This study compares the responses of black and white preservice teachers as they engaged about a young adult novel which addressed racial and sexual diversity. Student teachers used young adult literature with protagonists from diverse backgrounds as one means of coming to understand and value children of all backgrounds. Small groups met to…

This publication presents Montgomery County, Maryland's plan for empowering the educational community by organizing the necessary resources, knowledge, and skills to fulfill the promise of success for every student. The four main goals are: to ensure success for every student; to provide an effective instructional program; to strengthen productive…

Drawing upon research carried out in a range of early years settings in the United Kingdom, this book informs early childhood professionals about the types of early literacy and numeracy experiences appropriate for young children and how professionals from early care and education backgrounds can provide an approach to young children's learning…

A study investigated the impact of declining rural community infrastructure on social, environmental, and economic well-being in Western Australia's central wheatbelt. Questionnaires were completed by 398 residents of the central wheatbelt, on-farm interviews were conducted with 68 respondents, and 4 focus groups were held in area towns.…

This KIDS COUNT report presents statistics highlighting challenges faced by newborns and their parents in major urban areas. Data came from birth certificates. Overall, children living in central cities are far more likely to experience six risks associated with negative child outcomes, and when those six factors are used collectively to determine…

This executive summary of a final report describes activities and accomplishments of Iowa's 3-year program to improve the quality of educational and community-based services for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with deaf-blindness. The project provided technical assistance to schools, area education agencies, and other service providers. It…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that sought to identify the particular problems Canadian parents caring for children with disabilities face in trying to make the transition to work in terms of their child care arrangements and employment-related factors, and best practices in child care arrangements and employment accommodations.…

The "Profile of Performance" is the Anchorage School District, Alaska, report card to the School Board and community on academic achievement. Part 1 of the report provides a summary of performance across the entire district on a variety of indicators of achievement. It includes an overview of district performance and an examination of…

The lives of many families involve contact with more than one language and culture on a daily basis. This book is aimed at the many parents and professionals who feel uncertain about the best way to go about helping children gain maximum benefit from the situation. Every family's situation is different, but there is much parents can do to make…

Rising maternal employment, welfare reform, and increased preschool enrollment contribute to accelerating family demand for child care in California, and federal and state governments have responded by doubling support for child care and preschool programs between 1996 and 1999. However, there is little information available on how child care…

Riverside Community College (RCC), in Riverside, California, launched New Visions in 1999, a program designed to help welfare recipients prepare for college and move to better jobs. The program is a partnership between RCC and the Riverside Department of Public Social Services (DPSS). New Visions provides a 24-week program of academic instruction…

A pilot program in New South Wales (Australia) aimed to engage Aboriginal students in the education process by making school more interesting and relevant to them specifically. The project used career education and Aboriginal perspectives to achieve these objectives. The development of aspirations within students was central, and it was hoped that…

The Migrant Educational Technology (MET) program is an after-school program that introduces Latino migrant families in Detroit to basic computing and educational software applications, with the goal of supporting students' schoolwork and improving their academic achievement. The 1998-99 MET program was organized into three phases. In the…

Noting that the growing popularity of year-round schools (extended calendar without increasing the number of school days) has coincided with an increase in school accountability, this report provides a descriptive case study on one year-round school located within a large elementary school district in central Virginia. An optional year-round…

This study describes how one university instructor incorporated case method instruction (CMI) into a graduate course to help her students grasp the concept of family centeredness and working with all families as partners. Two major hurdles she faced were the accepted traditional teacher roles and traditional passive student roles in the classroom.…