The effects of adult literacy classroom dynamics on the content and structure of instruction, learning processes, and classroom behavior were examined in a study during which 20 adult literacy classes in 8 states were observed and the teachers of those classrooms were interviewed. Key findings were as follows: (1) most classroom instruction…

This outline is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It covers a presentation on changes in the law and social structure of South Africa. As an outline, it briefly touches upon a number of topics, but focuses mainly on South Africa's emerging "final"…

To learn what happens to children and families who come into contact with the child welfare system, the Children's Bureau of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families has undertaken the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). As part of this longitudinal study of the characteristics, needs, experiences, and outcomes…

This information packet is designed to aid schools in identifying financial sources that can be used to finance new intervention approaches that emphasize coordinated services. A four-part framework is offered as a guide to thinking about financing efforts to enhance programs and services to children: redeploying available funds, refinancing and…

This paper, presented at an international conference, addresses the ways in which the U.S. federal government has attempted since 1965 to use higher education as a means to equalize opportunity in American society. Over the years, the original federal need-based student aid programs changed and began to focus more on student supportive services…

Intellectual freedom is a concept fundamental to all libraries. It enables library customers to access a wide variety of materials in numerous formats, and is a concept dear to the hearts and minds of a democratic society. Libraries are often challenged by individuals and groups concerned about the availability of certain materials. The first part…

Noting that the movement from young adulthood through coupling and the transition to parenthood may be among the most universal adult developmental transitions, this book uses a qualitative analysis of family narratives to examine the meanings that family members ascribe to the developmental process of becoming a family. Addressing issues of…

This report draws on research, statistics, and the voices of rural young people to document the extent and causes of rural child poverty, and related problems and reasons for hope in specific focus areas. About 2.5 million rural children are chronically poor. Rural poverty is concentrated in central Appalachia, the deep South, the U.S.-Mexican…

In the past, much attention has been paid to the leaks in the "education pipeline", but now employers, youth and communities are focusing on repairing the "work pipeline" to ensure that young people are ready for work by age 21. This issue brief is the second in a series developed by the Forum for Youth Investment, Connect for Kids, Voices for…

One of the long-standing priorities of the international community is to reduce gender disparity in developing countries. Yet, the overall picture is still gloomy: women continue to be excluded from access to resources and employment and are denied basic human rights. This Policy Brief explains why progress has been so minimal and what should be…

Rural areas of the developing world are the last frontier of the information technology revolution. Telephone and internet penetration there remains a small fraction of what it is in the developed world. Limited means of electronic communication with the outside world are just one source of isolation of rural communities and economies from the…

Natural disasters (droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, wind storms) damage wellbeing, both in their immediate and long-term aftermath, and because the insecurity of exposure to disasters is in itself harmful to risk-averse people. As such, mitigating and coping with the risk of natural disasters is a pressing issue for economic development.…

The mission of the Education Law Center (ELC) is to ensure public school children access to an equal and high quality education. Over the past year, they expanded their efforts to achieve that goal using the innovative advocacy strategies presented in this report. Highlights include: (1) Providing legal services to 479 low income and disadvantaged…

On April 14, 2004, a management letter was forwarded setting out the expectations of the Ministry of Advanced Education for the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) in 2004-2005. This Annual Report was presented to specify how BCCAT has addressed those expectations and to provide information regarding other projects and…

This tool is part of a series of technical assistance resources on financing and sustaining out-of-school time and community school initiative. These tools and resources are intended to assist policymakers, program developers and community leaders in developing financing and sustainability strategies to support effective initiatives. For nearly a…