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This issue begins a five-part series that uses demographic projections as the starting point for examining some of the forces that will shape public education in the years ahead. It provides an overview of broad demographic trends, including the growing number of school-age youngsters, the increasing diversity of the student population, and the large number of children still living in poverty. After "Children of Change: Overview," the report discusses "School-Age 'Milleni-boom' Predicted for Next 100 Years"; "Minority Groups to Emerge as a Majority in U.S. Schools"; "Mixed Needs of Immigrants Pose Challenges for Schools"; and "High Poverty among Young Makes Schools' Jobs Harder." Each section includes a variety of charts on such issues as: population trends; minority populations on the rise; the new minority (non-Hispanic whites); the largest foreign-born populations in the United States; where immigrants are settling; parents' education levels; child poverty by state; children in working-poor families; and child poverty by race and ethnicity. (SM)

The article reports that Networks for School Improvement program, in the U.S. are helping educators to use continuous improvement methods to advance equity in education. It provides examples of how Networks for School Improvement have been used to improve education.It also discusses the importance of centering equity, elevating teacher leadership and student voice, and using data-driven decision-making.

Many groups have historically been excluded from clinical research. It has required vigorous, long-term advocacy efforts for better inclusion of women and children across racial and ethnic groups. To understand who is included in clinical research, data are required. A personal journey of advocacy requiring the National Institutes of Health to report inclusion in clinical studies by age was ultimately accomplished by federal legislation.

Hal Leonard Corporation, 2019. www.halleonard.com; 31 pp., $9.99. Early-Later-Elementary/Early-Mid-Intermediate. Following the death of Lynn Freeman Olson in 1987, the late William Gillock encouraged the Willis Music Company to publish some [...]

Background: In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued statements calling for aggressive actions to reduce the dangers of firearms to children and adolescents, including removing handguns from homes with children and working toward a ban on the manufacture, sale, and private possession of handguns. Objectives: To determine the extent to which pediatricians support these positions against firearms and to describe the demographic and practice determinants of their views. Interventions: In 1994, data were obtained from 982 pediatricians involved in direct patient care in a national, random-sample survey of American Academy of Pediatrics members (response rate, 68.9%). This article focuses on 4 areas: (1) recent experience treating gun injuries, (2) attitudes toward legislation to reduce the availability of guns, (3) attitudes toward gun safety counseling by pediatricians, and (4) current gun safety counseling practices. Wherever possible, [chi square] and t tests were used to compare responses to a similar 1988 survey of American Academy of Pediatrics members. Logistic regression was used to examine the multivariate relationships between the outcome variables and demographic and practice characteristics of the responding pediatricians. Results: Almost 1 in 5 pediatricians treated a gun injury in the past 12 months. In 1988, 86.5% of pediatricians supported restricting the sale and possession of handguns; in 1994, support for such legislation increased to 92.5% (P [is less than] .01). Also in 1994, 76% supported banning the sale or possession of handguns. Most respondents (82%) believe anticipatory guidance on firearm safety can reduce injury and death; 95% support asking parents to unload and lock firearms, and 66% support encouraging parents to remove handguns from the home. Current counseling practices lag behind attitudinal support of anticipatory guidance on firearm safety (eg, half of respondents report never identifying families with firearms in the home). Demographic factors as well as professional experience were found to affect attitudes (eg, women, older pediatricians, and those who did not own guns were more likely to support gun-control legislation; and pediatricians who have recently treated gun injuries and those practicing in the inner city are more likely to counsel families about gun safety). Conclusions: The data indicate that practicing pediatricians overwhelmingly agree that handguns in the home are hazardous and that steps should be taken to reduce this hazard through legislation and patient counseling. They support the policies on firearms and handguns of the American Academy of Pediatrics; most support even the strongest recommendation, which is a ban on handguns. A substantial lag between attitudes that favor counseling about firearms and reported practices indicates the need for further training in and evaluation of firearm counseling in office settings. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151:352-359, Pediatricians appear to agree that handguns constitute a danger to children and teenagers that should be addressed, but their practices may not reflect their attitudes. A survey of 982 pediatricians revealed that 82% believed counselling families could reduce handgun injuries and deaths, 95% supported unloading and locking up guns, and 66% supported removing guns from the household. However, half reported never asking parents if they had guns in the household, half reported never telling parents to remove guns from the household, and over one-third never recommended unloading and locking up guns.

