Confidential surveys reveal that 20 percent of American parents say they have a child at home who is so difficult it is nearly impossible to lead a normal life. Noting that to regain control, parents must first see clearly the many forces at work both around their families and within themselves, this book advises parents how to become better…

Written for policymakers, parents, and child care providers, this book provides an in-depth look at the child care industry, identifying crucial problems such as quality of care and the high cost of even mediocre care. The book identifies needed changes, including stronger regulatory procedures for providers and suppliers of care and tens of…

This guide presents practical applications from a research study about the processes that schools use to initiate and sustain reforms. It examines the history of 10 elementary schools in high-poverty settings, including details of behavioral and attitudinal changes. Ten capacities were associated with the stages of successful reform. The…

This document describes the outcome of a 1999 symposium that was convened to develop the goal, principles, key considerations, and administrative requirements for a student-improvement program in Alberta. Named the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI), this program is an extension of Alberta's accountability framework that has been in…

This essay concludes the American Council on Education (ACE) Project on Leadership and Institutional Transformation, in which participating higher education institutions explored ways to succeed in an atmosphere of continuous change. This paper presents the highlights of the Projects experience in working with 23 institutions over 5 year. It…

Defining teaching as "the way we bring ourselves to the learners" at the current moment, this paper describes "Enterprise Talk," a measurable, practical guide for talking to children in times of difficulty and responding with effective positives. After discussing how teachers teach (i.e., teachers model; teachers inform;…

Organization sustainability depends on the creation of innovative partnerships that engage organization members at all levels in setting strategy and achieving goals. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an approach to exploring what gives life to human systems when they function at their best. The use of an AI approach to strategic planning, invites…

Based on a 3-week field visit to Sierra Leone and Guinea, this report investigates why children (ages 0-17) have become key figures in Sierra Leone's civil war, and explores the problems that war has caused them. The report describes significant new effects of violence on three groups of Sierra Leonean children, very few of whom have received any…

This booklet describes how managers and their organizations can benefit by preparing for formal developmental experiences. Such preparation includes clarifying expectations, understanding and increasing motivation for attending, and making sure that the work environment supports the changes in both behavior and perspective that lead to more…

This issue brief from the National Association of Child Advocates provides background on traditional child protective services (CPS) systems, including weaknesses of the traditional CPS model, and describes the underlying philosophy and practical application of the CPS reform models that are being implemented in a number of states. Key elements of…

This guide was designed to help schools develop effective programs in comprehensive school reform (CSR). It emphasizes that a school's CSR approach should be based on its needs, keeping in mind that one model may not provide every aspect of a school's comprehensive reform effort. Even so, a CSR model that meets the U.S. Department of Education's…

The world of work has changed dramatically over the years. Many researchers have enhanced career development theories, and recently there have been efforts to explore the possible convergence of the major theories or, at least, more effectively bridge theory and practice. This document explains several theories that can be used to revise current…

This book examines facilitators of change, as viewed by the change agents themselves. It highlights their role and how they can be prepared and supported. In chapter 1, Frances O'Connell Rust, Margot Ely, Maris H. Krasnow, and LaMar P. Miller report on the successful professional development of early elementary teachers in New York City. In…

Noting that parents of infants and toddlers find child care substandard and expensive, and recognizing the importance of children's earliest experiences for later intellectual and emotional functioning, this policy brief examines what research reveals about the kinds of relationships, experiences, and environments that foster healthy child…

The principal of an elementary school in Burlington, Vermont, briefly reflects on her experiences with implementing requirements for interagency collaborations. She notes that while collaboration and shared responsibility are clearly valuable in practice, collaboration is time consuming and may or may not be effective, especially when forced by…