Typically, teacher research is conducted because teachers want to have some questions answered. Starting effective teacher research begins by framing the question in a way that will yield the best research. Three important suggestions when framing teacher research questions are as follows: the question needs to be open ended enough to allow…

While many parents are familiar with Montessori schooling at the preschool level, Montessori elementary and middle schools have also proliferated in the past decade. This book provides an overview of Montessori theory and practice, with special emphasis on the child's elementary school years. Chapter 1 presents an introduction to the origin and…

Beginning with the original executive order in 1986, drug-free workplace legislation has expanded its boundaries to include workers in private companies and state and local agencies and virtually all U.S. colleges and universities. This monograph reviews the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 and its various implementing regulations from the…

This study examined the association between financial difficulties of institutions of higher education and their organizational effectiveness with 334 colleges and universities. An investigation of this relationship was made using three variables: a decline in required financial resources, degree of organizational effectiveness, and a set of 12…

Focusing on the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, this document presents the text of the Act and an implementation plan developed by Missouri's St. Louis Community College (SLCC). The first section provides a general overview of legal issues and student affairs in community colleges, while the second presents the text of the…

The legal aspects of four issues concerned with obtaining educational services for children (ages 3 through 5) with disabilities are outlined and analyzed in this paper. Each issue is discussed in terms of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and/or the Americans with Disabilities…

The Oregon Business Council (OBC)-David Douglas Model District Project was undertaken for two reasons: (1) to create a model for a district's accelerated implementation of all the elements of school reform as mandated in Oregon House Bill 3565; and (2) to learn lessons about school reform that would inform OBC member companies and school districts…

This paper defines service-learning by college students in the context of institutional purpose, mission, and curriculum while simultaneously defining community and echoing conversations about student service-learning experiences. These issues include: (1) voices--institutional purpose and mission and founding principles; (2) places--the student,…

The focus on parent participation in the Australian school community has intensified over the last few years, but both parents and teachers still hold many erroneous notions with regard to their shared responsibilities. Rather than viewing parents and teachers as two separate camps with children in the middle, it must be recognized that…

This paper evaluates how civic education in the United States currently is impacted by the competing theories of individualism ("liberalism") and communitarianism. Each theory's intellectual history and meaning is explained briefly. The implications of the "debate between the defenders of liberalism and their communitarian critics…

With an increasingly wide variety of programs currently labeling themselves "civic education" and being taught by civic educators, the question at hand is how the culture of schools and classrooms contribute to supporting democratic political culture. This paper explores the questions: "Does the structure of the school and classroom have the…

The papers provided in this proceedings discuss the roles and responsibilities of chairs, deans, and other organizational leaders at community colleges, focusing on strategies for balancing innovative educational approaches with traditional leadership. Following background material on the Chair Academy, the following three keynote speeches are…

Findings of a study that investigated cases of fraud and misconduct in the New York City school custodial system are presented in this document. Custodial services are provided through a "quasi-independent" contractor, or an "indirect system." Although custodians are public employees, they have great independence and lack…

This lecture describes the legal status of parental rights pertaining to German schools, and ideas about the practical problems of cooperation between parents and schools in Germany, especially under the auspices of a multicultural society. Four legal parental rights are listed: (1) the right to decide if their child should attend private or state…

The story of the Stop the Violence movement among rap music artists and music industry colleagues is told, along with the story of a video that was produced as part of this initiative. The Stop the Violence project grew out of the reaction to violence among concert goers at a 1987 rap concert on Long Island (New York). Rap musicians have joined…