Crime and disorder have been prevalent in public housing developments since the 1960s. Various attempts, ranging from physical design modifications to intensive law enforcement strategies, have been made to combat these problems. The Chicago Housing Authority's Public Housing Drug Elimination Program (PHDEP), an extensive anticrime initiative, involves sweeping buildings for drugs and weapons, improving security, removing unauthorized tenants, responding to residents' needs for services and maintenance, and implementing drug prevention and intervention programs. This study surveyed respondents' perceptions of PHDEP's effects on drugs and crime in two housing developments chosen for their preexisting differences in crime rates and population stability. Overall, respondents in the better organized development reported more favorable perceptions of PHDEP's impact. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and public policy.

Building a lunch business requires clear signs, separate registers and other features to get shoppers in the door and then back to the office on time Lunch business is big, [...]

How supermarket chefs manage hot and cold favorites Pasta is a simple pleasure for supermarkets. Simple, because it's easy to make; a pleasure, because it's a money-maker. Can special pasta [...]

To examine pediatricians' attitudes toward public policies for low-income children and the advocacy efforts for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

What is the most important school-related factor in student learning? The answer is teachers. The trouble is the effectiveness of individual teachers and schools vanes widely A critical issue for [...]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in the August 22, 1960 issue including "The Era of Non-B," "Read Faster and Better," and the article on the new medical center at West Virginia University.

Teach your students how a delicate touch and an eye for balance can turn paint and plastic foam into a colorful sculpture. I asked the girls and boys in nay [...]

AbstractMany adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) self-identify as religious, but the role of religion in their NSSI is not known. This exploratory study examined the relationship between religious coping and religiousness among adolescents who self-injure and the function of their NSSI. Thirty adolescents aged 12–19 years who had engaged in NSSI participated in an interview and completed questionnaires. Multiple regressions were used to examine the relationship between religious coping and NSSI, and Pearson correlations were used to assess the relationship between religiousness and function of NSSI. Greater use of positive religious coping was associated with lower likelihood of engaging in NSSI to rid oneself of unwanted emotions, whereas greater use of negative religious coping was associated with greater likelihood of engaging in NSSI for this reason as well as to avoid punishment or unwanted responsibility. Higher religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to communicate with or gain attention from others, whereas lower religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to relieve unwanted emotions. Having a greater understanding of how religious constructs are related to the various functions served by NSSI may inform treatment of this population, particularly among religious youth who self-injure.

Slip a soft aluminum wire or soft copper wire through one of the many holes in a piece or corrugated cardboard, and you have made a straight flag on a [...]

The article discusses the benefits of online tools in building new pathways for educational collaboration when implementing the Common Core State Standards. The teachers have expressed a strong need for Common Core-aligned resources and teacher-to-teacher networks to support and own expertise for professional learning. It reveals that technology like online lessons and streaming videos can become powerful tools for teachers to explore and share best practices to implement the Common Core.

Little is known about the current state of residency education with respect to counseling parents about media usage and whether trainees consider it to be adequate.

The present study is an exploratory investigation assessing the role of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others in adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Participants included a diverse sample of self-injuring adolescents (N= 30). Results indicated that lack of self-forgiveness was associated with engaging in NSSI for specific reasons related to the regulation of emotions and social functioning, namely to get rid of unwanted emotions, to feel something due to feeling numb or empty, and to communicate with others. Lack of self-forgiveness was also associated with greater lifetime frequency of NSSI. No relationship was found between forgiveness of others and NSSI. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to Dialectical Behavior Therapy for NSSI, traditional forgiveness interventions, and treatment of youth who engage in NSSI.

