ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
It's About Time! A Look at Out-of-School Time for Urban Teens.
Author: Hall, Georgia
Date: 2004-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: After School Programs,Urban Areas,Youth Programs,Adolescent Development,High School Students,Leisure Time,Participation,At Risk Persons,Program Effectiveness,Apprenticeships,Homework,Service Learning,Social Environment,Skill Development,Leadership,Cooperative Planning,Program Development,Community Involvement

There is solid consensus among researchers, program providers, and families that participation in constructive activities during out-of-school time hours can contribute to a youth's healthy and positive development. This paper explores some of the key issues and challenges facing program and city leaders in creating and sustaining afterschool program opportunities that engage the interest and participation of high school age youth. The authors discuss effective program characteristics and strategies for citywide collaboration, along with steps for cities and organizations to build their capacity to meet the needs of today's teen youth during the out-of-school time hours. Appended are a demographic table, methods, references, and resource contact list.
Child Care: State Efforts to Enforce Safety and Health Requirements. Report to the Honorable Sander M. Levin, House of Representatives. GAO-04-786
Author: Shaul, Marnie S.
Date: 2004-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Child Care,Safety,Health,Law Enforcement,Federal Government,Federal Aid,Certification,Inspection,Compliance (Legal),State Regulation,Federal State Relationship,Geographic Location,Information Technology,Training,State Surveys

The federal government requires states that receive funds from the Child Care and Development Fund to establish basic health and safety requirements. The federal government also requires states receiving federal funds for child care to have procedures in place to ensure that providers being paid with grant dollars comply with the applicable safety and health requirements. Because of the significant federal role in paying for child care services and congressional concerns about the way in which states ensure the safety and health of children in child care settings, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to follow up on their prior report, &quot;Child Care: State Efforts to Enforce Safety and Health Requirements&quot; (GAO/HEHS-00-28, Jan. 24, 2000). This report (1) identifies changes in states' licensing and enforcement activities for various types of licensed and nonlicensed providers since 1999; (2) describes the ways child care licensing agencies organize inspection staff and use technology; and (3) provides examples of promising practices in state child care licensing and enforcement activities. To obtain data, GAO surveyed state licensing officials in 2004 about their 2003 activities, interviewed experts and made site visits to four states--Delaware, Florida, North Carolina and Oklahoma. Among their findings, GAO found that in 2003, 38 states exempted all family child care providers from being regulated, compared with 39 states in 1999. Most states conducted compliance inspections at least  once a year, meeting or exceeding the recommended level for all types of providers. Forty-three states reported assigning staff to geographic locations throughout the state. Forty-five states reported using technology to assist them with many aspects of licensing and enforcement functions, such as maintaining statistics on families and providers. Seven appendixes present: (1) study scope and methodology; (2) state caseloads, fiscal years 2003 and 1999; (3) state child care licensing budget and full-time equivalent staffing levels, 1999 and 2003; (4) frequency of licensure and monitoring visits in the states; (5) state survey; (6) comments from the Department of Health and Human Services; and (7) GAO contact and staff acknowledgments. (Contains 20 footnotes, 5 figures, and 3 tables.)
Montana Nonpublic School Enrollment by County and Grade Range, 2001-02 through 2003-04 School Years
Author: Montana Office of Public Instruction
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Private Schools,Statistical Data,Enrollment Trends,Counties,Instructional Program Divisions,Tables (Data)

This document contains tables of data relating to the enrollment statistics for Montana Home Schools and Private Schools by county and grade range. The statistics relate to school years 2001-2002 through 2003-2004.
Strategic Plan To Ensure Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Connecticut Public Higher Education. Annual Report 2004
Author: Connecticut Department of Higher Education
Date: 2004-03-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Strategic Planning,Higher Education,Public Colleges,American Indians,Academic Achievement,Asian Americans,Student Diversity,Hispanic American Students,Asian American Students,College Students,Diversity (Faculty),Cultural Pluralism,Statewide Planning,Goal Orientation,Graduation Rate,Program Implementation,Program Evaluation

