Most children enter kindergarten when they are 5 years of age and move into first grade when they are 6. This time period is marked by great developmental change (Sameroff and Haith 1996), and children differ in what they can and cannot do socially, physically, and cognitively. Therefore, parents and educators are concerned whether certain…

The purpose of this article is to assess six habits of academic achievement by African American male students from households of poverty whom been successful in completing a 5-A high school program of study. Despite the wealth of research that indicates a great disparity among racial and gender groups with regard to standardized assessment,…

This report concludes the first series of reports on the "Challenge to Lead" goals. It includes an action agenda, "From Goals to Results ... Making It Happen," that can help states make progress toward their goals. This report also summarizes the conclusions and recommendations from the earlier. The first 11 reports chronicle a…

The effectiveness of an interdisciplinary approach was evaluated in a suburban high school social studies class that integrated the county's prescribed social studies and English curricula for honors and advanced placement. Focal points for the two teachers were cohesiveness, cooperation, conducive environment, and concept improvement. The class…

This publication consists of materials from a conference session on creative programming for the children of low-skilled individuals who are usually labeled as "at risk," as well as the replicability of such programs. Contents consist of handouts and/or transparency masters that provide the following: (1) information on the Personal…

This digest discusses hearing loss in children. Topics covered include: (1) the causes of hearing loss and the three major types of hearing losses, conductive loss, sensorineural loss, and central auditory processing disorder; (2) the federal definitions of "deaf" (hearing loss which adversely affects educational performance and which is…

Course placement systems in the first year of college include both an assessment component (to estimate students' probability of success in standard courses) and an instructional component (in which underprepared students are taught the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the standard courses). The effectiveness of a placement system…

This report describes the current employment status of students who graduated from the Dutchess County (New York) Board of Cooperative Educational Services Technical Center in June, 1996. It is designed to provide summary data concerning the class as a whole, as well as information on how students from individual programs fared. The placement…

This final report describes major activities and outcomes of a one-year project in Birmingham, Alabama, which attempted to utilize quantitative record linkage methodology and a qualitative family interview to increase the available information regarding risk factors associated with special education placement for young children. The project…

This report describes the performance of New York City's Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) adult training providers. It discusses challenges currently faced by providers, and recommends strategies for improving the performance of the city's employment and training system, including those arising from the implementation of the Workforce…

This paper discusses provisions in the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 that relate to eligibility of students with disabilities, required services, and termination of special education services for students with disabilities who are between ages 18 and 21. It reviews regulations that clarify: (1) when the right to…

This study examined the historic and current contexts regarding student participation in higher education as a step toward developing policy recommendations for improving the percentage of Alaskans going to college. There appears to be a mismatch between the workforce needs of the state and the availability of qualified Alaskans for those jobs. As…

This state improvement plan outlines goals and objectives for improving special education services to students with disabilities in Wisconsin. The first goal (students with disabilities will demonstrate skills which will engage them to become independent, productive, and included citizens in society) contains objectives that address graduation…

This book describes Structured English Immersion (SEI) for English language learners (ELLs). Seven chapters focus on the following: (1) "Identification, Assessment, and Placement" (e.g., California's school districts implement SEI and proper placement of students); (2) "Listening Skills" (e.g., time on task, total physical…

This study examined specific behavioral characteristics of children in four different treatment environments by an Ohio child mental health agency, in order to shed light on placement decisions in relation to levels of care and severity of symptoms. Data were collected from approximately 300 total program admissions above age 5, each quarter, for…