This study explored spirituality as an aspect of support for nurses grieving the loss of patients. Previous research has sought to understand the grief support needs of nurses; spirituality is one support nurses describe. Fifty-eight nurses responded to questions related to spirituality from a Needs Assessment Questionnaire (NAQ) designed to study grief support for nurses. Nurses reported spirituality as important in their daily lives (75) and in helping them cope with patient-related grief (70), and cited spiritual-based resources as beneficial in coping. Spirituality can play an important role in coping with grief and should be included in nurses' support.

This study examines whether having a regular clinician for preventive care is associated with quality of care for young children, as measured by interpersonal quality ratings and content of anticipatory guidance.

The article discusses the school district in Montgomery County, Maryland and its approach to improving academic achievement. Superintendent Jerry D. Weast found a pattern in the county's demographics in that the community's poor, non-English speaking population lived in one area and the wealthier Caucasian members lived in the other area. The county initiated programs to shorten the achievement gap through measures like funding, Advanced Placement courses, and class size.

The article discusses potential changes in the ways in which teachers are compensated. The author states that the traditional methods of paying teachers based upon education and experience may be changing toward a more performance-based system. The author states that student achievement may become a defining factor in how teachers are compensated.

The article presents a comparison between human resource practices in public schools with similar practices in the corporate sector. The author states that schools lacked in comparison, with teachers possessing less academic ability than other college graduates. The author also discusses a plan for better management of human capital by schools in its 2008 annual "Quality Counts" report.

This article focuses on an experimental measure in place in New York City schools in which the central office has given up budgetary and instructional power to individual schools. School Chancellor Joel I. Klein says that the measure granting schools school autonomy is intended to encourage innovation. In 2002 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took control of the city's school and the ability to appoint members of a single board of education and Klein.

The article focuses on the National College for School Leadership in England. The college is England's "credentialing authority," deciding what the curriculum of the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) will be comprised of and how the program is to be taught. Students are required to prepare a school improvement project that the students put into effect. Arthur Levine, formerly of Columbia University, singled the school out as a model for educational leader training.

The article focuses on improving education and training programs for school principals in the U.S. The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) is part of a network of charter schools that train their own administrators and selects applicants who have a proven record of working well with adults. Gene Bottoms of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) talks about the growing focus on curriculum as a subject that has become more common in principal training.

The article presents the Long Beach Unified District in California as an example of how a school district can sustain school improvement over time. Superintendent Carl Cohn mandated a standards-based curriculum and assessment program, created partnerships with colleges and universities, and enforced school uniforms. After Cohn's tenure from 1992 to 2002, Christopher Steinhauser utilized similar strategies in the high schools. The article discusses other policies that contributed to success.

The article discusses college and career readiness and the educational obligations schools have to prepare students for work and higher education. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network data is cited. The need for a certain level of math, science, writing and communication ability in work and career is reported.

The article discusses schools in Moriarty, New Mexico that use the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) to electronically assess students' reading skills. Through a Reading First grant, the school district was able to buy DIBELS and use formative assessments to help teachers by performing instant reading evaluation tests that provide educators with ideas for instruction methods. Components of the system are described as are the collaborative meetings among teachers. INSETS: 'Just-in-Time' Tests Change What Classrooms Do Next;DIBELS Involved In 'Reading First' Controversies.

The article focuses on college education in the United States. According to the article, the U.S. ranks seventh place among countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development of younger adults for people ages 25 to 34. The country's college participation rates have remained the same since the early 1990s. Details are given for college tuition rates, students' readiness for college and educational attainment by age.

The author points to differing socioeconomic backgrounds as a major factor in disparities in school readiness in the United States. She reports that children who attend quality early-childhood education programs are less likely to drop out of school, repeat grades, or need special education than children without such experiences. Information on "School Readiness" "Preschool Enrollment Patterns" and "Preschool Split" is included graphically.

The author ties disparities in children's achievement to factors beyond the U.S. educational system. Changing demographics, health care, concentrated poverty, and an economy stratified by wealth all are issues cited as influences on inequality in education. Without social, economic, and education reforms, the author concludes, cycles of poverty will continue. Includes graphics illustrating "Language Landscape" and "Disparities in Degrees. "

The author states that, in order for Americans to make the most of education opportunities, learning should build on itself beginning in infancy and continuing through adulthood. Her point is illustrated with charts detailing "A Shaky Start," "Attainment Divide," "Persistent Reading Gaps," and "Growth in Graduation. " Socioeconomic and race factors are cited as affecting educational opportunities in U.S. society.