Creation of a Strategic Plan to Ensure Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Connecticut Public Higher Education was among the original statutory mandates assigned to the Board of Governors of Higher Education by its 1982 enabling legislation. The purpose of the plan is to &quot;ensure that students, faculty, administrators and staff at each public institution are representative of the racial and ethnic diversity of the total population of the state.&quot; Adopted in 1983, the Board's Strategic Plan requires each public college and university to develop its own annual approach for expanding diversity among students based on the following goals: (1) To enroll African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and Native American students in proportions that reflect each group's representation in the college's service area; (2) To retain African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and Native American students in proportions equal to the rate achieved by the college's student body as a whole; and (3) To graduate African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and Native American students in proportions that reflect each group's representation in the college's student population. In 1996, the Board of Governors reaffirmed these goals when it revised its original Strategic Plan following an extensive assessment of its effectiveness. As a result, each public college and university is now required to have: (1) measurable objectives consistent with diversity goals and strategies to achieve them; (2) an action plan for systemic implementation of strategies to attain goals; and (3) an evaluation plan to document progress toward meeting objectives and to inform decision making about needed alterations and new directions. Presented in the appendix to this report are tables summarizing: (1) institutions' current levels of goal attainment; and (2) projections as to goal attainment at the end of the 5-year plans.
Using Technology to Improve Student Learning. NCREL Viewpoints, Volume 12
Author: Gahala, Jan, Ed.
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Non-Print Media
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Technology Uses in Education,Educational Technology,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Academic Achievement

&quot;Viewpoints&quot; is a multimedia package containing two audio CDs and a short, informative booklet. This volume of &quot;Viewpoints&quot; focuses on how technology can help improve student learning. The audio CDs provide the voices, or viewpoints, of various leaders from the education field who work closely with technology issues. Their voices represent perspectives on the uses of technology in education and provide an overview of the current issues around education technology. This booklet offers background information explaining the issues surrounding technology in education. It presents some findings of recent research on the effectiveness of technology in improving student learning and teacher effectiveness and outlines current efforts designed to help us realize technology's potential. The booklet also provides a list of technology resources--including tools, publications, and research studies--to assist educators with the systemic integration of education technology for promoting student achievement. The essay &quot;Using Technology in Education&quot; serves as a companion to the  CDs. It offers a brief overview of technology use in education, discusses the growing body of research dedicated to how technology can promote student learning and teacher effectiveness, and outlines current efforts designed to help us realize technology's potential. It also suggests resources that can assist educators as they work to use technology effectively for the benefit of all students. It may be helpful to read the booklet as an introduction to the topic before listening to the interviews presented on the CDs. [The audio CD portion of this package is not available from ERIC.]
Understanding the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Teacher Quality. NCREL Quick Key 6. Revised
Author: Learning Point Associates
Date: 2004-10-11
Type: Guides - General
Subjects: Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Characteristics,Federal Legislation,Academic Achievement,Teacher Competencies,Teacher Qualifications,Educational Quality,Knowledge Base for Teaching,Teaching Skills,Standards,Teacher Certification,Alternative Teacher Certification,Paraprofessional School Personnel,Experienced Teachers,School Districts,Teacher Education Programs

One of the key features of this legislation is an emphasis on teacher quality. A growing body of research has documented the importance of teacher knowledge and skill in improving student achievement. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 includes specific criteria for considering a teacher highly qualified, and other specific requirements regarding timelines for meeting teacher quality standards, alternative routes to certification, and a host of other related issues. This brochure is designed to provide educators, parents, and community members with a brief overview of NCLB requirements for teacher quality, paraprofessional quality, options for meeting requirements, and answers to other questions about the legislation. A resource list of organizations is also provided.
A Policymaker's Primer on Education Research: How to Understand, Evaluate and Use It
Author: Lauer, Patricia A.
Date: 2004-02-00
Type: Guides - Non-Classroom
Subjects: Scientific Research,Research Methodology,Research Utilization,Educational Research,Statistics,Educational Policy,Policy Formation,Reliability,Databases

