with and among their students. The result of a collaboration between an…

Noting that directors of early care and education programs face numerous challenges on a daily basis, this book is designed to provide real-world answers to common situations, in a format that directors can access immediately. The book is organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 addresses staff-related challenges and includes a list of "how…

This collection of papers examines proven strategies for assessing and managing high-risk behaviors while promoting healthy adolescent self-esteem among urban secondary school students. Part 1, "Problems in Urban Schoolchild Discipline," includes: (1) "Behavior Problems in Urban Schoolchildren" (Nancy R. Macciomei) and (2)…

This book contains career advice for job-seekers and employees about locating, getting, keeping, and changing jobs. The titles of its five chapters are as follows: (1) "So You've Graduated from College, Now All You Need Is...More Advice?" (2) "Moving Up: How To Travel Vertically in a Horizontal World"; (3) "Difficult Bosses, Toxic Coworkers, and…

The 19 chapters of this text on assessment in special education are divided into two parts. Part 1 discusses basic concepts in assessment in special education. Part 2 addresses the special education process by describing steps in the assessment continuum. Individual chapters examine the following topics: (1) an introduction to assessment; (2)…

This action research project sought to develop students' critical thinking skills by implementing a variety of instructional strategies. Targeted for this study were students in one early childhood special education program, one kindergarten class, and one eighth grade science class. The deficit in critical thinking and problem-solving skills was…

This study illustrates the convergence of two teaching and learning media, face-to-face and online, as reflective lecturers seek to address the limitations of a single medium. Innovative university lecturers at a large Western Australia university were interviewed about their use of online environments with face-to-face students. The interview…

This document is comprised of the two 2001 issues of a newsletter of the Harvard Family Research Project, designed to share new ideas and experiences in evaluating systems reform and comprehensive child and family services. The first issue focuses on strategic communications and efforts of nonprofit agencies to evaluate strategic communication…

While the nation's public systems continue to fall short of delivering equitable educational supports to children and youth, youth workers have spent the last several decades insulating and, in some cases, patching the leaks in the "education pipeline"--a term describing the route students follow from early childhood through…