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Jobs for the Future (JFF) and BigFuture want all students to have the sense of agency and purpose that comes with feeling hopeful, motivated, excited, confident. An essential step in achieving this is to ensure that high school students and their families receive a timely and abundant flow of information, resources, and advising in order to thoroughly weigh their options and make well-informed decisions that lead to successful first career moves based on their skills, interests, and goals. This guide is intended to help educators, program directors, career counselors, employers, families, and other caring adults in their efforts to create career learning and navigation ecosystems that support and guide student career decision-making and choices, taking into account personal, social, and life aspirations and career goals. [Contributors to this report include Clare Bertrand, Joel Vargas, Maud A. Abeel, Allison Danielsen, and Ashleigh Goldberg. This report was produced with BigFuture.]

Charter school authorizing is inherently contextual work, and each charter school authorizer is the expert on their own context and portfolio of schools. This toolkit is a self-guided resource for authorizers to "identify" indicators of distress, "audit" their current data collection methods for evaluating indicators of distress, and "assess" whether and to what extent the schools in their portfolio are showing indicators of distress. It builds on National Charter School Resource Center's (NCSRC's) earlier report "Identifying Indicators of Distress in Charter Schools, Part 1: The Role and Perspective of Charter School Authorizers" (ED609911), released in 2020. By focusing on these research-based indicators of distress, rather than just indicators of failure, charter school authorizers don't have to wait for schools to fall into full organizational failure before acting -- and more students might be saved from the negative impacts of a failing or closed school. [For "Identifying Indicators of Distress in Charter Schools, Part 2: The Roles and Perspectives of Charter School Leaders and Board Members," see ED616211.]

This publication serves as a technical paper or How-To-Guide through a detailed description of the intentional step-by-step process Kentucky's executive leaders, educators, and stakeholders used to co-create a Mathematics Usable Innovation. The How-To-Guide includes italicized links to resources: Kentucky Examples, activities and research on the Active Implementation Hub. Resources are also linked below in the order they are presented in the How-To-Guide. We hope these resources support your organizations co-creation of a Usable Innovation. To improve student outcomes on a useful scale, WHAT is trying to be done needs to be teachable, learnable, doable, and easily assessed in a typical education setting (Fixsen, Blase, Metz, & VanDyke, 2013). Kentucky's Usable Math Innovation defines WHAT educators agree they will see in any math classroom, no matter what innovation a district may choose and no matter what unique style the teacher employs. Usable Innovations provide the content to develop the HOW or training, coaching and data use systems all in support of teacher practice that improves student outcomes.

To help families navigate these processes, this tool is intended to introduce students and families to their rights in common scenarios, promote educational equity for students with disabilities, describe potential recourse or remedies for educational discrimination, and provide resources to enhance equity within schools. Families' rights and options under the law are extensive, so this tool highlights some common concerns for students or families about students' disability or civil rights throughout the process of qualifying for and receiving special education services. In all cases, open communication, such as requesting a meeting, can be helpful. Where the alternatives described do not lead to satisfactory outcomes, parents may also consider: (1) requesting a meeting to discuss parent's concerns; (2) requesting a mediation meeting with a third party; (3) filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights within 180 days of the incident. (4) writing a complaint letter to the state education agency within one year of the incident; and (5) requesting a due process hearing within two years. If parents disagree with the due process decision, they can file a civil lawsuit within 90 days of that decision.

This report provides a detailed descriptive analysis of the principals who led Illinois public schools from 2001 through 2008. The authors begin with a brief historical review of the research literature on educational administration to provide a foundation for understanding the broader context for this study. Using state administrative records and other associated data, they assembled a large database of approximately 3,900 schools and their principals for each academic year. By linking numerous school and individual characteristics and tracking the placement and movement of building administrators, they used these data to analyze whether any patterns in the distribution of principals could be observed. Appendices include: (1) The Availability of ACT data; and (2) The Regional Nature of School Demographics, Locale, and College Competitiveness in Illinois. (Contains 37 figures, 7 tables, and 4 footnotes.)

President Barack Obama's address to the Joint Session of Congress set forth a postsecondary education agenda focused on access and success. In Illinois, as the high school graduating Class of 2002 moves further away from their days in Illinois public education and they begin to take their place in society, trends have begun to emerge as to their participation in postsecondary education and patterns of completion. Through the use of student unit-record longitudinal data for this cohort, the authors have been able to observe and reflect on these trends. It is the authors' hope that the descriptive nature of this study provide both the foundation for action and new avenues for exploration into the enrollment and completion puzzle that is postsecondary education for the students from Illinois' K-12 system. (Contains 15 figures and 2 tables.)