The article focuses on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which will be renewed in 2007. Many policy makers believe the reauthorization will take place after the 2008 presidential elections. Democrats will try to emphasize funding for the bill which they say the Republican-led Congress has not committed to. Details are given for specifics of the NCLB Act including national standards, measuring growth, students with disabilities and sanctions for underperforming schools.

Precocious readers represent a small portion of children who enter school each year. Researchers have investigated the environmental characteristics, acquisition process, psycholinguistic and neuropsychological characteristics, and academic skills of these children. Despite the research findings in the area, researchers and clinicians are still unable to predict who these children will be, describe how precocious readers fit into our current theories of emergent literacy and reading development, and confidently state whether this knowledge could be generalized beyond the precocious reader to the typically reading child. Forty years of research in this area is reviewed. Suggestions for improving the accessibility and generalizability of knowledge about precocious readers are provided.

The article reports on statistics related to the measurement of adequate yearly progress, or AYP, under the United States' No Child Left Behind Act. According to the article, the number of schools meeting AYP fell from 75 percent to 71 percent. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, all students must be proficient, by 2014, on state reading and mathematics tests, including subgroups of students who are poor, speak limited English, belong to racial or ethnic minority groups.

The article reports that keeping a track of students' achievement will help more students to leave with diplomas from high schools. The school districts and states can build a strong electronic data system which can keep a track of students so that teachers can find when and why students are drifting away from schools. There are 15 to 20 indicators which the school districts might acknowledge tracking from the attendance rates to course failures. A school district would be suggested to govern an individual study of associates of students from grade 6th through graduation to see which one has the prophetic power for the community.

The article reports that young high school students who do not complete high school have blank economic and social prospects. Their chances of earning a living wage are gloomy in an increasingly competing global economy. High school graduates during 2003 earned 34 percent more than those without a high school diploma. Students who do not complete their high school are likely to be four times more unemployed than the college graduates. They are more likely to end up in prison or on welfare and they die at a younger age.

The article reports that many states are trying to connect education from preschool through postsecondary, as they are faced with stiffer economic competition and are worried about the skills of their future workforces. The aim is to prepare people for further study, work, and citizenship. In 2004, Kentucky's postsecondary council adopted a statewide placement policy. This spring, the state's public postsecondary institutions awarded nearly 24,000 degrees, diplomas, and certificates, a historic high that exceeded last year's record by 19.9 percent.

This article focuses on the need of preparing students for both work and college in a changing economy in the U.S. According to Billy Harper, president of Harper Industries, just finding warm bodies is hard in itself and then finding the skills and the traits that employers are looking for makes it even more difficult. Figuring out what employers want has become an urgent issue as educators try to retool schools to prepare students in the changing world. And, so far, there are no clear-cut answers. Studies show that employers typically put school achievement below other qualities and attributes--such as attendance, timeliness, social skills and work ethic.

The article focuses on issues related to college preparation programs in the U.S. One of the overarching goals of the national push to redesign high schools is increasing the number of students who graduate ready for college. Yet pinning down what people mean by college readiness and how to measure it is no easy task. It is really like the dropout issue, said Michael W. Kirst, a professor of education at Stanford University. There are multiple definitions, with no clear consensus on which one is the most appropriate.

The article discusses the changes in the educational law and legislation in the U.S. Policy leaders in the U.S. are concerned about global competitiveness and widening income gaps within the U.S. society. They are arguing for a closer connection between K-12 and post-secondary education, on the assumption that decent-paying jobs with opportunities for advancement will require at least some education beyond high school, as well as lifelong learning to adjust to a fluid labor market. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education has warned that if current trends continue, the proportion of workers with high school diplomas and college degrees will decrease and the personal incomes of Americans will drop over the next 15 years.