Principals can easily validate the tension of opposites thinking. Their work is filled with paradoxical dilemmas and days in which the questions are complex and void of definitive answers. In an attempt to balance the often antithetical needs and expectations of the students, the faculty members, the community, and the district office, the…

Over the course of the fifteen years since 1991, Latvia has been undergoing rapid political changes from a party controlled state to a market economy. These changes have affected the system of education. The issue of quality and equity of educational outcomes is gaining increasing importance as schools are expected to adjust to the new economic…

Students, faculty, administration, and community members of three Iowa rural school districts were interviewed to identify educational issues in their communities. The results of the Iowa investigation are compared with the results of the Claremont Graduate School investigation published in "Voices from the inside: A report on schooling from…

Although the issue of challenging behaviour receives a great deal of attention in educational literature, the exact nature of this behaviour is open to debate. Challenging behaviour can be defined objectively by listing or describing behaviours that are considered disruptive and undesirable. On the other hand, challenging behaviour can be seen as…

Problem-solving groups can become preoccupied with deficit and deviance, while overlooking potential and resources. This article describes methods for using problems as an entree into the development of strengths and solutions. (Contains 1 table.)

In Canada, until now, no studies have focused on the practice of home education in the francophone province of Quebec. While the home-educating population in that province is tangible, it has remained largely unknown. Quebec's distinctive character on three fronts-- political, historical and cultural--make the application of results from the rare…

This article offers three interrelated arguments for the adoption of a cultural approach to the study of learning. It then presents some early analyses of data from a case study of one learning site, concerned with the assessment of learning in the workplace. These analyses show how the shape of the learning site--for example, the nature of…

African American women hold a unique position as members of two groups that have been treated in a peripheral manner by postsecondary education (Moses, 1989). Membership in both marginalized groups often makes African American women invisible in colleges and universities. Given the complex intersection of race and gender, more attention should be…

Objective: To evaluate a school-based early intervention program for the reduction of anxious symptoms in at-risk children from low socioeconomic status neighborhoods. Method: A total of 425 children (8-11 years old) from nine schools in low socioeconomic status areas were screened to identify children with high-level anxious symptoms. Ninety-one…

Noting that teachers in mixed-ability classrooms face multiple challenges, this booklet provides teachers guidance in creating learning environments that address the diversity in learning styles typical of mixed-ability classrooms. The booklet discusses what differentiated instruction is, why it is appropriate for all learners, how to plan for and…

The Even Start program was implemented to improve the educational opportunities of U.S. children and adults by integrating community early childhood education and adult education for parents into a unified family literacy initiative. This document is the final project report of the National Evaluation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program, a…

The Even Start program was authorized by Congress in 1988 to provide early childhood, adult, and parenting education to participating families in a family literacy initiative. This document provides an executive summary of the National Evaluation of Even Start, which assessed services, participants and effectiveness. The summary highlights topics…

This manual presents 99 one-sheet informational brochures designed to improve parenting skills. Each brochure is in a format suitable for duplicating, folding, and distributing. Each parenting "tactic" offers references to related brochures. Tactics are grouped under the following broad areas: (1) home/family involvement (e.g., accepting "The…

An exploration of student participation in the second language classroom looks at teacher expectations for classroom participation and examines factors constraining interaction, based on personal experiences with learning and teaching a second language. First, common definitions of student participation are examined, and personal styles of student…

This booklet is designed to help middle school students and their teachers analyze in-school study habits, providing 12 specific suggestions to help students succeed academically. Students need to understand the importance of: (1) school attendance; (2) good health; (3) paying attention in class; (4) effective note-taking skills; (5) picking a…