In 2006 and 2007, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) awarded Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants for the development of systems to compensate teachers and principals in part based on increases in student achievement. New Leaders for New Schools (NLNS) received five of these grants and is using them to implement its Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC) intervention in Memphis City Schools (MCS), the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), a consortium of charter schools, Denver Public Schools, and Prince Georges County Public Schools. EPIC offers performance-based awards to staff in high-performing elementary, middle, and high schools in return for their agreement to work with NLNS in documenting and sharing effective practices. During the 2007-2008 school year EPIC provided over $3 million in financial awards to more than 1,000 educators in 62 schools nationwide. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) was hired to evaluate the EPIC initiative. MPR's full study includes an evaluation (when possible) of whether the economic performance-based incentives of EPIC improve student achievement, an evaluation of the process for documenting and sharing effective practices, and an analysis of whether principals and teachers in participating districts change their practices after NLNS disseminates information on effective practices. The authors' findings reveal considerable support among school principals for the EPIC incentive program. Clear majorities of principals believe that the incentive component of EPIC will have a number of positive impacts on their schools, including greater teacher effectiveness, increased teacher collaboration, and improved relationships between principals and teachers. The findings suggest that EPIC and other similar incentive programs are likely to receive substantial support among school principals as long as an appropriate balance among multiple determinants of teacher compensation is maintained. Two appendices are included: (1) Selected Survey Results; and (2) Memphis City Schools Principal/Vice Principal Survey Instrument. (Contains 66 tables and 25 footnotes.)

In 2001, Illinois began administering the ACT (American College Testing) test to all 11th graders in Illinois public schools as part of the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE). For the first time, ACT scores and background information were available for most public-school students who would be completing high school one year later, rather than just those who elected to take the test because they were expecting to apply to a postsecondary institution that asked for ACT scores. The authors refer to this cohort of public high school graduates as the Illinois Class of 2002. In this study, they use a unique dataset combining student ACT scores and background information with postsecondary enrollment and completion information from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), and the Illinois Shared Enrollment and Graduation (ISEG) to track the Illinois Class of 2002 on their journeys into higher education throughout the country. The goal of this longitudinal project is to understand students' transitions from high school to college and their persistence and attainment over time. They plan to follow the cohort for six years, through the 2007-08 academic year. Overall, findings reveal that students with higher income parents were more likely to complete baccalaureate degrees, while students with lower income parents were more likely to earn certificates or associate degrees. (Contains 16 figures and 1 table.)

This longitudinal study focuses on a new generation. Members of the high school class of 2002 were born in the years 1983 and 1984. In order to situate their lives in historical context, it is helpful to think back to some of the major events in the lives of these young Illinois citizens. This analysis of the cohort of 2002 provides leaders of Illinois institutions of higher education with information about the gendered patterns of enrollment and successful completion at educational institutions of different types. If evidence shows that the gender disparities in education can be addressed, it is possible that other disparities may follow suit and the state can point to a more equitable system for all learners. The authors display data by fall, spring, and summer semesters to capture the annual rhythms of educational participation. (Contains 15 figures and 1 table.)

The Illinois High School Class of 2002 is part of the third generational wave of American students following the landmark Supreme Court decision in "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka," which outlawed segregation in public education. This longitudinal study allows the authors to examine the long-term impacts of this monumental education and legal policy in the state of Illinois. An examination of data on how students of various races and ethnicities participate in public and private postsecondary education can provide insights into their subsequent success and challenges in pursuing the American Dream through educational advancement. Presented are results for the cohort as a whole. The authors display data by fall, spring, and summer semesters to capture the annual rhythms of educational participation. (Contains 16 figures and 2 tables.)

In 2001, Illinois began administering the ACT (American College Testing) test to all 11th graders in Illinois public schools as part of the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE). For the first time, ACT scores and background information were available for most public-school students who would be completing high school one year later, rather than just those who elected to take the test because they were expecting to apply to a postsecondary institution that asked for ACT scores. The authors refer to this cohort of public high school graduates as the Illinois Class of 2002. This report focuses on the relationships between college readiness and students' enrollment and completion patterns during the first four years of this longitudinal study, through Summer 2006. The Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) college readiness index combines information on students' ACT scores and high school grades into five levels--from not/least ready, through minimally ready, somewhat ready, more ready and most ready. Taken together, these data illustrate that more ready and most ready students from our cohort both enrolled in postsecondary education and completed certificates and degrees at higher rates than students from the somewhat, minimally, and not/least ready groups. Overall, more ready and most ready completers were more likely to complete baccalaureate degrees, while minimally and not/least ready completers were more likely to earn certificates or associate degrees. (Contains 16 figures and 2 tables.)

