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A practicum at a licensed, non-profit family day care agency in Canada serving over 4,000 children and their families was designed to assist in clarifying the meaning of family support and family-centered child care. The practicum was developed to assist the agency in moving towards operationalizing its commitment to provide optimal family support to families receiving its day care. Interviews with staff had confirmed that there was confusion regarding the definition and application of family support. The solution strategy included intensive work on a short-term basis with two agency staff groups. The development of a working knowledge of family support philosophy, principles, practices, and approaches was emphasized. There was also work to develop family support "champions" who were expected to provide leadership to their colleagues. A pretest-posttest evaluation showed that the practicum intervention effectively increased participants' understanding of specific family support concepts. The training appeared to build a foundation to support future strategies to enhance family-centered practice. A particularly significant outcome of the practicum was the development of a discussion paper, "Moving towards Family-Centered Day Care." (Six appendices present highlights of training sessions, the discussion paper on family-centered child care, best practices, a case study, evaluation forms, and feedback forms. Contains 40 references.) (SD)

Technology integration is a key part of a 2-year teacher education program at the Canadian university; nontraditional students seemed unprepared to use technology for learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate nontraditional students' perceptions and experiences about their successes and challenges using technology in the program. The study was guided by Knowles's andragogy theory, which presents a learner-centred perspective on adult learning. The research questions focused on nontraditional students' successes and challenges using technology in coursework. A basic qualitative design was used to capture the insights of 10 purposefully selected, nontraditional university students through semistructured interviews. Themes were identified through open coding. The trustworthiness of the study was established through member checking, rich and detailed descriptions, and research reflexivity. The findings revealed that nontraditional students, especially at the start of the program, encountered difficulties learning to use new technology tools, experienced technology user unfriendliness, and struggled with a shift to online learning. The findings also showed that nontraditional students developed technology self-efficacy as they progressed through the program, aiding them in applying educational technology tools. The successes have been attributed to personal, instructor, and institutional factors as well as peer support. A white paper was developed with suggestions for streamlining the learning management system and technology tools, offering peer mentoring, enhancing technology training, and allowing extra time for technology practice. The implications for positive social change included providing insights for improving nontraditional students' learning experiences and those of their future students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Noting that large numbers of Canadian children enter kindergarten lacking basic adaptive, social, and academic skills and that research supports the effectiveness of early intervention, this master's project proposes a model addressing effective implementation of a collaborative multi-agency early intervention program in Manitoba that is family-focused and designed to enhance success in school by focusing on adaptive, social, and academic areas. The project's literature review identifies major risk conditions, characteristics of effective early intervention programs, and the efficacy of early intervention. The proposed model focuses on child and family needs, establishing coordinated interagency/parent collaboration by means of an integrated school-linked services planning team. In addition, the model requires: (1) identification of services currently provided; (2) identification of the needs of children, families, and individual service providers; (3) identification of roadblocks to effective intervention; (4) development of innovative strategies to address roadblocks; and (5) development of strategies for evaluating the process, students, and the model. The model provides three "hubs" of service delivery to at-risk family and child: community-based facilities, school-based facilities, and the home. Steps for implementing the model are discussed, from developing the collaborative team to identifying a control group and collecting baseline data for evaluation. Anticipated results are also presented. (Contains 54 references.) (KB)

This dissertation is a story of schooling. It weaves a vision of schooling into several versions and at least three "places" where schooling can happen--up to 2020 A.D. and beyond. The stories are built on the weaving metaphor and a profound sense of place. This paper presents one individual's experiences that are weaved into and through a conversation with a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter, a Book of Schools, a historical journey through research, and a fictional journey through the Internet. In telling the story of these utopian schools, the paper puts forth a plan for the "ideal" school in the daily life of a community. Within this plan, children engage fully in the place where they "live." Parents, community members, and resources are integral to the daily happenings. Each child works at what interests him or her, yet the learning often revolves around a particular "place" created in the classroom or found in the community. As one student becomes interested in the Amazon jungle, for example, the other students are drawn in and the classroom itself becomes an imaginary jungle, where the children then live and learn. The paper researches schooling environments ranging from one-room schoolhouses and tutoring to private, public, boarding, non-coercive, home, charter, and virtual schools. Resources used in the research include: "The Once and Future King,""The Dead Poet's Society," and literary works by Steiner and Dewey. The paper demonstrates that throughout the research one overall theme evolved: each school is different and each school has an impact. Each story is intended to perturb the reader, to push boundaries, and expand comfort zones. It is an exploration that weaves in and out of the question of "what school can and should be." (Contains 167 references.) (BT)

This paper presents outcomes of a practicum that was designed to address a need that was created when the Ministry of Education in Ontario, Canada, mandated that all grade 9 classes be "destreamed." A review of educational literature found no methods for ensuring that classes are truly heterogeneously mixed. The practicum was designed to gather data on each student entering grade 9 in order to ensure that classes were mixed according to the following variables: academic ability, gender, special-education identification, and feeder school of origin. Using a holistic scoring rubric, mean scores and standard deviations were developed to guide the placement of students in a timetable designed to support heterogeneously mixed student cohorts. The plan was implemented in a large, modern, rural, composite secondary school in Ontario (Canada). Findings demonstrated that heterogeneous mixing could be achieved for core classes; however, students tended to stream themselves through the choice of optional subjects. Four tables are included. Appendices contain the holistic rating scale, the grade 9 student timetable, and a sample database setup for Lotus 1-2-3. Contains 34 references. (Author/LMI)

