This paper considers the meaning of social justice as reflected by New Communities Schools (NCS). It reviews the role of NCS in the modernisation of welfare, considers the criteria used to judge their effectiveness and assesses the outcomes of the NCS programme. Problems in assessing social justice outcomes are explored in terms of pilot or…

Certain challenges are inherent in collecting data to evaluate nonformal education programs and settings. One challenge relates to the complexity of the educational system in which nonformal learning takes place. Separating the learning effects of a nonformal education program on participants from the effects of other essential elements of their…

The opportunity that evaluators have to be educators is well known. Patton emphatically states, "Every interaction with an evaluation client, participant, stakeholder, and user is a teaching opportunity." This article discusses two ways in which evaluators can help educate the staff of nonformal programs: helping them articulate the theory that…

If the purpose of language learning is communication, then improving students' reading comprehension competence becomes an overall goal in language teaching. This paper examines the online resources of reading comprehension tests with non-English major college students, and tackles the problem with the teaching method of integrating web-based…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a fit for life program at a university and to use the findings from an extensive literature review, consultations with formative and summative committees, and data collection to develop an interdisciplinary, physically active lifestyle (IPAL) course model. To address the 5 research questions examined in…

Despite recent declines in teen pregnancy, U.S. teen birth and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates remain among the highest in the western world. Given the need to focus limited prevention resources on effective programs, Advocates for Youth undertook exhaustive reviews of existing research to compile a list of the programs proven effective…

Objective. The purpose of this study was to examine differences between traditional student assistance teams and an innovative consultation-based assistance team in terms of the risk ratios for minority students for evaluation and eligibility for special education services. It was hypothesized that the innovative consultation-based assistance team…

Technological advancements such as the growth of the Internet provide opportunities for learning that are hard to resist. As technology continues to change at a rapid pace, e-learning has become an important priority of corporate education. E-learning is evolving as a way to train and enhance employee value by combining different learning styles…

It is hard to overestimate the significance of the master planning process. The process is one of the most salient strategies that the Maryland State Department of Education utilizes for improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Until recently, many local school systems (LSSs) treated planning as a local endeavor that merely…

"Learning Around the Clock: Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth" identifies and describes Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) that improve academic performance, college and career preparation, social and emotional development, and health and wellness outcomes for underserved youth. The term "expanded learning…

"The Learning Principal" is an eight-page newsletter published eight times a year. It focuses on the important and unique work of school principals. This issue includes: (1) Efficacy Can Overcome Classroom Barriers (Valerie von Frank); (2) Q & A: Leadership, Learning Communities Change School Culture (Valerie von Frank); (3) Focus on NSDC's…

The study is an evaluation of an English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a southeastern technical college. Thousands of adults who enroll in ESL programs are individuals who appear to be intelligent. They have worked diligently for a year or more to learn to speak, read, write, listen and improve English comprehension skills. However, some…

Described here is a study on the efficacy of a media-rich curriculum based on the idea that children can learn best from "media synergy," that is, when children have opportunities to learn a focused set of skills by engaging in repeated practice with them in many different formats and media. Participants in this study were low-income…

This report identifies the different settings in which summer programs for disadvantaged youth most commonly take place--schools, parks and recreation departments, community--and faith-based organizations, and child-care programs-- and examines the limitations and opportunities presented by each in building better programming. It reviews broadly…

In March 2008, the National Early Childhood Transition Initiative released a document developed collaboratively over several months titled "Designing and Implementing Effective Early Childhood Transition Processes". The document was created as a resource for improving state and local performance on the State Performance Plans (SPP) and…