This annual report, in its seventh edition, found that Education Management Organizations (EMOs) tend to focus on managing charter primary schools and on enrolling relatively large numbers of students in those schools. Fifty-nine EMOs operate in 24 states and the District of Columbia, enrolling some 239,766 students. The report is the most comprehensive resource on the for-profit education management industry. It presents the factors shaping the industry, such as profitability, accountability, and questionable relationships. It also describes a large EMO business model and presents two developments in 2004-05 that merit particular attention. One is the formation of the The National Council of Education Providers. The second is the Department of Education announcement that the Schools and Staffing Survey, which provided information on charter schools, will cease providing such information on all charters nationwide but instead will only cover a random sample. Data in the present report is summarized through charts on for-profit education management companies, including charter schools. Some charts present data by company name and location, the total number of public schools under management, the number of public schools under management that are charter schools, the total number of students in managed schools, and the states in which company is managing public schools. Other charts present charter school administrative services and a detailed directory including discontinued schools. Appendices include: (1) Companies Previously Profiled Not Included in This Report; (2) For-Profit Virtual Schools Listed by State; (3) Methods Related to Common Core of Data Calculations, and Methods for Compiling School Profiles; and (4) National Average Enrollments by Grade Levels. (Contains 8 tables and 8 notes.)

As the twenty-first century begins, America faces a daunting challenge: The "baby boom echo" is ready for school. The children of World War Two's baby boomers, millions of youngsters are crowding into schools across the nation. Thousands of new schools will be needed to accommodate them. This demand for educational facilities is unprecedented in American history. In response to this demand, innovative and practical learning environments--developed through educator-architect-planner collaborations--are being implemented around the country (Kennedy 2001). Some are variations on the traditional school site, designed to create more effective spaces for contemporary teaching and learning. Others expand the functions of the school to encompass community needs. Still others expand the whole notion of school by creating learning environments in such nontraditional settings as museums, shopping malls, and zoos, thus optimizing opportunities for learning while minimizing the investment of human, financial, and environmental resources. All of these creative solutions share one common theme: "Schools as centers of community." If the school of the future needs to be designed as a learning center for the entire community, its development must begin with a planning and design process that includes community members and reflects their needs. By engaging students, parents, educators, and a wide variety of citizens in planning and designing schools as centers of community, the best aims of a democratic society are served by both process and product. This publication outlines a systematic planning approach that can result in the successful development of schools as centers of community. Its chapters provide basic principles for designing such schools, case studies of successful projects, and a step-by-step methodology--complete with action checklists--for developing a facilities master plan. (Contains 1 footnote.) [Funding was also provided by the Building Educational Success Together. For the first edition of this report, see ED436082.]

This report, authorized by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, contains information on the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI), a reform of school-meals programs aimed at upgrading the nutritional content of school meals. The purpose of the study was to describe and evaluate: (1) overall implementation of the SMI; (2) key operational characteristics of school-meals programs at both the school district and state agency level; and (3) training and technical assistance associated with school-meals programs. Findings are based on data collected from self-administered mail surveys, supplemented by telephone interviews, from a nationally representative sample of school food directors in 2,038 school districts and from 50 state child nutrition agencies responsible for administrating school-meals programs. This first of three reports covers the 1997-98 school year. Key findings are summarized under the following broad topics: overall status of SMI implementation; procedures followed in implementing the SMI; impact of the SMI; the role of training and technical assistance; and the role of state child nutrition agencies. The report contains numerous tables and the survey instruments used for the data collection. (WFA)

Community gardening projects can enhance community food security and improve the nutrition of project participants. However, limited information exists on the most effective models and methods for establishing community gardens in rural areas. A survey of 12 rural community gardening projects found a variety of program models: community gardens with individual plots, single community gardens for demonstration and education purposes with simultaneous provision of support to private individual gardens, community gardens tended collectively, gardens used to teach gardening skills, school gardens incorporated into the school curriculum, mentoring relationships between experienced and new gardeners, and community gardens affiliated with an existing entity to build sense of ownership. Pros and cons of each of these models are listed. Rural obstacles to community gardening include lack of volunteers, an insider-outsider dynamic between project developers and community members, lack of gardening experience, and transportation problems. Tips for successful gardens are listed, followed by program recommendations related to planning, program design and long-term development, funding, local food security, community relations, and public policy. A sidebar outlines characteristics of the projects surveyed: volunteer demographics, funding, types of educational programs, and operational issues. Contact information is included for projects cited in the report. (SV)

