The 17 papers in this collection offer innovative pedagogical techniques to improve the learning of African American students with disabilities. Papers are grouped into three sections that address foundations of educational change, managing learning environments, and complementing the school environment. The papers are: (1) "School…

The effects of adult literacy classroom dynamics on the content and structure of instruction, learning processes, and classroom behavior were examined in a study during which 20 adult literacy classes in 8 states were observed and the teachers of those classrooms were interviewed. Key findings were as follows: (1) most classroom instruction…

Drawing on the developmental niche framework of Super and Harkness, this book examines child rearing in an Inupiaq (Eskimo) village in northwest Alaska. Approximately 2 years of fieldwork was carried out in Noorvik, a remote village in the Northwest Arctic Borough. The study involved 22 parents of young children and 22 extended family members in…

The process by which people construct and reconstruct their identities when they face cultural changes resulting from education, learning, or moving to another culture was examined through a study of narratives from immigrants to Sweden and students who were in the process of learning to become researchers at a well-established university, as well…

The impact of participation in a vocational student organization (VSO) on student achievement was examined. First, an exhaustive review of the recent literature on VSOs was conducted. In addition, a survey aimed at state directors of VSOs was developed and pilot tested on a purposefully-selected sample of 25 state directors of VSOs. A response…

This publication presents an overview of the 2000 survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students, with a particular emphasis on recent trends in the use of various licit and illicit drugs. It also shows trends in the levels of perceived risk and personal disapproval associated with each drug, which this study has shown to be particularly important…

Noting that the movement from young adulthood through coupling and the transition to parenthood may be among the most universal adult developmental transitions, this book uses a qualitative analysis of family narratives to examine the meanings that family members ascribe to the developmental process of becoming a family. Addressing issues of…

Intended as a handbook for higher and adult education practitioners serving adult students, this book brings together a variety of information on the diverse characteristics of adult students, explaining how their maturity, complex life experiences, and heterogeneity shape institutional responses. Recruitment, admission, and retention strategies…

This research brief examines administrator perspectives on institutional mission and priorities, while taking note of regional differences in perspectives. In addition, this brief presents other dimensions of the institutional context such as the factors that keep administrators engaged and satisfied in their positions. Given the challenges and…

In the past, much attention has been paid to the leaks in the "education pipeline", but now employers, youth and communities are focusing on repairing the "work pipeline" to ensure that young people are ready for work by age 21. This issue brief is the second in a series developed by the Forum for Youth Investment, Connect for Kids, Voices for…

One of the long-standing priorities of the international community is to reduce gender disparity in developing countries. Yet, the overall picture is still gloomy: women continue to be excluded from access to resources and employment and are denied basic human rights. This Policy Brief explains why progress has been so minimal and what should be…

Rural areas of the developing world are the last frontier of the information technology revolution. Telephone and internet penetration there remains a small fraction of what it is in the developed world. Limited means of electronic communication with the outside world are just one source of isolation of rural communities and economies from the…

Natural disasters (droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, wind storms) damage wellbeing, both in their immediate and long-term aftermath, and because the insecurity of exposure to disasters is in itself harmful to risk-averse people. As such, mitigating and coping with the risk of natural disasters is a pressing issue for economic development.…

This book presents 13 stories of Native American college students struggling for survival on several planes--intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual--and striving for success in their own terms in a cultural setting not their own. Although all the students attended Dartmouth College and graduated, the salient common theme of the stories is…

This paper presents the preliminary results of ongoing case study research in the Learning through Collaborative Visualization Project (CoVis) testbed. The goal of CoVis is to promote project-enhanced science pedagogy. The project focuses on three areas: (1) project-enhanced science teaching and learning; (2) developing communities of practice;…