This newsletter reports on the status of biology education in the United States. It states that biology has entered its "golden age" because of the emergence of biotechnology, ecology, agricultural productivity, and human biology as major societal issues. This report discusses the status of the informal national curriculum of biology, involving…

Sustainability is a critical issue for the vast array of community initiatives that promote healthy children, strong families, and safe communities. Noting that sustaining an initiative over time requires maintaining sufficient fiscal resources as well as a combination of nonfiscal resources from the initiative itself and the broader community,…

Reports on observations of the guidance and counseling services offered in nine schools in the San Francisco Unified School District, California. Provides a history of the development of these programs, discusses the role of the counselor, sets forth the expected tasks of the counselor while comparing these with the actual work being performed,…

Discusses geography's place in the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (ERASMUS). Reports that geography plays a small part in ERASMUS, although the rate of the United Kingdom's participation in ERASMUS programs is high. Describes student and teacher mobility, curriculum development, and intensive ERASMUS…

The Colorado School of Mines' experience illustrates that with good planning and enough money, a small university can provide a high level of waste management service, complying with government regulations. Considerations in developing the plan include a segregation scheme for incompatible materials, vehicle selection, and costs of ongoing…

This booklet offers state, district, and school leaders guidance both in understanding comprehensive school reform and in identifying effective comprehensive school-reform programs and the organizations that develop and help implement them. It focuses on the new federal program known as the Comprehensive School Reform Development (CSRD) Project, a…

Schools of the Dallas Independent School District have developed procedures to implement and monitor school improvement measures. The district aims to improve student achievement in four areas: functional literacy, mathematics, reading, and basic language arts. Participants in instructional improvement include teachers, principals, administrators,…

A public relations audit can show how efforts measure up, whether they are parents programs, media relations, or faculty/staff communication. A sample inventory form is included. (MLW)

Effective communication among stakeholders in public administration internship programs (students, academic institutions, faculty supervisors, host institution supervisors, employers, professional and accrediting associations) increases the likelihood that all will emerge from the experience as winners. The core of this communication is the…

Compares the Schools Reaching Out programs at two elementary schools in Roxbury (MA) and New York City with four similar projects elsewhere. Describes how an intervenor not involved with the ordinary operation of the school can help design, direct, motivate, and assess a school outreach program. (DM)

Older volunteers are helping urban students in developing the confidence and skills to succeed. Older adults, with their life experience and strong commitment to social service, can make a special contribution in underfunded and understaffed urban schools.

This article describes how colleges are seeking the best ways to respond to dangerous incidents like the shootings that occurred at Virginia Tech, and how best to alert people on their campuses to various threats to public safety and emergencies.

Meeting a growing need for school-based practitioners, this book provides vital tools for improving the academic, behavioral, and social outcomes of students with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS). Research-based best practices are presented for conducting meaningful assessments; collaborating with teachers, students, and…

The Services for Transition to Independence through Education (STRIDE) project evaluated a model for providing comprehensive training and employment services to adults with mild handicaps, using existing vocational education classes and special needs support programs in a secondary vocational technical school in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Services…

This report outlines the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' plan to address the educational needs of homeless children and youth, as required by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. The major purpose of the plan is to guide local education agencies and supply them with resources as they attempt to meet the educational needs of homeless…