A project provided training and guidance to Northampton Community College (NCC) staff in implementing the "new" adult learner skill competencies. Two workshops were held to serve 29 staff in Monroe, Wayne, and Pike counties in Pennsylvania. Among the topics covered were defining and introducing portfolios to adult learners, individualizing instruction, accessing resources, relating learning to daily living, the competencies, and teaching in real-life context. The staff members then assisted colleagues on the day-to-day implementation of the competencies. At the initial training, many instructors supported creation of a "lesson plan bank" to include contextual lessons identifying the learner skills competencies. Informational training packets were created for those workshops, and a lesson plan "mini-bank" of lessons identifying the competencies was established. A separate manual is provided that includes the informational training packets for the workshops and the lesson plan bank. Materials for Workshop 1 include definition and contents of portfolio; pictorial learning styles inventory; NCC learner needs assessment, and monthly learning evaluation; MELT competencies for English as a second language; writing products; and individualized instruction. Materials for Workshop 2 include a portfolio activity and an identifying competencies within lessons activity. The manual also includes a 36-page adult learner competencies lesson plan bank. (Contains 19 references.) (YLB)

This training module focuses on the paraprofessional's role in the transition of students with disabilities from school to the adult world. The module is comprised of two components, a facilitator's guide and a student's guide. The facilitator's guide provides the full text of the student's edition as well as chapter goals to be accomplished by students, an outline of topics covered in each text section, materials necessary to teach each chapter (such as transparencies, handouts, and supplemental readings), discussion questions, suggested activities to be completed by students outside of class, and lists of resources (many in Minnesota). Individual chapters cover the following topics: (1) transition from school to adult life; (2) interagency collaboration; (3) roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals; (4) communication and problem solving; (5) assessment and goal setting; (6) student and family involvement; (7) employment; (8) home living; (9) postsecondary education; (10) community participation; and (11) recreation and leisure. Five appendices include an Individualized Education Plan form, information from the Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium, a summary of disability-related legislation, an outline of the personal futures planning process, and a listing of transition resources. (Contains 19 references.) (DB)

One side of character education is to create schools and communities that are caring, civil, and challenging (both academically and behaviorally). The other side is to develop young citizens who are smart, decent, and responsible. This booklet illustrates how to use newspaper content at school and at home to teach eight specific values: respect, responsibility, caring, honesty, tolerance, courage, justice, and citizenship. The booklet suggests that values can be tied to particular months when celebrations, holidays, and events occur: for example, justice, courage, or tolerance might be the focus value in January when the nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, his life, and his work. The booklet states that daily newspapers offer valuable content (feature stories, editorials, news articles) that support lessons about these and other values. The strategies and activities in the booklet are designed to be idea-generators. A strategy can be tried as proposed or modified to meet the needs of students. The newspaper strategies in the booklet can be coordinated with the Newspaper in Education Program (NIE) guides and supplemented with examples from history and age-appropriate literature. The booklet's format includes an introduction; a definition of the value; synonyms or key words for the value word; teaching strategies and home activities; and quotes and sayings for the classroom bulletin board and the refrigerator at home. Addresses of character education organizations and lists of various additional resources are attached. (BT)

New Mexican tinwork is a folk art tradition that developed out of Mexican and European silver work. Due to a lack of silver in New Mexico, tin became the material of choice. Rooted in European Hispanic traditions, this contemporary craft is yet another example of the resourceful ingenuity and adaptation that characterizes many New Mexican folk arts. This lesson plan, "Making a Tin Frame," includes objectives, vocabulary terms in English and Spanish, materials, motivation, procedure, evaluation, and extensions and connections. Contains nine references and the names, addresses, and phone numbers for eight tin artists. (MM)

In the 16th century the Spanish introduced marquetry techniques to the New World. The term "marquetry" applies to two different types of surface decoration: inlay and veneer; straw applique as it is practiced in New Mexico combines both techniques.) The introduction of marquetry dovetailed with the pre-Hispanic Aztec tradition of decorating surfaces with feather and shell mosaics. By the late 18th and 19th century straw and corn husks were used against dark colored wood to create a high contrast that imitated gold leaf. Twentieth century straw applique designs are both abstract and figurative and appear on crosses, candles, sconces, nichos, wall plaques, boxes, and chests. This lesson plan, "Making a Straw Applique Design," includes objectives, vocabulary terms in English and Spanish, materials, motivation, procedure, evaluation, and extensions and connections. Contains three references and names, addresses and phone numbers for three New Mexican community resource contact persons. (MM)

This book provides information supplemental to the accompanying videotape regarding the implementation and use of two-way, full-motion interactive television. Based on a study conducted by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, "Local Heroes" describes in detail how citizens have implemented the technology in small rural schools and communities in southwestern states and provides guidelines for implementing such technology. Six sections contain an overview of the role of rural schools as a focal point for the community and the role of telecommunications in preserving rural schools by providing services comparable to those in urban communities; an analysis of the technology; a "Getting Started" section, which goes from defining the primary need to bolster the curriculum, through working with the local phone company, to discussing the importance of the teacher to the success of the technology; guidelines and suggestions for implementation; a prototype detailing procedures for implementing full-motion interactive video in small rural schools; and a narrative depiction and history of six projects in the states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Appendices discuss existing research and give further details on the implementation process and the research methodology used. Contains 39 references. (TD)

