This report presents the current understanding of the advancement of the Information Society within the European Union and countries that are up for accession in 2004, and is based on the SIBIS (Statistical Indicators Benchmarking the Information Society) surveys and analyses per SIBIS theme and country. The report is unique in its coherent and…

Interest in creating the conditions that enhance student learning and support students in achieving their educational goals is at an all-time high. Four-fifths of high school graduates need some form of postsecondary education to acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to address increasingly complex social, economic, and…

Over 530,000 children are in foster care in the United States, living in a variety of settings, including non-relative foster homes, the homes of relatives, and group homes. However, little research has been available to provide a national picture of the circumstances in which these children reside. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent…

Noting that low self-esteem negatively affects student achievement, this action research project implemented and evaluated a program for increasing student self-esteem through a caring and positive classroom environment incorporating cooperative learning and the use of praise and rewards. The targeted population consisted of fifth grade physical…

In this study, from a list of ethical "do's" and "don't's" for teachers, four categories of ethical issues emerged: competence, professional relationships, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. Competence embodies both negative and positive aspects, as teachers not only must refrain from doing the wrong thing but also must work to enhance…

Recent research by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium has led to the development of a resiliency model that helps explain why some at-risk students actually do well in school. The recent investigations have determined that some students develop traits that enable them to be successful in school. The model suggests that four…

A study investigated the effects of having a classroom book collection on the reading comprehension, reading attitudes, and reading habits (quantity and type of books read) of 54 students of English as a second language in two middle school classes in southern California, grades 5 and 6. Approximately half of each class had access to a collection…

The papers in this proceedings explore two themes: "what environmental ethics can do for teachers," and "what teachers can do for environmental ethics." The papers are: "A Colloquium on Environment, Ethics, and Education: Considering the Context" (Bob Jickling); "Planning for the Future: Workshop Observations and…

Intended for teachers of grades 4-8, this book presents a method of developing critical thinking skills through fairy tales. The book shows educators how to use popular fairy tales and fairy tale characters to help students develop problem solving abilities, critical thinking skills, and writing proficiency. It gives a multitude of activities,…

In order to address the problems of student success, student retention, and an improved sense of community among students and faculty, Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ) implemented a three-year project of cooperative learning. The FCCJ Cooperative Learning Project, funded from 1993-1996, focused on changing the culture of the…

This paper describes a qualitative study at an at-risk primary school after a year of implementing educational changes. The paper opens with a detailed diary of the author's first morning observing the principal in action at the school. The analysis of data and field notes centers on the strengths of the principal's leadership, and the themes in…

The results of the twenty-first national survey of drug use and related attitudes among U.S. high school students are reported. This volume contains the results from the secondary school samples taken from eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders. All the data come from an ongoing national research and reporting program. Distinctions are made among…

This social skills curriculum has been developed as a guide to assist in instructing students with disabilities in determining what behaviors are and are not acceptable in our society. Chapters include: (1) "The Disabled, Classified and Defined" (George R. Taylor and J. Richard Rembold); (2) "Social Learning Theories: An…

The purpose of this manual is to suggest strategies for identifying components that must be addressed to create and develop a successful food service and nutrition facility. It focuses on the process involved in creating such facilities, and it provides an overview of the planning phase, design and construction, and educational specifications.…

This paper examines the potential contributions of a feminist critical perspective to an understanding of assessment in higher education. It uses as a foundation the nine principles of feminist assessment (published in 1992 as an outgrowth of a project on women's studies programs) and an American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) list of…