The handbook is designed as an introductory text on reading instruction for teachers of English as a Second Language. The first chapter explores the nature of reading through a series of activities that help identify the kind of knowledge one draws on and the strategies one uses in reading. Chapter 2 reviews key theories of reading that have…

A national survey of distance education courses offered by higher education institutions identified the incidence of distance education courses delivered to remote (off-campus) locations through audio, video, or computer technologies. The study found that a third of institutions offered distance education courses, another quarter planned to offer…

This study looked at the relationship between the programs students chose upon college entry, the programs from which they graduated, and the time taken to graduate. Individual student data on more than 204,000 freshmen entering 38 public, land grant, and Research I universities in 1988 and 1990 were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to…

There are currently no significant policies or programs to address the underrepresentation of males in the early childhood and primary education teaching profession in New Zealand. This paper examines the reasons for male underrepresentation and presents arguments for and against the employment of male teachers in these fields. Reasons cited for…

A study focused on 41 eighth-grade students from a south Texas middle school who read self-selected books for 30-minute periods 5 times weekly from October 1996 to May 1997 to determine if increased reading time and book self-selection would improve their reading achievement. The study also sought to determine the students' attitudes towards…

This report describes the design, implementation, and impact of a book loan program in an inner-city preschool where books were freely and easily available to low-income primarily Spanish-speaking families, most of whom are recent immigrants. Data collected included check-out frequency, book titles, student participation, and field notes of the…

This publication presents six primary tools employers can use to narrow or eliminate pay gaps in their workplaces. After each tool is a discussion of the problem and examples of "best practices" by employers that have won the Department of Labor's Opportunity 2000 and EVE (Exemplary Voluntary Efforts) awards. The report is divided into six tools:…

This chapter is part of a book that recounts the year's work at the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi. Rather than an "elitist" laboratory school for the children of university faculty, the dual-language ECDC is a collaboration between the Corpus Christi Independent School District and…

This guide provides tools and strategies for recruiting, managing, and using paraeducators in schools. It offers guidelines for using paraeducators in ways that best contribute to student achievement as well as strategies for identifying best practices, time frames, and people best suited for training paraprofessionals. It includes specific…

Featuring the findings of a 5-year study on independent schools as well as stories by teachers and students of color, this book offers testimony by independent school faculty of color, including the individual stories of African American, Chinese American, Native American, Cuban American, and Hispanic American educators. It discusses how important…

A study explored whether high school readers respond significantly differently to African novels in which unfamiliar cultural elements are presented "aggressively" than to those with an "assimilative" presentation of unfamiliar cultural elements. The three novels are set in Africa: Nancy Farmer's "A Girl Named…

This publication analyzes issues that lead to a working definition of soft working skills. Data come from research by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. At a workshop, scholars, practitioners, and representatives from various job sites discussed the impact of soft skills on access to jobs and long-term employment among minority…

This digest examines reading approaches, identifies characteristics of fluent readers, and makes suggestions for developing reading instruction for adult English language learners. The reading instruction methods described include the phonics, psycholinguistic, interactive, and critical literacy approaches. Fluent readers are defined as those who…

This report provides information on the educational experiences and plans of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) (California) 1997 graduates. Seniors from regular, continuation, and opportunity high schools and schools of choice and for handicapped students were surveyed. In October 1996, there were 27,387 seniors in the LAUSD schools.…

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) (California) conducts an annual survey of the educational experiences and plans of its high school graduates. Results from the 1998 survey are analyzed and summarized in this report, with results by ethnicity and gender reported only when there are large group differences. In fall 1997, 28,316…