This publication brings together ideas, techniques, and designs that have been encountered by designers of school community centers. It is intended as a guide to creating a school community center that will meet the needs of a particular community and help make it a more vibrant, healthy, desirable place in which to live. Part I (encompassing…

Commemorating the first 10 years of publication of the School Community Journal, this book presents a collection of articles from those 10 years and reflects its diverse contents. The articles are: (1) "The Community of the School" (Sam Redding); (2) "How My Immigrant Experience Shaped My Work with Families and Schools"…

Australia's National Indigenous Literacy and Numeracy Strategy acknowledges that extra effort and resources will be required for Indigenous Australian children to achieve the recently enacted national educational goals. The principal objective of the strategy is to achieve English literacy and numeracy for Indigenous students at levels comparable…

This action research project sought to increase motivation in fifth-grade social studies students. Observations and measures of student attitudes and achievement indicated a lack of student interest in learning activities. Two categories of intervention were implemented: (1) instruction in the use of learning strategies, including graphic…

This paper presents rationale, strategies, and recommendations that the National Council on Disability believes are essential to how President George W. Bush and the new Administration can fulfill America's promise to its 54 million citizens with disabilities. President Bush is urged to install a disability friendly Administration, give disability…

Drawing upon research carried out in a range of early years settings in the United Kingdom, this book informs early childhood professionals about the types of early literacy and numeracy experiences appropriate for young children and how professionals from early care and education backgrounds can provide an approach to young children's learning…

This document comprises the two 2000 issues of a UNESCO newsletter addressing topics related to adolescent well-being in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly reproductive and sexual health. Each issue contains news from the region on various initiatives related to adolescent health and education, as well as Web links and publications on the…

When elementary and middle level students lack effective problem-solving skills, they may make poor behavior choices in social conflicts, contributing to a negative learning and instructional environment. This action research project evaluated the impact of using social skills instruction to improve students' ability to solve problems related to…

This report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child contains observations of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) concerning the application of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child by the nation of Costa Rica. The report's introduction notes that in addition to ratifying the Convention, Costa Rica's…

Noting that the protective factors that support positive child development despite adversity are becoming better understood, this workbook discusses the importance of encouraging resilience in preschool children living in challenging circumstances and shows how to evaluate resilience through the use of checklists and background information. The…

The ancient Athenian "agora" functioned as a marketplace for ideas and commerce and offered an ideal place for teaching and learning. This digest suggests adapting such a model to modern needs and describes successful small schools that have done so while reducing costs. Research shows that small schools offer many advantages for…

This report describes a study of the dynamic between selected reform support organizations (RSOs) and the school districts they have partnered with to promote educational reform. The report is directed toward the needs and interests of district leaders and was designed to help them understand district/RSO relationships so they can make informed…

This policy analysis presents the "new-school" finance, one that, in contrast to most discussions about funding that have concentrated on spending patterns only, asks how resources are used within schools and classrooms, and whether they are used in ways that can enhance educational outcomes. The analysis, directed toward policymakers…

The impact of implementation of a quality system on Australia's vocational education and training (VET) classrooms was examined through case study research with more than 100 quality managers, head teachers, and teachers in 8 technical and further education (TAFE) institutes in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Western…

This book offers a strategy for institutional change and an examination of the role of leadership in organizations. Essays focus on the shift away from faculty to a concentration on learning, especially on changes in the role of the department chair. The 12 essays are organized in three parts: Part 1, "Leading Change," includes: "A Teamwork…