Early childhood has always been the most critical developmental period of the life cycle. Yet for most of history, that essential early foundation for all subsequent learning and development was laid in the home, largely through full-time maternal care. Today, though, an unprecedented number of American mothers are in the workforce. Almost…

The purpose of this study was to focus on the relationship between career-development training programs and the motivation of employees. The study used a qualitative method and a phenomenological design using semistructured interviews conducted with a script of open-ended questions. Two main components of the research design were the modified van…

As long as the question of what recent graduates can do with their degree is being asked, the need for comprehensive and trustworthy data will exist. Between the White House College Scorecard, the Rubio-Wyden-Warner Student Right to Know Before You Go Act, the USDOE's Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs: Gainful Employment in a Recognized…

The present paper reported on a new method and procedure for assessing preschooler's social competence. This method utilized an observational measure of intersubjectivity to assess the social competence that develops in real time during interaction between two or more children. The measure of intersubjectivity reflected a conceptualization of the…

In this essay, I reflect on my experiences and lessons learned while serving as Commissioner of the National Center for Special Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Although I was in the grant writing business for my nearly 30 years as a professor of special education, I learned that I knew very little…

Student employment subsidies are one of the largest types of employment subsidies and one of the oldest forms of student aid. The Federal Work-Study program (FWS) is the largest student employment subsidy program; since 1964, it has provided about $1 billion per year to cover 75 percent of wages for student employees, who typically work on campus…

This brief case study shows how one State--Delaware--identified priority goals and reforms and plans to sustain them. The case study outlines Delaware's involvement in the Reform Support Network (RSN) Sustainability Work Group and three sustainability lessons learned by the State Education Agency (SEA): focus on what works, establish proof points…

Over the last 25 years, the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) has invested nearly $5.3 billion into the charter school sector, directing funds to schools in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Approximately 60% of students in CSP grantee schools are from low-income backgrounds and 64% are Black or Hispanic. The CSP has played a critical role in…

Growing up in poverty increases youth risk for developing aggressive behavior problems which, in turn, are associated with a host of problematic outcomes, including school drop-out, substance use, mental health problems, and delinquency. In part, this may be due to exposure to adverse school contexts that create socialization influences supporting…

All states value their distinct approaches to policy and to life and the U.S. Constitution embeds the idea of state rights and responsibilities as a core principle in the federal system. California arguably takes this further than most. This paper provides a new way to think about how national policies might complicate or augment the next state…

Since the adoption of CCSS by 43 states, there has been growing concern regarding teacher training and preparation of state standards for students with disabilities. Through a better understanding of the kinds of support and training needed for teachers to apply the CCSS, the educational system may offer students with disabilities the experience…

Each year, effective federal programs give parents the power to provide their children with affordable healthcare, nutritious food, stable housing, and early childhood education. These programs lift millions of children out of poverty, but also have long-term benefits--children in families who accessed these programs have higher educational…

In this article, Reginald L. Stewart asks: "What is the true value of higher education to military veterans?" Military veterans may be underrepresented in higher education due to life adversities including homelessness, medical disabilities, substance abuse, family hardships, and deficient academic skills, however, with the transition of…

Objectives: Recruitment of the needed doctoral level social workers is impeded upon when doctoral graduates experience greater educational debt burden, modest salaries, and limited opportunities for student loan debt repayment. The purpose of this article is to describe a promising opportunity to reduce doctoral level social workers'…

The authors examined parental involvement's (PI) impact on school performance. The hierarchical linear modeling method was applied to national Schools and Staffing Survey 2007-2008 data. They found that PI variables explained significant variance for the outcomes of (a) meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) and (b) being free from sanctions. The…