The goal of this primer is to help policymakers and other interested individuals answer three big questions: (1) What does the research say? (2) Is the research trustworthy? (3) How can the research be used to guide policy? Answering these questions will help policymakers: (1) make evidenced-based decisions about education policies; (2) gain a better understanding of research methods; and (3) become more informed consumers of research. The primer provides an overview of research methods and statistics. It is highly interactive, with flash animation and hot links to examples, additional discussions, pop-up definitions of technical terms and an education research glossary. It also features a flowchart and other tools to guide users through an assessment of research studies. There's a special "Understanding Statistics Tutorial" and another tutorial on searching the ERIC database. For users who want an abbreviated version of the material in the Primer, there is an "Applied Quick Primer" keyed to the most basic sections. A list of references and resources are provided at the end of each section. Appended are: (1) A Research Typology; and (2) NRC's Principles of Scientific Research.
Is a Laptop Initiative in Your Future? Policy Brief
Author: Pitler, Howard
Date: 2004-09-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Elementary Secondary Education,Access to Computers,Academic Standards,Instructional Materials,Educational Technology,Telecommunications,Grade 7,Middle School Teachers,Laptop Computers,High Schools,Middle Schools,Instructional Effectiveness,Program Effectiveness,Computer Uses in Education,Teaching Methods,Faculty Development,Educational Finance,Financial Support

Research indicates that thoughtful technology use can positively influence learning process inside and outside the classroom, and one-to-one computing has been gaining popularity. Although some view such initiatives as passing, others look at the mounting research and see opportunities to reshape the nature of instruction and learning. This brief examines benefits, costs, and issues related to providing students with much greater access to computers. For example, research has shown that as a total program, Maine's Learning Technology Initiative, which provides each student and teacher in grades 7-12 with a laptop and wireless network access and also offers professional development and technical assistance for teachers, may be effective in raising test scores. Research in other states shows similar academic benefits. For states struggling economically, one-to-one computing programs are being viewed as a way to restore and maintain economic viability. In Michigan, policymakers see ubiquitous computing as a strategy for diversifying the state's industries in a tight economy. Improvements in instructional practice and the overall environment of schooling have been associated with Maine's laptop initiative. In a survey of Maine middle school teachers, over 70 percent agreed that such technology made them better able to create instructional materials meeting state's standards. As a requirement of the Missouri-based eMINTS program, teachers participate in a structured two-year professional development program involving training sessions as well as mentoring and classroom visits by instructional specialists. Teachers are provided with new teaching strategies that use multimedia, and they learn how to &quot;optimize their local curriculum through inquiry-based teaching practices&quot; aligned with academic standards. In successful initiatives, technology is a catalyst for change, professional development is applied in a long-term and collaborative manner, and the goal is to change the learning environment itself. While funding is a major barrier in the minds of many policymakers, a 2004 survey of key decision makers in K-12 public schools stresses the importance of &quot;visionary leadership,&quot; which drives change in the most technology-intensive schools.
Creating Conditions for Leadership Effectiveness: The District's Role. McREL Policy Brief
Author: Miller, Kirsten
Date: 2004-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Leadership Effectiveness,Leadership,Educational Policy,Administrator Role,School Support,Leadership Qualities,Leadership Responsibility,Leaders Guides,Change Strategies,Educational Change,Educational Improvement,Performance Factors

Research increasingly points to the relationship between effective leadership and increased student achievement. But just what constitutes effective leadership-and how to best support school leaders-has been a matter of both study and speculation. This policy brief draws on McREL's leadership research and an analysis of the needs in McREL's Central Region service area to provide suggestions for districts on ways to support principals and other school leaders in realizing the goal of enhanced learning for all students.
Notes & Reflections. Issue 7, Fall 2004
Author: Fitzpatrick, Michele, Ed.
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: Data Analysis,Reflection,Change Strategies,Educational Improvement,Check Lists,Demography,Data Collection,Data Interpretation,Data Processing,Educational Resources,Research Tools,Academic Achievement,School Statistics,Student Records

"Notes & Reflections" offers practical information--ideas, strategies, tools, and resources--about topics of special interest to professional developers who are working to improve school performance. Today, professional development services to schools are provided by variety of people: teacher leaders; principals; and district, regional, and state education staff--to name just a few. If you are one of these providers, "Notes & Reflections" will help you build our capacity to plan and implement powerful professional development. This issue of "Notes & Reflections" provides a recipe for school improvement based on data exploration. The main ingredients are the data themselves: useful information about schools and students. The recipe has four steps:  (1) Prepare for data exploration: The process begins with promoting a data culture and forming a team that will examine the data; (2) Collect and organize the data: The team identifies the relevant data, gathers it together, and organizes it for analysis; (3) Analyze the data: The team reviews the data and looks for important patterns--It identifies specific programs or student groups most in need of improvement; and  (4) Explain the results: The team uses data to generate hypotheses and explain the underlying causes of the areas needing improvement. Suggestions for additional reading and tools and resources are also provided. (Contains 7 tables and 3 figures.) [Jonathan Margolin was a contributing author for this issue.]
When Special Education and General Education Unite, Everyone Benefits. R&amp;D Alert. Volume 6, Number 1
Author: White, Noel, Ed.
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: Federal Legislation,Learning Disabilities,Special Education,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Accessibility (for Disabled),Regular and Special Education Relationship,Educational Policy,Teacher Qualifications,Teacher Effectiveness,Inclusion,Alignment (Education),Change Strategies

