Understanding prospective employees' rights (under the 1964 Civil Rights Act and other federal legislation prohibiting discriminatory practices) can help principals protect themselves, their schools, and their districts from litigation. Scenarios are described, along with permissible staff-selection steps: position analysis, recruitment,…

Examines issues affecting the teaching and learning of listening skills within the study of Japanese as a Foreign Language. Listening within foreign-language learning is a complex skill, and students encounter several difficulties in learning to listen for comprehension. Teachers face concerns ranging from resource availability to how to teach…

Investigates the functional projections in second-language (L2) acquisition by examining the emergence of functional categories in the L2 acquisition of French by children. Data include the productive use of determiners, inflection, case marking, subject clitics, wh-questions, and correct negative placement. (57 references) (Author/CK)

Reports on the training experiences of workers from linguistically diverse backgrounds via a focus on their learning activities in community college apprenticeship programs. A survey identified areas of linguistic difficulty that students were experiencing in their coursework and ways in which instructors could reduce these barriers to success.…

Describes a class research project where U.S. students interviewed foreign students enrolled in English language conversation programs. The U.S. students specifically asked questions regarding the foreign students' reaction to U.S. culture. The most productive aspect of the project, however, came from the students thinking and writing about the…

Evaluated the West Alabama Learning Coalition, a rural, multi-institutional organization, as perceived by member professionals in schools, universities, community colleges, businesses, and social-service agencies. Respondents viewed the coalition as a dynamic, organic, and creative entity fostering synergy, shared leadership, and…

In this interview, Alaska's statewide trainer in project-based learning recommends that teachers plan projects by identifying the desired results, determining acceptable evidence, then planning the learning experience. Project-based learning encourages teacher collaboration and engages students so that learning becomes relevant. Teachers should…

Examined factors that influence adolescents' commitments to extracurricular activities over time. Found that psychological factors of perceived competence and peer relationships, as well as contextual factors of perceived challenge, cost, benefits, and emerging identity, were decisive in adolescents' choice to remain involved in activities or…

A Seattle (Washington) initiative is dedicated to building a system for out-of-school care, especially for low income, minority families. In this interview, the program coordinator describes how area out-of-school providers cooperated to train staff, train trainers, and elevate the field to a profession. Major issues that affect program quality…

Discusses findings from interviews with 19 committed principals and places them within the context of new research on principals as lifelong learners who publicly model intellectual curiosity. Conditions for continuous learning exemplified by these principals comprise three categories: professional identity, influence of the liberal arts, and…

This reports a study that seeks to explore the experience of students majoring in technology and design in an undergraduate education degree. It examines their experiences in finding and using information for a practical assignment. In mapping the variation of the students' experience, the study uses a qualitative, interpretive approach to analyse…

Purpose: This paper aims to describe a research project that is addressing the employability of individuals in the higher-cost Irish economy. Design/methodology/approach: The Programme for University-Industry Interface (PUII) uses a community-of-practice methodology combined with academic research. Findings: A number of emerging enterprise models…

For African American students, matriculation at a predominantly White institution of higher education can be quite intimidating. Religion is important in providing comfort and encouragement for many of these students. This article describes the Afro-American gospel choir at the University of Alabama and its role in providing a more positive campus…

This study examined field experiences integrated into two literacy courses undertaken by second year pre-service teachers (PSTs) at a regional Australian university. A sample of 12 PSTs and 22 teachers completed questionnaires and participated in brainstorming sessions and a focus group interview to determine the extent to which they perceived…

Studies have examined the characteristics of excellent general and special education teachers. However, comparatively few studies have examined the characteristics of excellent teachers of students with low-incidence disabilities. Outstanding teachers of students with low-incidence disabilities were contacted to determine their willingness to…