This paper argues that formal and explicit instruction and learners' prior knowledge play a crucial role in teaching and learning English as a second language (ESL), and that a pure communicative approach is inadequate in achieving optimum results. The discussion is presented in two parts. The first outlines the issues under consideration,…

In 1998, the Board of Directors for the Washington State Institute for Public Policy directed staff to study teacher quality. The Institute examined three teacher preparation and development programs covering the early stages of teachers' careers: pre-service teacher preparation, beginning teacher assistance, and professional certification.…

This publication describes a model for faculty development in the area of immigrant Latino students. The Bridging Cultures Project was developed to address: how teacher professional development would affect teachers' understanding of how differing values could lead to conflict between home and school; how teachers could translate such…

These two booklets are products of the Bell South Foundation's teacher internship program, which awarded 2-year grants to 8 school districts to immerse teachers in workplace experiences, enhance their understanding of workplace demands, and thereby improve their teaching. The first booklet focuses on the importance of placing equal emphasis on the…

A study examined processes of state training authorities, group training companies (GTCs), training colleges, and employers to ensure that apprentices/trainees (A/Ts) who are suspended or terminated due to lack of work have access to on-the-job training. Data on apprenticeship and traineeship commencements and cancellations were collected from…

This yearbook addresses the nation's need to train and retain good teachers, exploring exemplary practices in teacher education. There are four sections divided into 12 chapters. The book begins with a forward, "Research on Effective Models for Teacher Education: Powerful Teacher Education Programs" (E.M. Guyton). Section 1, "Models for Enhancing…

This publication presents a broad array of data designed to illuminate the status of America's children and to assess trends in their well-being. By updating the assessment every year, this book provides ongoing benchmarks with which states can see how they have advanced or regressed since 1990. The book focuses on 10 indicators: percent…

The nature of basic computer occupations has changed greatly since the early 1980s. The changes reveal a shift in the respective roles of the sectors of industry associated with computer services (manufacturing and industrial computing). The service sector has adopted the procedures of industry in terms of organization, methods, and quality,…

The effectiveness of a preemployment program that was initiated at Robert E. Abbott Accelerated Middle School in Waukegan, Illinois, was examined through a follow-up survey of the program's graduates. The survey population consisted of all 176 individuals who had participated in the preemployment club since its inception in 1994 (28 individuals…

This study is designed to improve understanding of the supply of and demand for information technology (IT) workers in America and contextual issues surrounding that topic. Chapter 1 examines aspects of the political context concerning IT workforce issues. Chapter 2 outlines a way to distinguish IT workers from a much larger class of workers whose…

A study examined the ways a group of people experiencing poverty, poor housing, and stress assessed the impact of these factors on their health through participating in a course called "Health Issues in the Community." It involved people from a range of socioeconomically excluded areas and groups throughout Scotland in identifying and…

This document is intended to help open learning and distance learning practitioners use, design, and select appropriate open and distance learning materials. The document begins with a brief overview of the following forms of open and distance learning materials: workbooks; structured materials; computer-based training materials; online materials;…

The Newspaper section, Part 1 of the proceedings contains the following selected papers: "Gatekeeping and the Editorial Cartoon: A Case Study of the 2000 Presidential Campaign Cartoons" (Jennifer M. Proffitt); "Campaign Contributions: Online Newspapers Go Beyond Shovelware in Covering Election 2000" (Jane B. Singer); "At…

Vocational education and training (VET) research in Australia has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. In a 1993 report titled "No Small Change," VET research was characterized as a fragmented activity that was underfunded and had little or no relevance to policy or practice in the VET sector. Since that time, increased funding through the…

This book is designed to inform school administrators regarding school law. As a resource, it provides suggested, easy-to-understand guidelines for the avoidance of litigation. Subjects include preventive law and risk management; constitutional and statutory foundations of staff selection, contracting, and evaluation; negligent hiring, defamation,…