This issue of R&amp;D Alert addresses special education primarily for an audience of general educators and policymakers. As the lead article discusses, the plight of students with disabilities and other special needs is increasingly the concern of all educators, not just those with a particular background in special education. The lead article discusses implications for special education of the standards-based assessment push embodied in part in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and in changes being considered for the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). A potentially positive effect of this accountability push is to forge stronger relationships between general and special education. Because many schools and districts are not necessarily prepared for such change, this article also describes examples of schools and states successfully working to improve collaboration across general and special education so as to better serve all students. The second article discusses another issue that new provisions from NCLB bring to the floor: What does &quot;highly qualified&quot; mean for special education professionals? The article reviews differences between NCLB's and IDEA's definitions of &quot;highly qualified&quot; and touches on how some states are responding to this issue. The third article describes a model being considered for inclusion in the IDEA reauthorization as a new option for identifying special education eligibility of students with specific learning disabilities. WestEd staff are pursuing research to better understand this new identification approach. The article shares information from their work.
National Drug Control Strategy. Update
Author: Office of National Drug Control Policy
Date: 2005-02-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Narcotics,Correctional Institutions,Drug Use,Program Effectiveness,Accountability,Youth,Drug Therapy,Federal Programs,Federal Government,Prevention,Drug Education,Law Enforcement,Marijuana,Cocaine,Foreign Countries,International Cooperation,Drug Use Testing,Drug Addiction,Drug Rehabilitation,Community Role,School Role,Mass Media Role,Government Role,Budgets

The first National Drug Control Strategy set ambitious two and five-year performance based goals: (1) to lower the rate of drug use by 10 percent over 2 years among both youth and adults; and (2) to lower the rate by 25 percent over 5 years. The chapters in this updated version are keyed to the strategies three priorities: (1) Stopping Use Before It Starts; (2) Healing America's Drug Users; and (3) Disrupting the Market. The chapter on Stopping Use Before It Starts examines the distinct roles of schools, communities, and the media in making parents more effective in the crucial challenge of guiding young people to avoid drugs and alcohol. The section on Healing America's Drug Users addresses the special challenge of helping the dependent and profiles the Nation's first Access to Recovery voucher recipient as she navigates life after prison and the competing demands of drug treatment and a job search. The section on Disrupting the Market provides a progress report on the efforts we are making--both foreign and domestic--to disrupt the availability and purity of illegal drugs, through source country efforts, interdiction programs, and investigative operations. By integrating program goals and effectiveness information into the National Drug Control Strategy, the Administration has provided a sound basis for program accountability through the adjustment and reallocation of Federal resources to programs that are successful and can demonstrate results. The following are appended: (1) National Drug Control Budget Summary; and (2) Acknowledgments. (Contains 20 figures.)
From Vision to Skills: Developing Leaders for Mathematics and Science. R&D Alert. Volume 6, Number 2
Author: White, Noel, Ed.
Date: 2004-00-00
Type: Collected Works - Serial
Subjects: Mathematics Education,Teacher Leadership,Science Education,Teaching Skills,Educational Objectives,Educational Principles,Science Course Improvement Projects,Classroom Techniques,Teaching Methods,Administrative Principles,Science Teachers,Mathematics Teachers,Teacher Improvement,Educational Strategies

This issue of R&D Alert presents a sample what of works to strengthen mathematics and science education. The lead article describes the core principles of WestEd's National Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership. After 5 years running the academy, WestEd staff have refined effective approaches for developing teacher leaders focused on these subjects. Another article shares new ideas for improving the preparation of mathematicians and scientists in higher education, drawing on an evaluation of the national "Preparing Future Faculty" program.