Describes the experimental preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, providing a brief history and an overview of their guiding educational philosophy. Notes their distinguishing features, including an image of the child's social construction of learning, cognizance of children's sense of time, involvement of parents and the community, collaboration…

Reports on a study of 323 Nigerian secondary students to determine what relationship exists between preferred and actual classroom environments and their approaches to learning science. Finds that Nigerian students prefer more teacher control, a less competitive atmosphere, and less emphasis on student friendships. (CFR)

Clarifies details of research design and procedures in response to critiques of six longitudinal comparative studies from the Early Intervention Research Institute. The institute's investigations examined the effects and costs of early intervention for children with disabilities. (BB)

Presents profiles of the Parent-Teacher Action Research projects of seven schools in the national reform network, the League of Schools Reaching Out, and one in Spain. Each school is carrying out a family and community involvement project, and each has an action research team to collect information on program effects. (SLD)

Describes a cross-national action research project involving 8 schools in the United States and 11 schools in 5 other countries studying family-community-school partnerships and the policies or political contexts that shape, and are shaped by, them. Early results suggest the usefulness of action research in emerging dialog. (SLD)

Discusses the conflict between socialist government leaders in Tanzania, who favor universal primary education and slow growth of (primarily vocational) secondary education, and parents demanding academic secondary schools for their children. Describes the situation in the wealthy region of Kilimanjaro, where communities have established private…

There is no hiding the underlying assumptions of Anglo cultural superiority in our school systems. Educators must come to see things from the points of view of students, recognizing the importance of parent participation, the reality of minority underrepresentation, and the necessity of minority teacher recruitment and retention. (SLD)

Describes the experiences of one high school class as they attempted to sort out the conflicting representations of Christopher Columbus. The students examined several textbooks and other histories. They then conducted a mock trial to determine if Columbus should be considered a criminal, a hero, or both. (MJP)

In order for local Native American cultures to be included in the curricula of the lower grades of public schools, Indian parents and community members must represent their community to the school board and establish a presence in the wider school community. Presents assertive, persistent, and well-informed strategies to build positive…

A graduate-level distance-learning course used a "class page" on the World Wide Web to increase student interaction and access to Web resources. Student surveys and interviews focused on student reactions, stresses, and coping strategies related to communication issues and anxieties, computer involvement, computer and Internet access,…

Presents an overview of areas related to preparing educators for diversity that have particular significance or unique implications for special education. Issues addressed include special-education eligibility determination, instructional methodology, parental involvement, culturally diverse special educators, and educational equity. (CR)

Schools' course structures and policies allow some families to garner the best educational resources. To treat all students fairly, schools must recognize privileged parents' racial/class motivations, infuse academic talk into informal networks, acknowledge "invisible" parents' aspirations, demolish communication barriers, and encourage…

Discusses strategies that support student self-determination in transition planning, including: holding high expectations for students, preparing students for transition meetings, allowing students to make important decisions, encouraging students to attend transition fairs, and providing opportunities for students to explore their communities and…

Develops and tests a model for predicting student intentions to continue in a high school band program. Structural equation modeling indicates that socioeconomic level and teacher evaluations predict intentions both directly and indirectly through students' outside musical activities and support for the program by parents, band teachers, and…

Five schools and districts recognized by the United States Department of Education for excellence in professional development used student needs to guide staff learning. This paper describes each model, noting common key practices (e.g., plans are based on student achievement, community support is crucial, site-based decision making is used, local…