This document contains a matrix offering a side-by-side comparison of almost 40 criteria among 7 sets of early childhood program standards. The standards are: (1) Head Start Program Performance Standards; (2) Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Child Care Licensing Standards; (3) Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Center…

This booklet describes "Samenspel Op Maat," an initiative started 10 years ago as a small-scale experiment to meet the growing need for day care for migrant children in Rotterdam. There are now hundreds of Samenspel groups in the Netherlands consisting of play afternoons for small groups of mothers and young children, usually under the…

"Viewing and Representing in the Middle Years" was a 2-year project to investigate the development of visual literacy in the classrooms of 3 Canadian middle school teachers. These teachers tried a large variety of approaches and were generally optimistic about the increased use of visual materials to make classrooms more inclusive. They…

Literacy is power--the power to improve one's life and shape one's community. All people should know how to read and write, yet 771 million people (18 percent of the world's population) are illiterate. The programs described in this booklet address this challenge. They are samples of a few of the many hundreds of excellent programs around the…

This guide was developed to provide educators with information about nationally available programs for the classroom that promote social and emotional learning (SEL). It details the costs, the grades covered, evidence base, which most effectively teach core social and emotional skills, and which provide high-quality staff development and support.…

The views of rehabilitation consumers have not played a central role in shaping training programs for rehabilitation counselors. Likewise, partnerships between state vocational rehabilitation agencies and institutions of higher education have not been developed to their full potential. A planned collaboration between Montana Vocational…

Schools that are most successful in engaging parents and other family members in support of their children's learning look beyond traditional definitions of parent involvement--parent teacher organizations or signing report cards--to a broader conception of supporting families in activities outside of school that can encourage their children's'…

This booklet describes the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Program, known as the Texas Tomorrow Fund. The fund allows parents or others wishing to finance a child's education to prepay tuition and required fees as a condition of enrollment for 1 to 4 years of education at Texas colleges and universities. It can also give a student a big…

Juvenile crime and its immediate and long-term economic and human costs have become a national concern. Programs to prevent and reduce delinquency have developed across the country and one such program in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (which includes Pittsburgh) is described in this bulletin. The Allegheny program exemplifies a large-scale,…

Bullying is an interaction which establishes group identity, dominance, and status at the expense of the victim; therefore, it is only through the development of values such as empathy, consideration, and unselfishness that the bully is likely to relinquish the behavior and function differently in a social setting. By involving peers, it is…

This paper presents a model to enhance the research skills of junior academic staff through mentoring by senior staff, relating the application of this model to the University of Tasmania (Australia). The model provides opportunities for learning through reflection, interpersonal relationships, and the application of technology to enhance…

In preparation for the reauthorization of Head Start, this study examined the number and characteristics of participants served, the services provided and the way they were delivered, federal and nonfederal program dollars received and spent by programs delivered by Head Start, and other programs providing similar early childhood services. The…

Ways in which school leaders can establish "safe schools" are detailed in this guide book. It offers suggestions on how to involve students, parents, law enforcement officials, business and community leaders, and other concerned citizens. This resource guide is designed to help administrators accomplish five goals: (1) assess the school climate by…

This paper discusses early childhood education in Iceland and its in relation to the country's cultural heritage, the family welfare system, and legislation and influences from abroad. Because Iceland has been isolated for centuries from the rest of the world, the country has developed its own culture and maintained its native language. The need…

These two newsletter issues communicate activities of the newly formed Child Rights Information Network (CRIN) and report on emerging information resources and activities concerning children and child rights. The January 1996 issue describes the history of CRIN, provides updates on the activities of projects linked to CRIN, and summarizes…