The Children's Action Alliance (CAA) is a private nonprofit organization working on behalf of Arizona children. The CAA and other groups sponsor the Arizona Children's Campaign, whose goal is to influence public policy in such a way that the quality of children's lives will be improved as a result. This synopsis of CAA reports of the last several…

Arizona has compiled one of the most dismal records in the country for addressing children's needs. For example, at the time of this report, the state ranked last in state support of early childhood education and graduated fewer high school students than 47 other states. Hopeful signs of citizens' concern have recently been found in results of a…

"The Mentoring Toolkit 2.0: Resources for Developing Programs for Incarcerated Youth" provides information, program descriptions, and links to important resources that can assist juvenile correctional facilities and other organizations to design effective mentoring programs for neglected and delinquent youth, particularly those who are…

Based on theory and research, social aspects like friendship and sense of relatedness are fundamental in the development of children's cultural identity and achievement of outcomes. It is argued that this is a motivational aspect often neglected in research studies focusing on students' motivation and learning. Theory and research on motivation…

In the school's conception of learning, the cultural aspect of children's play has often been lacking. In different countries, it is emphasized that play is important for learning (Dockett and Fleer, Play and pedagogy in early childhood: Bending the rules. Harcourt Brace & Comp, Sydney, "1999"; Lillemyr, Nordisk Pedagogik/Nordic…

Seeking solutions for a troubled child welfare system, the Children's Action Alliance in Arizona held four forums throughout the state in 1997 at which participants were invited to give testimony on their experiences with the child welfare system--its positives and negatives--and their solutions for change. Along with their comments, this report…

Of 1,155 American Indian children with behavioral or emotional problems or with a history of abuse or neglect, 67 percent were identified in the survey as abused or neglected. Thirteen tables detail frequency of abuse and neglect by age, sex, living situation, psychiatric symptoms, drug use, school expulsion or running away, and other factors.…

This brief illustrates how digital learning opportunities and technology can significantly increase access to high-quality learning materials, curricula, and effective online learning tools to help youth in secure care settings develop expertise in shaping personalized learning and future goals. The brief also offers takeaways that practitioners,…

A synthesis of data and major recommendations from foster care studies undertaken by the states of Arizona, California, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont, this report focuses on areas needing improvement. Covered in detail are: (1) the foster care system, its programs and goals; (2) foster children and their natural and foster families; (3) agency…