Youth courts provide communities with an opportunity to impose immediate consequences for first time youthful offenders, while providing a peer operated disposition mechanism that constructively allows young people to take responsibility, be held accountable, and make amends for violating the law. Dispositions hold youth accountable in part…

This guide introduces teachers to the ideas and methods that underpin project-based learning. Teachers who are new to planning and managing projects will find the guide particularly helpful as a starting point and resource guide. Chapter 1 presents a rationale for project-based instruction, describes potential benefits and concerns, discusses the…

This is the final report of a three-and-a-half-year project that pilot tested the usefulness of various information and communication technology (ICT) applications in the provision of literacy programmes. The report is based on data collected by in-country evaluators during the term of the project as well as from a follow-up study a year later.…

In this follow-up study to "College Knowledge: What Latino Parents Need to Know and Why They Don't Know It," [see ED469295], the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute examines how postsecondary institutions are mobilizing to address the need for college information among Latino parents. The primary objective of "Reaching Higher Ground" is to profile in…

Studies show that afterschool programs improve academic achievement, reduce grade retention and increase student attendance and interest in school. Across the country, afterschool is a key element in strategies to turn around under-performing schools. The superintendent of Philadelphia and the governor of Virginia have used afterschool to turn…

With the nation's recent emphasis on student test scores, The Children's Aid Society fears that schools are missing the opportunity to be the institutions that help turn out successful young people. School climate and connectedness are the key ingredients for creating healthy schools that produce successful students. These factors are worthy of…

This final report describes a one-year qualitative research study that explores service coordination to children with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) and their families. First, the project's conceptual framework, an ecological approach, is briefly explained. Next, the concept of service coordination is discussed, noting the role of the…

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 reference book provides 20 real-life examples of how to implement the "Guidelines for School and Community Programs to Promote Lifelong Physical Activity among Young People," developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The book also summarizes the CDC guidelines. Based on the recommendations from national…

This publication contains nine short descriptive case studies of local adult education programs, including viticulture, women's reentry into the work force, music theory, work skills for people with disabilities, local history, intergenerational family literacy, and workplace training. The studies give a good overview of the diversity of learners'…

Service learning involves adolescent students in meaningful work within their community. This study examined the personal and educational motivations and expectations of 140 fifth through seventh graders from one middle school in New York City who were participating in a service learning program using the National Helper Network program model.…

This guide to implementing a school volunteer program was developed for the 1995 Wisconsin Volunteer-A-Thon project, which was intended to encourage individuals, schools, organizations, and corporations to volunteer time to youth and education. Part 1 contains a timeline for the implementation of the project, a description of how to participate,…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires the implementation of a comprehensive child find system. This system includes public awareness activities to inform parents, professionals, and the community at large of the availability of early intervention and preschool services, of the importance of identifying children with or at…

Efforts of one school system in Alabama to respond to students' self-reports of participation in at-risk behaviors are examined. The Seniors Offering Support (SOS) program was designed to deal with these problems. The program aimed towards fostering student resiliency in an attempt to create healthy decision making. The program attempted to…

This report presents findings from Phase 1 of an evaluation of the New York City Beacons initiative, a model of school-community-family partnerships initiated in 1991. Beacons are community centers located in public schools, offering a range of activities and services to participants of all ages, before and after school, in the evenings, and on…