An overview of recent literature on changes in the nature and patterns of work and their implications for vocational education and training (VET) is offered. Changes in the nature and patterns of work present significant challenges to the VET sector. More women have entered the work force; unemployment has reemerged as a significant factor;…

Effective prevention programs are based on the idea that an early response to a problem leads to better outcomes for students and teachers. This work of strategy and practical tactics is designed to give teachers ways to counter behavioral problems with practices that that have proven effective in all school settings. Teachers, researchers, and…

The transition to formal schooling is a landmark event for millions of children, but transition practices commonly used may not be well-suited to the needs of children and families. This research and policy brief, a quarterly synthesis of issues addressed by investigators and affiliates of the National Center for Early Development and Learning,…

When their children begin school, parents already have in place ideas and practices that have an impact upon their interpretation and incorporation of school culture. This paper uses Bakhtin's concepts of addressivity, answerability, and ethical activity to analyze key thinking related to home-school relations and to illustrate how parents of…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a portfolio program for assessing student performance. The targeted population consisted of elementary and middle grade students in two schools. The inadequacy of traditional evaluation methods was documented by means of parent and staff surveys. Common discrepancies were found in student…

This paper discusses the importance of school-family partnerships at the pre-college and postsecondary level and suggests specific steps TRIO and other educational opportunity programs can take to build more effective partnerships with their students' families. The first section summarizes what is known about the effects of parent involvement on a…

Based on a parent's journal maintained throughout the year, this book recounts the hopes, challenges, fears, and joys experienced by a parent during her son's year in kindergarten. Illustrating teacher-parent communication and one teacher's teaching philosophy are messages from the child's teacher, and excerpts from weekly newsletters. (KB)

This folio series is designed to be used by school leaders--particularly superintendents and principals--involved in the process of comprehensive school reform. The folios can be used to initiate discussion, guide planning, or organize review sessions. The suggestions are intended to help the reader explore possibilities when designing a new…

Democracy is more than a creed or a doctrine. It must be a continuing force in the daily thinking, working, and living of all our citizens. American schools and colleges can strengthen democracy by practicing it--by showing concretely the basic advantages it offers to human beings. It is in the homes and in the schools, in home towns and local…

Does parent involvement in school affect student achievement? Synthesis of data collected from schools that have been involved in the National Network of Partnership Schools appeared to indicate that regardless of the student's socioeconomic and/or ethnic background, when parents are involved at home and in school, there is a positive effect on…

The message of new faculty is not new, but their power may be. As the demand for new faculty increases due to retirements and increased enrollments in systems and institutions around the country, large cohorts of tenure-track faculty are being hired. Early-career faculty want what they've wanted for many years now: clarity surrounding the tenure…

Because children who enter school with a previously undetected learning handicap often become caught in a cycle of school failure, the Brookline Early Education Project (BEEP) provides comprehensive diagnostic and educational services for 225 families with preschool children. (CS)

In Gainesville, Florida, Project CIRCLE (Cooperatively Involved Resources for Children in Low Income Environments), a model preschool center, developed an inservice training program for early childhood teachers in the school system, and involved parents and community consultants in the education of preschoolers. (CS)

Argues that if the educational process is to be functionally relevant for the African peoples, it must be structured so as to maintain a dynamic pattern of continuity with the family and the cultural life patterns of the people. (Author/JM)

This article discusses how to teach children about fire prevention and what to do if a fire breaks out. Steps that schools should take to prepare for fire emergencies are outlined, as are fire prevention measures for the home. (PP)