This report describes credentialing activities that seek to establish standards and promote professional development in the youth development field. Part 1, Federal and State Legislative Activities, focuses on: legislation promoting youth development activities and programs; welfare reform and the need for youth development and after-school…

This issue of "Civic Partners" is a call to action on behalf of American's cities. The issue opens with John W. Gardner's discussion of the "responsibles" whose vision and energy sustain communities. He stresses that all of us are "responsibles." Among the many tasks that face those responsible for urban improvement is the teaching of conflict…

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.…

Describes different types of providers in school-age child care, one of the fastest growing segments in early childhood care. Providers described include child care centers, public schools, private schools and other providers such as youth services agencies, with funding coming from employers, foundations, and the federal government. Notes the…

The preparation of music educators involves many facets. Students obtain pedagogical knowledge, understanding, and skill development during the college experience. In addition, preservice music teachers do numerous writing and reading projects as well as peer teaching. One area that tends to be lacking in the preparation before student teaching is…

In 2001, the U.S. government allocated $4.5 billion to after-school programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant directed at high-poverty, low-performing schools. Since 2003, 6,800 rural and urban public schools have been served around the country, at county, city, and district levels as well as some organizations…

This practicum was designed to help children in an early childhood community center understand themselves and others as being unique, and having worth and dignity. It was intended that parents and teachers would develop a partnership and work in a collaborative manner on behalf of the children. Surveys of participating parents and teachers…

Assessing School-Age Child Care Quality (ASQ) is a five-step process which guides program staff as they evaluate the quality of their program so they can develop priorities and improve achievement of goals. The five steps in the ASQ process are: (1) preparing for program improvement; (2) gathering information; (3) building the Action Plan; (4)…

This handbook details how group leaders can adopt Project EASE (Exploring Aging through Shared Experiences), a program designed to provide opportunities for older adults and young people to interact in ongoing activities. Although the handbook is geared for children ages 9 through 13, it is adaptable for other ages and can be used in the…

This briefing book from the Children's Defense Fund contains factsheets on child care and early education issues. Areas covered include basic facts about early childhood education and care; their importance to children, families, and communities; some of the challenges facing families who need day care; and key child care and early education…

This paper describes a proposed model for providing educational services to students with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). The model was developed by special education administrators in response to significant increases in the number of students diagnosed with PDD. Services that are necessary to support a classroom for…

Although community-based education support organizations are second only to public schools in the number of young people they serve each year, there has been little substantive research on these organizations and the education support they provide. With funding from the Walter S. Johnson Foundation, a 10-month study of neighborhood-based…

This fact sheet outlines Sweden's policies of government-supported child care and parental insurance provisions. Swedish families receive: (1) free maternity and child health care; (2) child allowances for each child of 9,000 krona per year through age 16; (3) up to 450 days of paid parental leave for the birth of a child, with 360 days paid at 90…

This study attempted to determine the number of school-age child-care programs operating in the United States and to assess the quality of the programs. The first issue was addressed through a survey of state child care licensing agencies and departments of education; the second, through a survey of child care providers. The first survey…

This study explored the effects of after-school supervision on 8th graders' academic performance. Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 relating to a total sample size of 20,491 students (after exclusions) in 802 public and 233 private schools were analyzed. The analysis indicated that parents do not discriminate between…