Every parent is filled with dreams, fears, hopes, and questions when preparing a child for school--and when that child has a disability, this exciting time can seem overwhelming. This upbeat, reassuring handbook is an invaluable resource to share with parents of a school-age child with a disability. It demystifies complicated issues, encourages…

This longitudinal study examined effects of family socialization on sociomoral reasoning in the context of the peer and parent-child relationships. Subjects were 121 urban Icelandic children. Social class was constructed as a multinominal measure defined by the nature of work, education, authority, and responsibility of the parents in the work…

Data from "The Condition of Education, 1997" are used to show how changes over time in the composition of students in terms of factors such as student English language proficiency, family income, parents' education, and family structure affect the social context of education. This report traces associations between these student-level social…

For most middle and high school students in the United States, drug-free schools are not available. To explore the nature of drug problems in the schools, 305 middle school teachers, 484 high school teachers, 401 school principals, 1,115 teens, and 998 parents were surveyed so as to assess their attitudes toward cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs such…

This final report describes the activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project to enhance the knowledge and skills of special and general educators as well as parents of children having attention deficit disorder through the development of training materials and workshops. Over 15 professional development activities on the topic of attention…

A survey and interviews examined the beliefs of traditional and contemporary Navajos concerning individuals with disabilities. Participants were 30 staff members from the Kayenta and Pinon Unified School Districts (Arizona), of whom 21 were Navajos, 8 Anglos, and 1 Hispanic; 1 Anglo and 8 Navajo community professionals; and 15 Navajo parents,…

This report presents goals and recommendations for meeting the special education needs (SEN) of students with disabilities in England by the year 2002. Sections of the report address: (1) policies for excellence, which discuss the definition of SEN, early identification and early intervention, improving literacy and numeracy, school improvement…

This document profiles five schools that were selected as winners of the "Fifth Annual Business Week Awards for Instructional Innovation: Schools in the Age of Technology": Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences (Falls Church, Virginia); Hunterdon Central Regional High School (Flemington, New Jersey); John Muir Elementary School…

This paper presents a case study of a collaboration between the St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools and Maryville University (Missouri) to develop an early childhood magnet center and professional development school (PDS), the Wilkinson Early Childhood Magnet School. This school serves a diverse population of children from age 3 through second…

This study describes a program designed to improve student reading fluency. The targeted population consisted of first and third grade students in a growing urban community in the Midwest. Evidence for the existence of the problem included standardized test scores and independent computer reports that measured academic achievement, phonic…

This book analyzes forces fraying the social fabric of many countries, and the reasons why some Western countries have been more successful than others in addressing these trends. Part 1, "Poverty, Income Inequality, and Labor Market Insecurity: A Comparative Perspective," includes (1) "Markets and States: Poverty Trends and…

Based on the premise that without a solid foundation of literacy knowledge and skill, children will have difficulty benefiting from first grade reading and writing instruction, this book for parents and teachers provides a comprehensive introduction to literacy development from infancy through preschool. The book emphasizes age-appropriate…

This phenomenological case study explored how preservice teachers in a Professional Development School (PDS) internship program experienced supervision. It examined how the interns portrayed and interpreted practices that emerged from the PDS context, how they understood supervision, what the process looked like from their perspective, and what…

This document describes in considerable detail how to promote literacy through a home-reading program for young children. It is asserted that literacy is an ongoing process that benefits from early home involvement of parents, and that parents need to be brought into the process early. A home-reading program based on a lending library is essential…

This study used data from a cross sectional sample of families with children in New York City to describe the characteristics and well-being of working poor families and to compare them to nonworking poor and nonpoor families. Data were obtained through 20- to 30-minute telephone surveys conducted in 1997 as part of the New York Social Indicators…