These papers were presented at a 1999 conference that examined expert, practitioner, and community based knowledge and perceptions about factors that facilitate or inhibit successful multilevel partnerships to improve education and other important results for children and families by connecting collaborative services with education reform efforts.…

This report describes the findings of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research's 1999 national survey, in its series looking at the impact of educational reform on primary and intermediate schools. In 1989 reforms were enacted that abolished the Department of Education and began elections for boards of trustees who took responsibility for…

The last two decades have witnessed a growing trend away from the traditional modes of instruction in physics courses at all levels, from high schools through universities. The reasons for this, as well as some commentary on several non-traditional styles of physics instruction, are presented in this paper. The article does not attempt to promote…

This paper criticizes traditional methods of science teaching for decreasing student interest in studying science. It describes cooperative learning and its usefulness in teaching biology so that the study of science becomes a social experience. The paper presents two methods used in biology lecture classes: the Introductory (Icebreaker) Workshop…

This report presents the consensus of the Assembly Bill 1264 Task Force. The task force conducted a statewide review of standards and requirements pertinent to the preparation of teachers and other educators to serve as active partners with parents and guardians in the education of California's public school students. The report includes: an…

The schools that Head Start participants enter may have very different methods and attitudes than were present in Head Start, and a different approach to working with children and families. While Head Start programs are seldom in a position to bring about changes in the public schools, Head Start parents can be a powerful force for school change.…

This paper describes a research project conducted by a Brazilian public university in partnership with an elementary school involved improving the quality of teaching and learning through an inservice teacher education program developed in the workplace. Project goals were to build a knowledge base of teachers' learning and professional…

In 1997, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was reauthorized and new regulations took effect May 11, 1999. Several sections of the regulations pertain to the transition of students with disabilities from school to adult life. This policy update presents the regulatory language and describes potential implications in 11 areas…

This study examined program participation and academic progress of second language learners, following a cohort of Texas public school students from the school years, 1992-93 to 1999-00 as they progressed through the elementary and middle grades. Researchers examined the following: changes in Texas policy related to students with limited English…

This issue of "Working Papers in Educational Linguistics" begins with "Negative Evidence in Language Classroom Activities: A Study of Its Availability and Accessibility to Language Learners" (Teresa Pica and Gay N. Washburn), which revisits the issue of negative evidence in second language classrooms. The second paper,…

Asset mapping involves documenting tangible and intangible resources of a community viewed as a place with assets to be preserved and enhanced, not deficits to be remedied. Kretzmann and McKnight (1993) are credited with developing the concept of asset-based community development (ABCD) that draws on appreciative inquiry; recognition of social…

This book explores the embodied narrative knowledge that educators hold and express in context and call forth in situations. It is about teachers and principals living and telling and reliving and retelling stories intuitively developed around metaphors borrowed from classical literature, music, drama, mythology, and children's literature to…

This study examined how the experiences of African-American and white students in a partial French immersion second grade classroom in Louisiana differed from the experiences of students in a regular education classroom. It focused on students' perceptions of themselves and others, students' interactions with their teacher and peers, parental…

How kids spend summer vacation has a direct and powerful impact on their success in school. This document presents 8 brief (600-word) newspaper columns that offer parents simple tips on how to promote learning through everyday activities. Each column ends with a referral for free resources to keep children learning outside the classroom. The…

This publication discusses education reform and the movement toward standards and assessments and its impact on students with disabilities. It is designed to provide parents with information about changes in assessment and graduation criteria, and assist parents in investigating the changes happening in their districts and states. Different…