Alternative high schools have an important place in our educational system, since exellence in education must mean more than improving the abilities of those who are succeeding in our present school environment. A list of suggestions (nine "dos" and four "don'ts") are offered for consideration before establishing such a school. (MCG)

Development of programs for the gifted requires planning (at the school and classroom levels) based on a conception of gifted education and consideration of goals, content, differentiation strategies, and organizational form. Program operation involves subprocesses of program adoption, program delivery, and program institutionalization. (DB)

Immediate steps must be taken to construct a plan to help middle school students make the transition to the high school. A Program Evaluation and Review Technique model for helping to construct such an articulation plan is provided in this article, and program sequence and timeline charts are included. (DCS)

College alumni directors are finding that alumni want more than parties at their reunions and are overcoming attendance slumps with creative, substantive programing. Ideas include faculty seminars on topics of current interest, sometimes integrated with professional continuing education, alumni panel discussions, involving the family, involving…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper reviews the literature defining "mainstreaming," notes that mainstreaming is not the wholesale return of exceptional students from…

Planning and management suggestions are offered to administrators developing gifted programs in rural settings. Emphasis on making effective use of limited time and personnel, creativity in financing and transportation, and dealing sensitively with community feelings. (Author/DB)

The paper addresses the need to define terms used in vision training before successful programs can be formulated. Critical behaviors in three categories (visual attending, visual examining, and visually guided motor) are considered as are program alternatives focusing on visual environment management, visual skills training, and visually…

Guidelines for promoting gifted education programs are offered, including being judicious in promotion efforts, developing support among different role groups, and strengthening support within role groups (e.g., teachers, parents, students, administrators, community leaders, policymakers, and business leaders). A cyclic model of advocacy stages is…

The president of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education talks about why college advancement officers need to rethink, restructure, and communicate better about their fund-raising campaigns, in light of public perceptions that the institutions are greedy and not managing resources efficiently. Emphasis is on carefully defining…

A strategy, based on organizational change literature, for establishing a college program for learning-disabled students includes such crucial steps as assessing the change effort (nature of the change, environmental factors, initiators of change), establishing a campaign plan (program and decision centers), and developing deployment tactics…

Proposes the use of an adaptive inservice model, which describes the mechanisms by which educational change and professional growth occur. Argues that to implement effective inservice programs based on the adaptive model, the program must be systematic, long-term, and guided by a common set of goals and expectations. (FL)

Educators are encouraged to build advocacy for gifted education through the program itself by demonstrating the high quality products of participating students, and through continued commitment to public relations. Factors common to programs that have survived the economic downturn in New England are identified, including sustained advocacy…

This paper argues for increased universitywide research planning, with emphasis on collective identification of priorities, open communication at all levels, careful allocation of resources, and long-range strategic planning. (DB)

This report presents the views of the Advisory Council for Special Education Needs for Queensland, Australia concerning effective education for students with special educational needs in regular schools. Three issue areas are identified: (1) commitment and advocacy; (2) effective management of education; and (3) improved human resource development…

This booklet focuses on the role of interagency agreements in facilitating the transition of young children and their families from early intervention services to preschool services as children turn 3 years of age. Interagency agreements can be viewed as an "invisible brace" supporting families and staff as they consider many issues in moving from…