Research Into Practice: Innovations and International Perspectives‪.‬

Our 21st century children live in a time of global interaction that impacts their books, movies, toys, and television programming. They view images of children living in third-world or industrialized nations, share books written in more than one language or translated from another culture, and play with toys designed for the world's children. Since they are aware of how others in the world live, should our schools and educational systems ignore what is happening beyond our state and national borders? Shouldn't we become more informed about innovations and international perspectives so that we can access the best ideas and question practices that are less than ideal? In addition, we need to anticipate our changing school population's backgrounds and educational needs. This issue contains a wealth of studies that present innovative practices and question our assumptions about bilingualism, parent programs, and teaching. Usually when we seek solutions for enhancing children's academic performance, we anticipate that these answers must entail complicated strategies or technology that we currently lack. Perhaps the best solutions are more straightforward than we think they will be. Instead, we decide to adopt whole curricula or approaches without considering the culture or the context for which these were designed. We assume that what works in one country may be equally effective in another and fail to examine the philosophical or theoretical foundations that provided the basis for this particular program. Within this issue, readers will discover thoughtful examinations of bilingualism and acculturation along with the impact of parent and homework programs. You may be surprised by what you learn from each of the nine articles.