This paper examines the experience of Caribbean countries in striving to achieve quality in early childhood development programs. Part 1 reviews the needs of developing children and the dimensions of quality in early childhood programs intended to meet those needs. Included in the discussion is the use of Developmentally Appropriate Practice…

Starting school is a milestone in a child's life. This booklet for New Zealand parents and caregivers offers guidelines for making the transition to school a positive experience. The topics discussed include: (1) selecting a school; (2) visiting the school; (3) enrolling children in school; (4) the initial adjustment; (5) clothes and schoolbags;…

There is a growing need in the field of teacher education to bridge the gap between theory and practice while creating dialogue for exploration, change, and growth. Proactive teacher educators should seek change in traditional inservice training and create more authentic and empowering professional development opportunities that are proactive as…

Though developed specifically for Minnesota parents, parents in other states will also receive helpful information from this booklet on early intervention programs for children with disabilities. Topics covered include: (1) qualifications for admission to early intervention services; (2) legal rights of children with disabilities; (3) the…

Mastering mathematics has become more important than ever in the United States. Students with a strong grasp of mathematics have an advantage in academics and in the job market. The eighth grade is a critical point in mathematics education. Achievement at that stage clears the way for students to take rigorous high school mathematics and science…

This paper focuses on the role that action research can serve in preparing future school administrators to involve families in their children's education. For purposes of the paper, action research is defined as structured field-based investigations conducted in field environments that engage teachers preparing to become school administrators in…

This collection presents advice to help parents help their children succeed in school. Information sheets are included from many sources, in English and translated into Lao by the Lao Parents and Teachers Association. The emphasis is on the elementary grades, although some of the materials are useful for parents of high school students. The…

This analysis compared guideline markers, identified by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to maximize participation of students with disabilities in educational assessments, with written guidelines of 43 states concerning participation, accommodations, and reporting. The NCEO markers were developed using an input and consensus…

A child development course was offered as a web-based, asynchronous distance learning course by the Department of Family and Child Development in the College of Human Resources and Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during summer 1996. The course was initiated to respond to the demand for flexible distance learning…

This document presents a step-by-step approach to a community development process for addressing child care needs in rural Canada. Part 1 of the document introduces the need for child care in rural areas in Canada and describes challenges to meetings those needs. This section also presents the principles underlying community development and…

This paper describes a Hofstra University (New York) project, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), that involved teacher-student collaboration to develop a curriculum-based web page. Seventeen school districts participated in a 12-hour training program to teach school-based teams (one school library media specialist and two…

This paper suggests implementation of a technology-teacher training model as part of existing higher education teacher-education and institutional faculty development programs. Human resources and individual colleges/departments can use this approach to enhance teaching and learning. The underlying problem it addresses is the curriculum technology…

With this handbook, crime prevention practitioners have a guideline by which they can structure viable crime prevention programs for their communities. Every aspect of developing, organizing, and implementing strategies for urban community participation in crime prevention is covered. The handbook makes a compelling case for using local resources…

This "how-to" guide for Team Nutrition fairs and tasting activities helps Team Nutrition supporters and schools understand how to work together to improve the health and education of children. Team Nutrition is the implementation tool for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children. Section 1 of the guide…

This digest summarizes the rights and responsibilities of parents of children in the special education process under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. Among 15 rights listed are a free appropriate public education for every child, informed consent concerning evaluation and programmatic decisions, evaluation…