The BUILD Program (Businesses United to Increase Literacy Development) was conducted from June 1991 through December 1992 as a cooperative workplace literacy program joining Arapahoe Community College and four companies in Littleton, Colorado. This document consists of two modules for the reading and language instruction classes of the program. The first module, by Jennifer Burkhart, contains the following 10 lessons: learning styles, using questions, patterns of organization in written material, logical fallacies, using exacting words, words and their symbols, following directions, writing detail-oriented instructions and sequencing, training directions, and review of reading and language competencies. Lessons include an objective, required materials, allotted time, outlines of activities with instructor's notes, appendixes containing handouts or transparency masters, and individual student activities. The second module, by Mark Sullivan, contains eight lessons for instruction in reading and language for English as a Second Language. Lessons are as follows: "get the picture," vocabulary builder, structure and pronouns, the diary, the period and the paragraph, the word exchange, and the memo exchange. Lesson plans include an objective, required materials, time allotted, and activities. Worksheets are provided in an appendix. (KC)

The BUILD Program (Businesses United to Increase Literacy Development) was conducted from June 1991 through December 1992 as a cooperative workplace literacy program joining Arapahoe Community College and four companies in Littleton, Colorado. This document consists of two modules for the mathematics (computation) classes of the program. The first module, "Workplace Learning Skills," by Jennifer Burkhart, contains four lessons that cover the following: a pretest (from the General Educational Development mathematics book), calculators in the workplace, parts of the whole, and graphs and charts of quality control. Lessons include an objective, required materials, allotted time, outlines of activities with instructor's notes, appendixes containing handouts or transparency masters of practice computations, and individual student activities. The second module, by Mark Sullivan, contains three lessons for instruction in computation in English as a Second Language. Topics are whole numbers, basic mathematical functions, and the national debt. Lesson plans include an objective, required materials, time allotted, and activities. Worksheets are provided in an appendix. (KC)

The BUILD Program (Businesses United to Increase Literacy Development) was conducted from June 1991 through December 1992 as a cooperative workplace literacy program joining Arapahoe Community College and four companies in Littleton, Colorado. This document consists of two modules for the communication skills classes of the program. The first module, "Workplace Learning Skills," by Jennifer Burkhart, contains six lessons on the following topics: communication methods, communication barriers, the roles people play in teams, presentations, managing conflicts in teams, and giving and receiving criticism. Lessons include an objective, required materials, allotted time, outlines of activities with instructor's notes, appendixes containing handouts or transparency masters, and outlines of individual student activities. The second module, "English as a Second Language" (ESL) by Mark Sullivan, contains 14 lessons or segments for instruction in ESL. They are as follows: personal introductions, the American alphabet, sounds, spelling, "Wheel of Fortune,""Jeopardy," important words, "what?," directions and positions, following directions, giving directions, question and answer charades, and a communication rating quiz. Lesson plans include an objective, required materials, time allotted, and an activity. Worksheets are provided in an appendix. (KC)

Designed to help members of the education and health systems work closely together at the community, state, and national levels, these two booklets present concrete steps to ensure the well-being of all children by educating and connecting the education and health sectors. The first booklet is aimed at education professionals. After discussing the ways in which the health care system works in the public and private sectors, the booklet provides concrete suggestions for working with the health care systems in the school, district, community, and policy arena. The second booklet, aimed at health professionals, explains the organization of the education system at the local, state, and federal levels. This booklet also gives suggestions for ways to work with schools, including ways to design activities and generate state support. Each booklet provides a list of resources for supporting collaborative health and education activities in the community. (MM)

The Body Logic Program for Adolescents was developed as a two-stage intervention to prevent the development of eating disorder symptoms. Preliminary results indicate that this program shows promise as an effective prevention effort. The current article provides a detailed description of the protocol for implementing Body Logic Part I, a school-based intervention. A brief review of Body Logic Part II, an intensive family-based intervention for high-risk students, is also provided. Examples of exercises are introduced and goals for practitioners are discussed. The authors hope that by providing this in-depth description of the protocol, researchers and clinicians can use this program in future prevention efforts.

