The question of whether school choice improves student outcomes persists. This digest explores issues surrounding school choice, highlighting major research findings. Overall, the ultimate impact of choice depends on how parents and schools respond to more schooling options and greater competition. Research indicates that greater parental…

Seeking solutions for a troubled child welfare system, the Children's Action Alliance in Arizona held four forums throughout the state in 1997 at which participants were invited to give testimony on their experiences with the child welfare system--its positives and negatives--and their solutions for change. Along with their comments, this report…

This document is comprised of the three 2000 issues of "News & Issues," a newsletter from the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) devoted to identifying and promoting strategies to reduce the young child poverty rate and to improve the life chances of children still living in poverty. The winter issue includes the following articles:…

Early childhood inclusion is a field characterized by a philosophy and practice that encourages full participation of children with disabilities and their families in everyday activities with their typically developing peers. Noting that success in inclusion endeavors requires substantial changes in the way our society thinks, feels, and acts,…

The Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) is a national program that supports the efforts of community colleges in distressed rural areas to move their people and communities toward prosperity. RCCI's goals are increasing access to education and developing regional economies. RCCI demonstration sites have produced a wealth of information about…

The Duke Endowment's Program for the Rural Carolinas is a 5-year effort to assist the revitalization of rural communities. Guiding principles of the program are that the rural Carolinas matter, this generation of workers matters, effective community development involves the entire community, solutions must be locally determined, healthy…

This document explores the changes the 21st century will impose on community colleges and discusses the need for colleges to alter their objectives. It offers five points that colleges should consider in redesigning their organization: (1) change must be mission-driven, containing the element of accountability; (2) the new process must be owned by…

This paper proposes a process for community colleges to engage and direct discontinuous change in the face of the coming millennium. Described are several characteristics of change envisioned in the near future, including a complete break with the past, major reconstruction of nearly every element of the organization, and modification of the…

This action research project evaluated a program designed to increase the use of appropriate social skills and improve academic achievement. The targeted population was comprised of first through third graders in four separate communities located in northeast Illinois. Evidence of the problem included teacher observational checklists denoting…

This report examines the experiences of three large urban school districts (and part of a fourth) that raised academic performance for their districts as a whole, while also reducing racial differences in achievement. Educational challenges included low achievement, political conflict, inexperienced teachers, low expectations, and lack of…

This report provides a comprehensive look at the challenges facing mothers and children during and after armed conflict. The examination is divided into the sections "Mothers in War,""Mothers Rebuilding," and "Call to Action." Key findings include the following: (1) the nature of war has changed dramatically in recent…

Oppression in the United States can be described as a mental/spiritual and social/material domination that is fueled by manipulation and alienation. Manipulation and alienation play a prominent role in the lives of Xicanas/os (a broadening of the term "Chicana/o" to include all indigenous peoples in the United States and Latin America)…

This paper examines the development and first 5 years of t-center, one organization's attempt at nontraditional preparation. t-center is an academic research/applied practice unit charged with the preparation of new teachers and professional development of experienced teachers located within a graduate school of education housed at a research…

This practical book introduces strategic management for leaders and senior managers in schools and shows how it can contribute to school development. Following the introductory chapter, chapter 2 discusses the concept of strategy and the conceptual stages of developing strategy--analysis, choice, and implementation. Chapter 3 examines the…

This action research project sought to incorporate character development education into a kindergarten classroom, with a focus on respect, responsibility, and cooperation. A behavior checklist was used by the teacher and parents to demonstrate the need for character education and to document improvement. Anecdotal records were also kept throughout…