This document provides information from the National Family Day Care Project (NFDCP) for those interested in developing a family day care project in their community. The NFDCP was designed to provide examples of quality projects for community-based organizations to replicate. The project has also identified successful methods for designing,…

This manual on development of transition planning programs/services for high school youth with disabilities and their families is based on the premises that both youth and family members need to be actively involved in every step of the transition planning process, that empowered families can access necessary transition and adult services needed…

The CHALLENGE program was designed to increase elementary school children's likelihood of reaching their potential in an at-risk environment and, ultimately, to decrease the rate of their victimization or social and personal disfunction. The CHALLENGE curriculum focuses on increasing children's ability to think, solve problems, make effective…

This essay explores the ways in which certain aspects of personality are acquired through socialization. The intent was to gain a broader understanding as to how cultural norms, particularly sex roles, influence personality development. Socialization is discussed in terms of societal norms and standards transmitted by the institutions of the…

This book compares small schools in various countries with large ones and offers cost effective strategies for small schools. Part I focuses on social, economic, and educational issues related to small schools. Small schools are beneficial to their communities as centers of social development. In addition, small schools have a more cooperative…

Patterns of assistance in parent-child dyads were examined by developing measures that could be used to explore the nature of assistance and learner action sequences. A microgenetic approach was adopted in a teaching experiment that may be regarded as a variation of the double stimulation method of L. S. Vygotsky. A second goal was to explore the…

This document consists of the first five issues of "Notes from the Field," a serial documenting a 5-year study of the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990 in four rural Kentucky school districts. The first issue provides a brief overview of KERA policies and the status of their implementation in the study…

The primary purpose of this book is to serve as a basic text on the black family as an institution. To facilitate an understanding of the black American family, an analysis is presented of the various sociocultural forces that shape both the structure and functions of the family as well as the way the family has experienced changes. Larger forces…

In response to concerns about the academic and discipline problems of young black male students in a small southern town, the Positive Impact Program (PIP) was developed for at-risk black males. Two possible at-risk factors, locus of control and the quality of parental verbal interaction, were studied for participants in the PIP. Locus of control…

Noting that children of all socioeconomic levels are at risk for poor nutrition, and that hunger and poor nutrition in America are on the rise, this report reviews what is known about the link between nutrition and learning in children and between nutrition education and eating habits. It describes several federal and non-federal government…

The school system in the United States was established as, and remains, an expression of the white, middle-class values dominant in the society. The "melting pot" theory, with its emphasis on assimilation and the reduction of differences has been held by many for a long time. In the schools, however, this emphasis tends to cause feelings…

A study examined the results and effectiveness of a pilot Reading Recovery program in New Hampshire. Fifteen New Hampshire school districts, including 29 different schools, participated in the first year of the program (school year 1990-91). A total of 223 first-grade children identified as being at risk of reading failure were served. Of these,…

A study examined the results and effectiveness of the third year of the Reading Recovery program in New Hampshire. With the 50 Reading Recovery teachers from previous classes, 32 teachers in the new class, and 3 teacher leaders, a total of 85 teachers taught Reading Recovery during the 1992-93 school year. A total of 422 first-grade children…

This book presents practical strategies to help secondary teachers succeed in their first year of teaching. The 16 chapters include the following: (1) Learning Your Way Around the School (getting oriented, making friends, learning rules and traditions, meeting others); (2) Organizing Your Room (taking inventory and assessing flow, movement, space,…

This report examined changes in the affordability of a college education in Illinois, providing trend data on affordability from fiscal year (FY) 1982 through FY 1998. Affordability was examined for the average income of the three lowest income quintiles of Illinois families. Overall, the report found that public universities and private…