This book is designed to enhance understanding of what is important for parents, coaches, and teachers to know when making choices about non-school-based programs for children. The book begins with "Preface" (Patricia A. Sullivan" and "Introduction" (Liane M. Summerfield.) The first section, "Team Sports" (Danny R. Mielke), which applies to a variety of popular youth sports, discusses what developmentally appropriate means and presents instructional methods for sports programs, noting the content that youth sport programs for children of varying ages should include and focusing on safety. The second section, "Gymnastics," (Susan M. Tendy and Carmine Giglio), describes what progression in gymnastics looks like from 18 months to 18 years. It offers benchmarks to help parents determine whether a program is right for their child. The third section, "Dance," (Gayle Kassing), explores the various settings for dance instruction and what to expect in each type of dance program. It outlines the types of dance offered in each setting and provides tips to help parents select the right type of dance program and dance teacher. An appendix offers a chart of the progression of physical activity skills for team sports, gymnastics, and dance. (Chapters contain references.) (SM)

Noting that the persistence of hunger and food insecurity in the United States is an issue of pressing social and public health concern, this study examined the magnitude and severity of hunger and food insecurity in U.S. households in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data were obtained from the August 1998, April 1999, and September 2000 Food Security Supplements of the Current Population Survey, a survey of about 50,000 households at state and national levels. The full interviewed sample represents the total national and state-level non-institutionalized population. Among the major findings of the study were that over 11 million households containing more than 33 million individuals reported limited or uncertain access to sufficient food due to inadequate resources. Nearly 3.3 million households reported hunger. At the state level, food insecurity and hunger varied considerably during 1998 to 2000, with the prevalence of food insecurity ranging from a low of 7.5 percent of households in New Hampshire to a high of 15.9 percent in New Mexico. The national rate was 10.8 percent. A band of states running from the Pacific Northwest through the Gulf of Mexico continues to demonstrate higher than average food insecurity and hunger rates. California, Texas, and Florida accounted for nearly a third of all individuals living in food insecure households. (Data tables present state prevalence rates of food insecurity and hunger, number of food insecure and hungry households, number of individuals in food insecure and hungry households--adults and children, and estimated margins of error for numbers of individuals in food insecure and hungry households--adults and children). (KB)

Outlines an innovative way of teaching "World History Since 1500" at Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama) called the "great roads" approach, centered upon important roads in a country's history. Presents the "Veracruz to Mexico City corridor" case study used to teach a Latin American modern history course. (CMK)

This report provides the most recent data on the food security of United States households. Based on studies using the Food Security Core Module (FSCM), a tool facilitating direct documentation of the extent of food insecurity and hunger caused by income limitations, this report summarizes 35 studies representing 20 states and Canada. The report is presented in three parts. Part 1 provides information on concepts, definitions, and resources related to food security measurement. Part 2 contains three indices to help readers locate material: (1) study location index; (2) population group/topic index; and (3) state index. Part 3 contains study summaries, each presented in two formats. The first provides information on the objectives, methods, and key findings and conclusions of the study along with information on obtaining the report. The second is a technical summary giving more detailed information on the instrument, methods, and implementation of the study. The technical summaries allow for comparisons across studies regarding specific issues. The preface to the report notes that there are now 5 consecutive years of national data on household food security and that state-level food security prevalence rates for 1996 to 1998 are available. In addition, specific at-risk populations are considered in a growing number of studies, including food stamp or welfare recipients, emergency food assistance recipients, legal immigrants, and general low-income populations. Finally, the locally initiated studies included in this report model the innovative collaborations between various non-profit organizations that make these studies feasible and maximize their impact on advocacy for improved local programs and policies. (KB)

Discusses the advantages of teaching with open-ended tasks and compares students' responses to open-ended, closed-area, and perimeter tasks. (ASK)

This book and its accompanying video highlights three interpersonal approaches to instructional improvement, observation skills, and the complete reflective clinical supervision process. Based on the principles of reflective practice, the kit is a professional development tool for educational leaders and staff members. Chapter 1, "Cycles of Professional Development," provides the framework for the staff development process recommended in the manual and outlines the different cycles that can be offered. Chapter 2, "Materials That Support the Professional Development Cycles," expands on the materials presented in the various cycles. If offers some background on listening and communication skills, feedback approaches, and the clinical supervision cycle, and it includes examples of all of the observation tools that participants use in the workshops. Chapter 3, "Alternative Approaches to Supervision and Next Steps," introduces six alternative approaches to classroom supervision (cognitive coaching, mentoring, peer coaching, portfolios for differentiated supervision, peer assessment, and action research) and helps participants formulate their ideas and beliefs about supervision and think about next steps. Four resources include: workshop overheads, observation practice sheets, a feedback form, and crib cards. (Contains 102 references.) (SM)

Examines the work of the college or university chief financial officer (CFO) in government relations, focusing on the CFO's responsibilities, methods of working with state legislatures, pitfalls in legislative relations, and special problems faced by institutions in capital cities. (Author/MSE)

Describes the first year of an ongoing professional-development project that engaged 37 middle school teachers in roles that promoted them as active learners and decision makers. (ASK)

