Programs to encourage dropouts to finish school need to overcome the roadblocks of credits, time, and support services. Highlights nine specific hallmarks of effective dropout prevention programs gleaned from a study of 479 programs titled: "School Dropouts: Survey of Local Programs." (MLF)

Evaluates the use of computerized cash registers in school lunch programs. They provide accurate records on food items sold (listing them by categories), can save time, and may perform many other sophisticated functions that improve efficiency and accountability. (MD)

Outlines 10 steps for schools to take to develop an administrator internship program. (MD)

Offers suggestions for spending staff development money effectively. Ideas include the following: (1) keep your money close to the classroom; (2) use consultants to train your own trainers; (3) beware of embarking on numerous small-scale reforms; and (4) beware of pressure to copy other school improvement methods. (CJH)

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), Incorporated, has distributed over 57 million books in its 18 years. RIF programs have raised children's interest in reading and their levels of reading achievement, and have increased library use and parent involvement. The national RIF organization offers several forms of support for local programs. (PGD)

Describes application of a preschool education program in an Ortonville, Michigan, school district. The six programs are grouped in the same location, meet a variety of needs, and are part of a larger community cluster. Combining programs benefits both children and adults. (CJH)

Describes a Pennsylvania county school district's efforts to restore summer school despite budget restrictions and declining enrollments by combining forces with 14 other schools. Five local superintendents developed a plan for a countywide remedial program charging students $60 tuition for each 2-hour course taken. (MLH)

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: And you thought you'd tried every trick in the book to cut student absenteeism. You haven't. Now that computers have become an accepted feature in many schools' administrative offices, you might want to check out a new, computerized telephone system that six Chicago schools are using. Each of the…

Describes a program in Corvallis, Oregon, that provides vocational employment experience for disabled students. Success is attributed to community and business cooperation, training in diverse work sites, and placement flexibility. (CJH)

At the F. D. Roosevelt School in Lawndale, California, publicly acknowledging good student behavior in weekly awards assemblies sets the tone for other assemblies. The effects of expecting good behavior and rewarding it go beyond the auditorium to influence attitudes in the halls and classrooms. (MLF)

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: Your local high school students might never get to see their names up in lights. But with talent, luck, and determination, they might get to see their names in print--as winners in the World Almanac's high school records contest. As a way to recognize and reward teenage achievements (and undoubtedly…

To offset federal subsidy cutbacks, climbing food costs, and increasing wage demands, a Missouri school district hired a food management company. The district not only saved money, but also realized a profit, served more nutritious meals, needed less in-house recordkeeping, and concentrated more energy on education. (MLH)

Administrators can improve the test scores at their schools by working with teachers so that they understand the purpose of the testing and by developing a plan for communicating with parents and the community about the testing program. (MLF)

Describes the implementation of a management team approach to educational administration in small school districts. Identifies the basic concepts and activities that underlie implementation, outlines steps for solving problems, and reviews the stages of growth through which administrative teams develop. (PGD)

Early retirement plans are perceived as being beneficial to school staff and financially advantageous to schools. Four out of the five assumptions on which these perceptions are based are incorrect. The one correct assumption is that early retirement will make affirmative action programs move ahead more rapidly. The incorrect assumptions are: (1)…