Stepping Stones to Literacy is a tool for elementary school improvement teams to evaluate and strengthen their reading programs. Each Stepping Stone is a guided activity to stimulate reflection and guide systematic inquiry. It is a collaborative, active research approach to evaluation (Levesque & Hinton 2001). The goal is to eliminate the gap…

The present study is a pilot investigation of six alternative urban middle schools for students of color that follow the Nativity model. This model emphasizes small class and school size, extended instruction, and strong relationships with family. The six schools included in the study are found in five different urban locations in the United…

This guide provides a family approach to college planning, with the goal of helping Latino students gain college entrance. Part 1 provides basic information about college, including information about how early parents should begin talking with their children about college, how parents can help their children plan for college, ensuring that…

This document comprises a teaching guide and a student guide. The teaching guide is designed to help junior and senior high school teachers in Alberta, Canada implement the study skills curriculum, "Make School Work for You," in the classroom. The guide includes suggestions for familiarizing students with the contents of the student…

A central component of the Children Act 1989 in Great Britain is sponsored care, the purchase by local authorities of places for individual children in voluntary and private day care facilities. The book details a study examining how private and voluntary day care services such as childminders, preschools, and day nurseries are used by local…

Based on the view that individual variability is best understood as the result of influences from multiple domains operating over time, this book describes how different domains of influence operate, describes the operating processes in common to the different influences, and shows how these processes meet the criteria for a full-fledged system.…

A study explored factors contributing to the high attrition rate of Latino students in Hillsborough County (Florida) schools. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 54 teachers; 52 high-achieving, 39 at-risk, and 6 dropout Latino middle and high school students; and 14 parents. Findings indicate that factors important to academic success…

This book challenges fundamental assumptions about the opportunities for equity-minded educational reform, using data from case studies of districts nationwide and their experiences with court-ordered detracking. The case studies show how white, upper middle class parents exercised a disproportionate amount of power in local school policy making…

This document is comprised of the four 2001 issues of a publication providing a forum for scholarly reviews and discussion of developmental research and implications for social policies affecting children. The topics featured in each of the issues are: (1) "Youth Civic Development: Implications of Research for Social Policy and Programs"…

A study examined the types of role models who influence career choice in young women planning traditional (education) careers in math- and science-related fields or nontraditional (engineering) careers. The hypothesis was that nontraditional women would be more likely to cite the influence of male role models or influences on career selection than…

Noting the need to include the views of youth in national debates about issues facing American youth today, a study focused on youths views about violence. Information was gleaned from literature reviews, expert panels, and focus groups, to design a survey examining relationships in the schools, homes, and communities, and aspects of youths lives…

New research shows the critical impact of a child's "environment of relationships" on developing brain architecture during the first months and years of life. We have long known that interactions with parents, caregivers, and other adults are important in a child's life, but new evidence shows that these relationships actually shape brain circuits…

This report is the twentieth in a series of surveys sponsored annually by MetLife since 1984. This year's "MetLife Survey" looks at elements of leadership in the schools, and incorporates the perspectives of key stakeholders in exploring this issue: public school teachers in grades K-12, public school principals in grades K-12, and parents of…

School readiness is important for children, for their families, and for society at large. The authors' exploration of school readiness focuses on how the home literacy environment, parenting behavior, and social characteristics affect two aspects of school readiness: basic skills, such as reading and math; and behavior problems, including…

This resource will help classroom teachers and staff better serve the needs of their Aboriginal students. The process of development was one of consultation, information gathering, drafting, more consultation and re-drafting. The contributors to this resource include Aboriginal Elders, teachers and psychologists, as well as other members of…