Discusses the role and value of scaffolding student discussions in advancing students' ability to coconstruct theories and models from data they have collected while investigating floating and sinking. (Author/CCM)

The handbook is designed to help educators who are considering the establishment of a career resource center. Based primarily on the writer's experience, the document is intended to provide practical assistance in the organization of a high school career resource center. The document is organized around the eight chapter headings of determination of role, physical facilities, staff, public relations, collection of information, delivery system, evaluation, and job placement. The appendixes make up half of the document and include material used in implementing career resource centers in New Jersey: career center floor plans, correspondence, forms, careers related to subject areas, an explanatory flyer for students, and evaluation instruments. (LJ)

A comprehensive overview of major issues involved in educating the public about health, with emphasis on methods and approaches designed to foster community participation in health planning, is presented in this guide. It is intended to provide ideas for those engaged in health education program development with ideas for use in planning, implementing, and evaluating health education programs. The guide starts with a presentation of reasons for placing high priority on health education. One chapter considers the need for policies on defining health education, involving many persons in decision making, and establishing a process and structure for planning. Most of the guide focuses on steps in the planning process as they relate to health education: defining problems, setting goals, designing plans, implementing plans, and evaluating programs. A health education program development scorecard pulls together the highlights of the guide in a form that can be used either as a checklist during program development or as a self-evaluation tool after completion of a plan or a program. Sources of assistance to health planning agencies are suggested, including staff, local and state organizations, regional resources, and national agencies; a list of references cited in all chapters is included. (TA)

Designed to help teachers plan activities for National Women's History Week, this eighth grade curriculum guide on U.S. women in history contains classroom activities, daily announcement suggestions, information about how to conduct an oral history project, short biographies of notable women, and suggested community and school activities. The classroom activities focus around prominent and minority women; deal with sexual bias and discrimination; and include suggestions for reports, essays, library research projects, and puzzles and quizzes which are reproduced within the guide. Notable women in the disciplines of language arts, mathematics, science, fine arts, athletics, and education, and women whose philosophies have been historically important are the focus of the short biographies. Suggested form letters that can be adapted and sent to community resource women, school superintendents, principals, and history departments are provided. The guide also contains a textbook analysis checklist and a 15-page bibliography on women in general and U.S. Asian, Pacific, Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Alaskan women. The appendices contain three "Facts on U.S. Working Women" published in 1985 by the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau. (DJC)

This report analyzes attitudinal and situational differences between dropouts and non-dropouts from Ontario's secondary school system. The analysis is based on the results of telephone interviews with 1,400 Ontario residents who attended secondary school in the province and who were between the ages of 18 and 30, 700 of whom dropped out of school before graduation and 700 of whom graduated from high school. Two hundred of the dropouts and 200 of the graduates comprised a special subsample of Franco-Ontarians; data for this subsample is examined separately in the report. The report is divided into 10 sections. Part 1, Introduction, discusses research limitations and describes characteristics of the sample. Part 2 examines family and demographic background. Part 3 looks at the consequences of dropping out in the areas of employment, occupation and income, gender differences in occupation and income, and marital status. Part 4 discusses attitudes toward education. Part 5 looks at the types of schools attended by respondents, the courses they took, and their grades. Part 6 considers the situation and attitudes of dropouts and part 7 looks at the dropouts' later education experiences. Part 8 describes the non-dropouts. Part 9 examines family structure and support. A summary and discussion are included in part 10. (NB)

This autoinstructional lesson deals with lessons in marine biology. A student will have experiences with both animal and plant life living in a salt water marsh environment. The student guide states the objectives to be attained and general directions for using the equipment and materials as well as a script. Approximately 30 minutes, including viewing time of the slides, is required. A list of vocabulary terms and a short bibliography are included on the teacher's guide. A student vocabulary sheet is presented. (EB)

A study of homework strategies with regular and special education elementary school teachers led to guidelines concerning development of innovative homework assignments, use of a homework planner, teaching of study skills, and ways of involving parents and encouraging peer support. (DB)

This interdisciplinary curriculum guide resource kit focuses on 19th-century Euro-American painters of the Hudson River School. Lessons are designed to encourage student recognition of the significant impact of North American Indians, the natural environment, and the romantic period writers and philosophers artists and their work. The guide organizes lessons into six unit chapters as follows: (1) "What is Nature?"; (2) "Euro-American Art before the Hudson River School"; (3) "North American Indians and Nature"; (4) "Early American Writers and Nature"; (5) "Early American Artists and Nature": and (6) "The Final Years of the Hudson River School and the Legacy Thereafter." Each chapter refers to an art exemplar that is included in the resource kit as a color poster and is reproduced as black and white in the text and presents several lessons or activities based on the chapter theme. Activities include art making, map reading, poetry writing, journal keeping, and nature observations. Each chapter provides achievement standards, objectives, needed materials, motivating or art making activities, discussion, assessment, and extension suggestions. Artists' and authors' background information is given when relevant. This curriculum resource guide contains reproducible masters, resource lists (24 items), and National Visual Arts Standards are given, and color prints. A video and color prints may be ordered separately. (MM)