Many special education (SPED) students are failing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) despite writing instruction provided by SPED teachers. The purpose of this study was to understand teachers' perceptions about why students were failing the literacy/writing test and document whether evidence-based assessment and writing practices were implemented. Cognitive-behavioral theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions in this study focused on SPED teachers perceptions regarding students not passing the OSSLT, observations of whether assessment and instruction for writing aligned with best practices, and collecting baseline curriculum-based measurement (CBM) data of SPED students' current writing skills. To best answer the research questions, a multiple case study design was selected. Four 10th grade SPED literacy teachers from 4 high schools in a Canadian District School Board were interviewed and observed. A total of 28 SPED students' writing samples were evaluated using CBM assessment procedures. The findings showed that teachers were not adequately prepared to teach SPED; there were modifications and challenges with students' work; there were useful techniques for assessment, teaching and writing. The White Paper project was a presentation to district practitioners and leadership recommending writing/literacy to be grounded in scientifically validated assessment and writing instruction for SPED students. Positive social and educational change may occur when the district adopts measurably superior instructional practices for writing to the extent that SPED students write more effectively and pass the OSSLT. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Past, present, and possible future government involvement in postsecondary education in British Columbia was analyzed. Special attention was paid to the following topics: challenges facing British Columbia's education system and the importance of postsecondary vocational education; issues in postsecondary education and adult education; the rationale for government intervention; current government intervention in the market and its effectiveness; policy options and goals; and possible policy alternatives (maintain the status quo, privatize, subsidize the private market, equalize, and rationalize). A set of policies was recommended to rationalize the existing system of postsecondary education by taking the following steps: continuing the substantial roles of the federal government and public education postsecondary education while working to increase interprovincial cooperation and a unified national approach coordinated at the federal level; significantly expanding the role of the private sector; facilitating bridge building between the public and private sectors; and withdrawing from those markets where private institutions would be able to provide educational services more efficiently than public institutions can. (A total of 15 recommendations to the provincial government, federal government, public institutions, and private training industry are included along with 18 tables/figures and 78 references.) (MN)

This practicum was designed to develop an incentive program for family home day care providers employed by an agency in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada, that was undergoing a change from for-profit to non-profit status. During the period of changeover, provider uncertainty as to their status led to declining morale, lack of focus, and resistance to change. An incentive program was developed that included an information packet for day care providers, a stress management workshop, a public awareness campaign, philanthropic activity, and an awards ceremony. Surveys were distributed before and after implementation to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The surveys found that the program increased provider and staff self-esteem, self-confidence, and motivation. Twelve appendices provide information on the stress management workshop, provider and staff surveys, photographs of the awards presentations, a program flier, publicity, and correspondence related to the incentive program. (Contains 39 references.) (MDM)

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable health promotion workbook to assist staff and volunteers of the AIDS Calgary Awareness Association in the systematic design, development, administration, and evaluation of preventive health promotion programs. Information was gleaned from a review of health promotion, social marketing, and AIDS-related literature; consultations with health promotion practitioners; and workbooks provided by national health organizations. A first copy of the workbook was developed through formative consultation with an internal working group from AIDS Calgary. The draft copy and a Workbook Evaluation Instrument were given to three external reviewers for summative comments. A second draft was resubmitted to the first two groups and a third group of external reviewers. From the comments of all reviewers, the workbook was determined to be ready for use. Recommendations for the improvement of practice included the request to apply process and product evaluation to confirm the workbook's content and construct validity. Appendixes provide an explanation of the Simple Systems Model; a Health Promotion Model (Source: Uganda Work Experience); copy of the letter sent to national health promotion organizations with a list of organizations contacted; the workbook evaluation instrument; and the final product--the Health Promotion Workbook. (Contains approximately 55 references.) (Author/LL)

This practicum was designed to change parents' attitudes toward their children's learning, so that parents would understand the importance of student-centered and student-directed learning activities and have a better understanding of their children's actual learning activities. An initial telephone survey of four parents of students in a combined grade two-three class found that three considered teacher-directed activities more conducive to learning than student-directed activities. To help change this attitude, a 12-week program of increased teacher-parent interaction on the students' reading, spelling, and mathematics activities was implemented. This included having the teacher work with individual students on an activity during a parent visit to the classroom, sending photographs of a classroom activity home with students, and writing letters to parents about classroom activities. A questionnaire was forwarded to the parents of 21 students at the end of the program, with the goal of having the parents of at least 11 students express favorable attitudes toward student-directed active learning. Although 10 of the 11 responses were highly or somewhat supportive of active learning instruction, the poor response rate resulted in none of the four expected outcomes being achieved. (A copy of the parent questionnaire is appended.) (MDM)