Describes an interdisciplinary course team taught by instructors from the sociology and drama departments. The course used dramatic literature to complement and illustrate sociological works examining such basic concepts as economic dislocation, racism, and deviance. Includes a table of the sociological works and their dramatic counterparts. (MJP)

Teachers and students can view the world of animals together through an exploration of how-and-why questions about animals in this curriculum unit. The problem-solving and critical thinking skills of students are improved through interactive activities involving oral and written communication, mathematics, creative arts, music, dance, and creative movement. This program is organized around the concepts of animal sizes and shapes, animal textures and patterns, animal colors, animal sounds, styles of animal locomotion and feeding, and animal survival needs. The material also provides a foundation for a more advanced understanding of ecology, biology, and conservation. The program components contained in this kit include: 6 student books, 48 student activity sheets, videotape, audiotape cassettes, 6 classroom posters, family handbook, and teachers' manual. The six illustrated student books cover topics on anteaters and bats, spiny lizards and speckled racers, red pandas and golden toads, singing whales and trumpeting elephants, flying flycatchers and drilling sapsuckers, and the differences among living and non-living things. (DDR)

This booklet is designed to provide resources, insights, and descriptions about concepts, approaches, activities, and ideas associated with mentoring. Following a brief introduction, the booklet is divided into five sections. The first section discusses concepts of mentoring, focusing on the ambiguous and fluid nature of mentoring. The second section describes approaches to mentoring, summarizing four specific programs. It also discusses the who, what, when, and where of mentoring programs. Activities for mentoring are discussed in the next section These include determining goals; listening; building rapport; sharing information and sources; laughing and crying; speaking the native tongue; challenging for high achievement; identifying strengths and weaknesses; coaching for development; providing appropriate support; developing the mentoring abilities of others; and redefining the mentor's role. Ideas and ideals for mentoring are discussed in the fourth section, focusing on getting and keeping the vision. The final section discusses making a plan for mentoring. Twenty-two references are included. (ABL)

Systems biology has experienced dramatic growth in the number, size, and complexity of computational models. To reproduce simulation results and reuse models, researchers must exchange unambiguous model descriptions. We review the latest edition of the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML), a format designed for this purpose. A community of modelers and software authors developed SBML Level 3 over the past decade. Its modular form consists of a core suited to representing reaction-based models and packages that extend the core with features suited to other model types including constraint-based models, reaction-diffusion models, logical network models, and rule-based models. The format leverages two decades of SBML and a rich software ecosystem that transformed how systems biologists build and interact with models. More recently, the rise of multiscale models of whole cells and organs, and new data sources such as single-cell measurements and live imaging, has precipitated new ways of integrating data with models. We provide our perspectives on the challenges presented by these developments and how SBML Level 3 provides the foundation needed to support this evolution., source:https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/msb.20199110

Investigates and explores questions and activities on pets. Students explore number sense and operations, logical reasoning, data analysis, and algebra. (Author/NB)

Describes a year-long, schoolwide project that brings the ocean environment into the classroom and develops cross-disciplinary understandings for students. Presents details of the physical environment within the school, the history of the project, and the rationale and advantages. (DDR)

Presenting their Integrated Model for Training and Supervision of teachers, the authors outline the sequential steps in its use. (MD)

This curriculum guide is designed to train students in the competencies necessary to meet the needs of the automated office in entry-level information processing positions. The guide is organized into 16 units that are correlated with the essential elements for the business information processing course. Introductory materials include a scope and sequence outline, information on use of the instructional units, and suggested teaching strategies. Each unit, which covers more than one lesson or period of instruction, includes the following components: curriculum outline with unit objective, learning objective, generalization or purpose, content outline, learning experience, and evaluation; resource list; competency checklist; unit overview; learning activities; and competency tests. The 16 units are divided into 5 sections as follows: (1) contemporary office systems (information processing in the automated office, successful employment); (2) related skills for information processing (keyboarding skills, business communication skills, proofreading information, formatting business documents, transcription skills); (3) processing information (word processing concepts, document production); (4) information management (records management, database management, electronic spreadsheet applications, financial management); and (5) information distribution (telecommunications, graphics, desktop publishing). Appendixes include information on lesson plans, essential elements, lists of resource organizations, and information on curriculum modification for special needs students. (YLB)